Emotional Therapy Technique (EFT) can help control food cravings and addictions, suggests a column by Dianne Bourne in the Manchester Evening News Feb. 2, 2010.

In the article, Bourne describes how EFT helped her control her chocolate cravings.

EFT is a form of alternative psychotherapy that manipulates the body's energy field by finger tapping on acupuncture points without needles, while the client focuses on a specific memory. The process helps to alleviate a psychological problem and realign the body’s energy.

Bourne wrote, “In practical terms, this means tapping your hand, head, chin, chest and armpit while repeating positive statements, like for me: ‘I don’t need to eat all those Maltesers to feel happy.’ “

According to the article, EFT has been used to help people deal with a variety of issues, including phobias, low self-esteem, and addictions including alcohol and smoking.

In the instance of food cravings, Bourne’s EFT practitioner took her through a series of questions to discover what emotional issues she had associated with chocolate that may have stemmed from childhood.

“It became clear that because I had such a happy childhood, my chocolate obsession could stem from the fact it reminds me of my feelings of comfort and relaxation when I would be treated to sweet treats as a child,” Bourne wrote.

Bourne says she now uses the EFT techniques of tapping on acupuncture points and repeating positive statements to curb her chocolate cravings.