Anxiety disorders
Most of us know what it feels like to be stressed, worried or nervous about something. Usually, these feelings are fleeting and disappear as quickly as they appear. However, for those who are anxious, these feelings last longer and can be much more intense.
If you suffer from an anxiety disorder, you may find that you avoid certain situations because you're afraid they'll trigger those feelings for you. This can make everyday tasks difficult and prevent you from doing the things you want to do.
There are many different techniques and tools that can help combat anxiety, including hypnotherapy. Hypnosis for anxiety aims to get to the root cause of the problem and change your relationship with anxiety. It reinforces feelings of self-esteem and self-confidence, while calming intense fear and worry. You'll develop new skills for maintaining the calm state of mind you need to overcome anxiety-provoking situations.
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What is anxiety?
We humans have evolved to protect ourselves. One way we do this is through the "fight, flight or freeze" response. If our brain perceives a threat or danger, it releases hormones to prepare us to flee, fight or freeze. These hormones include adrenalin and cortisol, and they make us feel more alert to what's happening. They also make our heart beat faster, so blood is sent where it's needed most when we're under attack.
It's a great system, but as society develops, we generally need it less. For many of us, the system is activated when there is no physical danger. For example, our fight, flight or freeze response may be triggered by our superior asking us to add another task to our to-do list.
We end up internalizing the feelings, and find ourselves sitting at our desk, heart pounding, not knowing how to stop it. Anxiety becomes a mental health problem when it starts to affect everyday life. It can be very easily triggered, or you may find that you have a constant level of anxiety throughout the day.
What are the signs and symptoms of anxiety?
Anxiety will be experienced differently by everyone, but there are certain symptoms you can associate with anxiety:
you think a lot
you "brood" and then...
headaches
chest pain
dizziness
trouble sleeping
faster breathing
nausea
rapid or irregular heartbeat
teeth grinding
agitation
Types of anxiety
Since anxiety is a normal part of life, it can be difficult to recognize when it's becoming a problem. However, if you experience strong feelings of anxiety, or if they last for a long time, it can become exhausting and overwhelming.
The symptoms and problems associated with anxiety differ from person to person, but depending on the type of problems you're experiencing, you may be diagnosed with a more specific anxiety disorder, such as generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder or social phobia.
Generalized anxiety disorder
People with generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) will often feel anxious, and may not know why. Anxiety can interfere with daily life, as sufferers may worry seriously about their family, money and health. This condition is often diagnosed when a person spends at least six months worrying excessively about everyday problems. This disorder can be difficult to live with, as it can give the impression that there is no respite from this anxiety.
Panic disorder
Panic disorder is characterized by an intense feeling of terror that can strike suddenly and without warning. Panic attacks are a common symptom, although not everyone who suffers one has panic disorder. People diagnosed with panic disorder may often be in constant fear of having a panic attack. It is this fear that can then frequently lead to panic attacks, becoming a vicious circle.
Social anxiety disorder
Social anxiety disorder, also known as social phobia, involves extreme feelings of anxiety and discomfort in social situations. Common signs of social anxiety include fear of being around people, interacting with people and being judged negatively by others.
There are other forms of anxiety disorders:
obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)
phobias
post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
Health anxiety
More commonly associated with OCD, health anxiety is a specific type of phobia or anxiety that can make daily life extremely difficult.
A person suffering from health anxiety worries a lot about their health and may think they're not well, when in fact they are. They may regularly check their body for signs of illness, including lumps, pain or other unusual physical sensations. She may also have a perpetual fear of death.
How does hypnosis work for anxiety?
Hypnosis for anxiety can help build confidence and self-belief, while reducing feelings of intense fear and worry. It can help you develop the ability to access the relaxed state of mind needed to overcome the often overwhelming emotions that accompany anxiety.
Using suggestions, hypnotherapy establishes a dialogue with your unconscious mind and brings about positive change. Suggestions are designed to create new learning to replace old behavior in the face of anxiety and anxiety-provoking situations.
A fear response is an interaction of different neuronal clusters in the brain. Neurons that are often activated at the same time interact, develop preferences and create new synaptic links. Each time we interrupt a particular type of behavior, we create new activity in the brain - and new neuronal links. Hypnosis can help you learn to interrupt familiar fear reactions and return to a state of relaxation. return to a state of relaxation.
