Hypnotherapy for Anxiety

 

As a hypnotherapist in Plymouth, anxiety is probably the most common problem I am asked to help

with.

 

ANXIETY is an underlying sense of being at risk or in danger, similar to what a cat feels
when it is on another cat’s territory. Anxiety means being constantly alert for any threats,
poised to react instantly to any danger. Reactions include flight, fight, and freezing.
Animals only feel anxious when they are in danger of physical attack. Humans can be
anxious in a much wider range of situations. This is firstly because our greater
intelligence enables us to imagine dangers, even highly unlikely possibilities. Secondly,
because we are social creatures, being ridiculed or disliked can feel as bad as being
physically hurt. Anxiety is often a problem when it interferes with a specific goal, such as
public speaking or passing the driving test.

PANIC is an acute attack of fear, so severe that it prompts us to immediate flight, fight, or
freezing. In a full-blown panic attack it is almost impossible to think clearly- reactions are
wholly instinctive.

PHOBIA is anxiety or even panic caused by a very specific thing, situation, or activity.
There are potentially as many phobias as there are things and situations in the World. It
is therefore pointless to learn long lists of phobias, since every client’s experience of
phobia is different anyway. However, the common phobias are social phobia (including
fear of public speaking and performance), agoraphobia (fear of open spaces), and
claustrophobia (fear of being trapped in small spaces).

HYPNOTHERAPY AND ANXIETY. All these problems respond well to hypnotherapy. The
approach is simple, consisting mainly in teaching the client how to relax and immediately
calm their emotions. Fear, like all emotions, is mostly physical, so you can control fear by
controlling it’s effects upon the body. When the body calms down, the mind follows. A
calm mind can easily dismiss irrational ideas. When the client is able to control their fear, they can stay with anythnig they previously feared until they have got used to it.