21/11/2025
Overcoming Sugar Addiction, Psychotherapy and Hypnosis.
A woman in her fifties came to the shop because of her sugar addiction. She was very much in control of every other aspect of her life, except when it came to sugar. She couldn’t understand why she couldn’t manage her sugar intake.
When we think about any addiction, the emotional perception of it often carries a much stronger positive charge than the intellectual understanding, which recognizes it as harmful. In her case, sugar was emotionally comforting in a way that logic couldn’t override.
Her stepfather passed away when she was 12 years old, but she continued to carry a deep sense of confusion. No one — not even her mother — told her about his death. She sensed something was wrong, which made her feel anxious about the atmosphere at home. Even though she didn’t particularly like her stepfather, she appreciated having him around because he was the only one who could bring boundaries and order to the family.
Her mother suffered from depression and wasn’t able to care for her four children properly. As a result, she grew up in a household that lacked structure, leaving her constantly confused. Her memories of her mother weren’t always pleasant, though she remembered that her mother used to make desserts and cookies. She was always anxious about missing out on a second cookie, even though there often wasn’t enough for one. This fear reflected a deeper longing for her mother’s love and attention, which she rarely experienced.
I realised that, in her subconscious mind, sweet desserts represented her mother’s unexpressed love. Eating sweets gave her the illusion of receiving the affection she longed for and felt she deserved. Perhaps the only way her mother felt she could make her children happy was by baking cookies — and maybe that was the only thing she felt she could do well. Her attachment to sugar had become a substitute for the love she missed.
In our sessions, we worked on changing this belief. Sweet food was no longer framed as a source of love, but as something harmful to her body.
I often ask my clients to attend at least two sessions so we can observe changes and address any remaining issues, and so they can report what has shifted and what hasn’t.
Surprisingly, when she came to her second session two weeks later, she said she hadn’t eaten any extra sweets — no cake, no cookies. When her husband offered her a coffee with cake, she replied, “That’s poison to my body.” She also revealed a deeper goal: she wanted to improve her relationship with her daughter, particularly so she could remain close to her two grandchildren. After the session, she noticed that she had been making overly harsh judgments of her daughter and realized that she could still love her, even without fully understanding her choices and actions.
Gymnema Sylvestre: Natural Support for Sugar Cravings
What it is:
Gymnema sylvestre is a herb traditionally used in Ayurvedic medicine to help balance blood sugar and reduce sugar cravings.
How it works:
• Gymnema temporarily blocks sugar receptors on the tongue, making sweet foods taste less appealing.
• It helps reduce the desire for sugary foods and can support better self-control around sweets.
• Over time, it can retrain your taste buds to prefer less sweet foods naturally.
Benefits for sugar addiction:
• Reduces physical cravings for sugar
• Supports emotional control around sweet foods
• Helps break the habitual attachment to sugar
• Can be used safely alongside lifestyle changes such as healthier eating and emotional work