Anxiety is a fear of the unknown, feeling of uneasiness, uncertainty, apprehension, of what may happen, situations like a job interview or a crowd of people etc.
There are various types of anxiety such as panic attacks, phobias, social anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder, separation anxiety, illness anxiety disorder or PTSD.
Anxiety has a wide range of symptoms ranging from anger, irritability, and fatigue to self-doubt, restlessness or sadness. There are so many different ways that anxiety can manifest itself. Yet, most of the time it’s a presenting symptom of a much deeper issue, and not the issue itself.
Anxiety is like a fire alarm that tells us that we have much deeper issues that we need to look into.
What causes anxiety?
The majority of people suffer from anxiety because they may worry about their current circumstances, or over job security or any other aspect of their lives.
Once we get stuck in this negative loop of thoughts-emotions-actions and back to the original thought, it’s hard to get out.
Low self-worth and self-esteem can also make us more susceptible to anxiety. Childhood trauma or unresolved emotional hurt from the past can also play a huge part in this.
There is plenty of evidence saying that most people struggle with anxiety because of disconnection.
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Disconnection from other people, from meaningful work or values.
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Disconnection from the natural world, from hopeful people and secure features.
What's important for me is to notice that most of the reasons are linked to the way we live and interact with other people. In a world where we are so connected, we are lonelier than ever.
Also, anxiety has an undeniable connection to the past. To give you an example, imagine that you fear speaking in front of people because in school you were laughed at during a school presentation. And your mind said 'ok, I’ve got you. This was so painful that I will make sure that will never happen to you again.'
And now you get a mild panic attack every time you are asked at work to make a presentation to the board. You start shaking and sweating. And the physical reaction makes this very difficult. This also feeds your insecurities.
The underlying reason for anxiety in this example is fear. And fear is like smoke that lives in the brain and takes over. It feeds overthinking which negatively affects our lives.
Yes, some people may have a chemical imbalance in the brain but that’s not the case for the majority of the population.
What can you expect from a hypnotherapy session?
Hypnosis is a really powerful tool. As we know deep relaxation is part of the process during a hypnotic session. It helps the hypnotist to bypass the critical mind and the stress response and have a conversation with the deep parts of your mind.
Going into a hypnotic state is easy and most of us experience this many times during the day without even realising it.
During the session, we look for the core reason, for the underlying problem that triggers the anxiety as a response. This understanding provides clarity and understanding to clients. This is really important as we want to remove the problem at its core, and not just the symptoms.
What is incredibly important is post-session self-care. Meditation, silence and 6-6-6 breathing technique can help you to better manage emotions.
Allow yourself to welcome inner peace and joy.
C. Hypnotherapist, RTT Therapist
NLP Master Practitioner, Life Coach
