Hypnotherapy and anxiety
Disclaimer
Hypnotherapy results differ from client to client and whilst we will try our best to help a client make changes the results are not guaranteed.
Fear is a survival mechanism and the ‘fight or flight’ reaction is initiated when a situation is perceived as threatening. If a person gets locked into this perception then background anxiety may be experienced as a constant companion, leading to poor task performance, avoidance and a deteriorating physical condition.
If unresolved then the process can lead to Panic disorder
This usually appears during the teens or early adulthood, and while the exact causes are unclear, there does seem to be a connection with major life transitions that are potentially stressful: exams, getting married, having a first child, divorce and the myriad of other challenges in modern life. Normally it seams to start with a particular event that scares the sub-conscious. The sub-conscious has one primary task in life and that is to keep you safe.
If something should initiate the fear reaction the sub-conscious will seek to avoid the same type (or similar) situations. This is what we call avoidance techniques.
A panic attack is an intense period of fear or discomfort. During the attack, a person may experience the following symptoms:
- racing heartbeat
- difficulty breathing, feeling as though you ‘can’t get enough air’
- terror that is almost paralysing
- dizziness, light-headedness or nausea
- trembling, sweating, shaking
- choking, chest pains
- hot flushes, or sudden chills
- tingling in fingers or toes (‘pins and needles’)
- fear that you’re going to go crazy or are about to die
To be diagnosed as a panic attack, four or more symptoms should be present. Otherwise, the attack is described as “limited symptom attack.” Those who experience panic attacks usually describe them as occurring “out of the blue.”
The sessions
Hypnotherapy for anxiety changes the underlying sub conscious thinking and belief systems that support the anxiety and we use hypnotherapy to tackle many of the symptoms that sufferers experience.
CBT deals with the thought process that can keep you hitting the same fear button, like the moth going back to the flame.
The additional use of hypnotherapy teaches deep seated shifts in the physiology so that the relaxation response is readily available.
Treatment options
We reccomend starting with a Super Session that lasts up to 2 hours and covers in depth hypnotherapy for the issues and includes a session on mindfulness.
At the end of the session you will be given a recording of the session for further home use.
You can also start with a standard hypnotherapy session, if preferrred.