I had just come out of a meeting that left me very upset.  A lot of unpleasant feelings were running up and down my body that I wanted to douse before they burned me up.  Looking for the nearest “fire hose,” I figured that chocolate covered graham crackers and a latte would do the trick.

Just as I was about to head over to the nearest Star Bucks, I remembered that I had an appointment back at my office, about 30 minutes from where I was and that stopping for my favorite and frequent fix would make me late.  This was an unwelcome conundrum; do I feed the craving to numb myself and be late or do I show up on time and be distracted by my own upset?  Even if I could make it to the office on time, how do I pay attention to my client after bottoming out from a sugar crash?

Instead I chose to practice what I teach.  I ducked into the bathroom on the 9th floor, found an empty stall and did a Tapas Acupressure Technique® (TAT®) process on myself.  I put my hands on my head in the TAT pose and said to myself, “I’m upset, I hate the feelings I’m having right now and I want to run to Star Bucks for chocolate covered graham crackers and a latte.”  I took myself through the 9-step process, which took me about 5 minutes.

The entire time I was in the pose, I worried that the process wasn’t working.  Once I finished the ninth step, I checked in with myself.  The feelings still ran up and down my body but I LIKED them.  They felt good.  The craving for graham crackers and a latte were gone.  I was on time for my next appointment and I was focused.  It’s been over two years and the craving is still gone.  It’s not that I haven’t had these two lovely treats since.  I have and enjoyed them tremendously; twice.  That’s it.  Even writing about it doesn’t bring back the craving.

It wasn’t long after that incident that I asked my friend and colleague, Patricia Thatcher, to work with me on developing our group, Transforming Overeating.  Results from four groups, published in the February 2011 issue of NASW Focus Newsletter revealed for almost all group members what I had experienced.  “Eating to soothe my feelings” was reduced by 50%.

This can happen for you too.