Anxiety and Stress

What is anxiety?
Anxiety is an unpleasant feeling of fear and apprehension. Normally anxiety can be useful, helping us to avoid dangerous situations, making us alert and giving us the motivation to deal with problems. However, if the feelings become too strong or go on for too long, they can stop us from doing the things we want to, making our lives miserable.
How do you know if you are anxious?

Psychological symptoms:
Anger
Fear of madness
Fear of impending death
Feelings of being outside yourself
Feeling cut off from reality
Worried all the time
Tiredness
Irritability
Poor memory
Sleeping badly
Inability to concentrate

Physical symptoms:
Abdominal discomfort
Breathing heavily
Diarrhoea
Difficulty swallowing
Dizziness
Faintness
Frequent urinating
Headaches
Indigestion
Muscle tension and pains
Racing heart
Sweating
Tightness or pain in chest
Tingling finger tips

It is quite normal to feel anxious when you are facing something dangerous or difficult, but it is not usual to feel anxious all the time or to feel that anxiety is ruling your life. Extreme anxiety is manifested as phobias, panic attacks or obsessive compulsive disorder.

When anxiety has gone too far...
Severe anxiety is similar to a 'false alarm'. Our bodies over-react, and respond with anxiety to something that is not threatening. It can happen if we exaggerate the danger in our minds; if we are under stress; or when we start thinking about past difficulties. Sometimes we are not even aware of the cause.

Severe anxiety doesn't just fade away; it can be so unpleasant that you begin to find ways of avoiding the situation or event that makes you feel so bad. Every time you succeed in avoiding the event your anxiety level drops and so in the short term you feel better. However long term you can become a recluse, avoiding any situation that may evoke anxiety and never knowing whether that danger was all in your mind.

Hypnotherapy is an excellent tool for eliminating unnecessary anxiety. Once a full assessment has been made you will be guided into a pleasant, relaxed state. Your subconscious will be taught to change the the behaviour and you will also be taught techniques to prevent these uncomfortable symptoms from developing. You will learn to trust your own strengths and this is extremely  empowering.