Hypnotherapy can help with Anxiety, Fears and Panic Disorders
Anxiety is something we all experience from time to time. Most people can relate to feeling tense, uncertain and, perhaps, fearful at the thought of: going into hospital, attending an interview, starting a new job or sitting an exam. This natural short term response can be useful, heightening our awareness and spurring us into action; feeling nervous before an exam can contribute to alertness and enhanced performance. However, if feelings of anxiety are long lasting and overwhelming then we can become less able to cope in everyday situations.
Anxiety triggers the release of adrenalin and cortisol in our bodies instigating the ‘fight or flight’ response, producing symptoms: fast heartbeat, rapid breathing, sweating and nausea. If we experience sustained stress over a long period of time we can find it difficult to deal with everyday life and this can exacerbate our anxiety levels, possibly resulting in feelings of powerlessness and loss of control, and in some cases panic attacks. A panic attack is an exaggeration of the body’s normal response to fear or stress; it is the rapid build-up of these overwhelming sensations. Some people who experience this fear that they are going mad or having a heart attack.
There are several types of anxiety and panic disorders because people respond to anxiety in different ways. Some of the more common ones are outlined below.
Phobias - A phobia is an irrational fear triggered by very specific situations or objects such as: spiders, heights, flying, small spaces etc., even when there is no real danger.
Generalised Anxiety Disorder - (GAD) is the experience of feeling fearful and anxious but not about anything in particular. The strength of the symptoms can vary.
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder - (OCD) Obsessive thoughts and compulsive behaviour are typical of this disorder. Obsessive thoughts about being contaminated with germs for instance or repeating particular tasks a certain number of times such as hand washing etc.
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder - (PTSD) flashbacks and/or dreams about a past traumatic event, these are likely to trigger strong feelings of anxiety similar to those experienced during the original event.
Panic Disorder - Sometimes panic attacks may appear to occur for no reason, this unpredictability can cause fear of having another panic attack with the feelings becoming so intense as to trigger another panic attack.
Hypnotherapy can have a dramatic impact on lowering anxiety in turn alleviating symptoms.
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