An eight-year-old boy, Rocco O'Brien, who had consumed a diet primarily consisting of Cadbury’s chocolate bars, Nutella spread, Pringles crisps, and Nesquik milk for his entire life, has experienced a remarkable transformation, thanks to hypnotherapy.
Rocco would react with screaming and vomiting if his mother, Heidi, attempted to introduce other foods, even causing him to burst into tears at the sight of a chicken nugget or any vegetable.
Desperate for a solution, Heidi, 45, reached out to hypnotherapist David Kilmurry, an expert in treating obsessive eating conditions.
Rocco was diagnosed with Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID) and underwent intensive hypnotherapy treatment.
After several two-hour sessions, his previously limited diet expanded, and he is now open to trying ten different foods.
Heidi, a resident of Ipswich, described Rocco's food aversions, which began during weaning, saying, "He was gagging on everything and was avoiding certain foods."
She continued, "He wasn't just refusing food, he was sick with it. We couldn't go to restaurants; he couldn't be in the same room as food. The smell, the look."
Heidi mentioned that Rocco has a sensory processing disorder, heightening his sensitivity to various stimuli, including food. "He's got a sensory processing disorder, and his senses are heightened. He's afraid to touch most food."
Following sessions with Kilmurry, Rocco started to explore new foods, including baby spinach, apple, and pear – items he would never have considered before.
Heidi shared her innovative approach to introducing new foods, "Rocco does a 1,2,3 thing. You cut them up into three tiny pieces. It's just to get them with a tiny bit in their mouth. Before, I used to pile it up on his plate."
Heidi credited a chance encounter with another individual who had successfully overcome ARFID through hypnotherapy as the turning point in Rocco's journey to healthier eating.
Heidi, who runs a property management company and has four other children with her husband Chris, said, "After just two sessions, he's tried baby spinach, apple, pear. These are things he'd never try."
Rocco is gradually expanding his palate, and his family is hopeful that his newfound openness to different foods will continue to grow.
