AD24 Workshop 05 - The Role of Anxiety in Eating Disorders and the Value of a Tailored Hypnotic Treatment - Camillo Loriedo, MD, PhD

In the general consideration of Eating Disorders, anxiety symptoms have often been valued only as secondary aspects or even as a non-relevant issue. On the contrary, clinical experience and some recent findings demonstrate that anxiety plays an important role at various critical moments of the disorder and in its treatment process. The incidence of anxiety in ED patients is four times higher than in the general population. A higher anxiety level corresponds to greater severity of the illness. ED symptoms are more intense when accompanied by forms of anxiety. Greater anxiety contributes to poorer outcomes, and follow-up results are less positive. Particularly in BN and AN-B, the tendency toward impulsivity is stronger in accordance with higher levels of anxiety, and If the patient’s body dissatisfaction is high, there is a greater risk of self- injurious behavior and even of suicidal attempts. Considering all these factors that significantly affect the course of Eating Disorders, there should be more serious attention dedicated to the presence of anxiety at different moments of therapeutic intervention. Hypnosis proves to be an excellent treatment for lowering anxiety levels and reducing the disorder severity along with preventing the risky behaviors that frequently accompany the course of ED. Particular attention will be dedicated to special strategies and tailored hypnotic techniques that van be used at different stages of the therapeutic process.

Educational Objectives:

1. Understand the relevance of the anxiety role in Eating Disorders and in increasing the risk of chronicity.

2. Describe the critical situations of Eating Disorders that activate high levels of anxiety and require therapeutic interventions

3. Learn how to prevent binge and impulsivity reducing anxiety with specific hypnotic interventions, including self-hypnosis

4. Utilize five different hypnotic techniques that can be applied to the most common forms of anxiety in Eating Disorders