Anxiety and panic attacks, now what's it all about?
Someone experiencing panic and anxiety is feeling the effects of the 'fight or flight' response. The fight or flight response is our bodies natural response to a perceived danger. When it is activated, hormones are released into the body to enable us to either deal with or escape from the dangerous situation.
The effects of the fight or flight response include an increase in our heart rate to pump blood faster to the lungs, muscles and brain. We breath more rapidly to increase our oxygen levels, our muscles tense ready for action and many functions not necessary for fighting or escaping, such as digestion or reproduction, slow or stop.
It is important to realise that what we think about can actually activate the fight or flight response. Our minds and bodies can't tell the difference between the thoughts about a situation and the situation itself. Therefore by simply thinking, worrying or 'what if'-ing about something you are actually activating the fight or flight response in exactly the same way as if you were actually experiencing it in reality.
There are many reasons people develop panic disorder following a major life stress or a build up of stress. Major life stress can include a death of a loved one, moving home, loss of employment, relationship problems, financial problems, a physical illness, birth of a child etc.
Panic Disorder is the fear of having a spontaneous panic attack. The intensity of the attack can be extremely severe and many people feel they are having a heart attack and/or are going to die or are going insane.
Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD)
Is the experience of obsessive, unwanted thoughts and/or compulsive behaviours.repetitive behaviours like washing your hands, saying things repeatly a certain amount of times incase of bad luck.
Sometimes stress and anxiety are caused by circumstances and situations in your life nowadays; sometimes they are caused by problems from the past; sometimes it is a mixture of the two - problems from the past affecting how you respond to events in your present life.
Whatever circumstances are triggering these feelings within you, it is your mind that decides how to respond; it is your mind that interprets an event as stressful or anxious; it is your mind that creates the actual feelings.
Knowing this, hypnosis and hypnotherapy can help you change how you respond inside - with the result that you will naturally remain more calm, more relaxed and more in control in those situations that currently cause you stress and anxiety.
To discuss your needs further in absolute confidentiality or to arrange a first hypnotherapy consultation please feel free to call or e-mail me today on:
Mobile: 07922 346631
