Anxiety is the body’s natural response to danger, an automatic alarm that goes off when you feel threatened, under pressure, or are facing a stressful situation. It’s the ‘Fight or Flight Response’, preparing us to fight, freeze or to flee.
Anxiety is an emotion that occurs when we anticipate that something unpleasant may happen. It is a mechanism that is wanting to get you away from the perceived threat. Because it is a purely unconscious response no amount of thinking will change how you feel. This is why hypnosis and NLP can be so effective in helping you overcome anxiety. It can work with your unconscious rather than your conscious, by-passing the thinking mind.
A phobia or anxiety is actually trying to keep you safe. If you see a tiger you may need that extra bit of adrenaline to help you run and save your own life. But of course when you have anxiety or a panic attack you surely don’t feel safe at all. Anxiety and panic attacks are basically the old fight or flight response causing adrenaline to rush through your system, pumping blood away from the brain and into your limbs. It doesn't feel good and if you suffer from anxiety attacks you know how debilitating they can be.
Anxiety may also be linked to trauma. You may have been attacked and have good reason for feeling unsafe. You are constantly in high alert, wondering when the next attack may be. Simple daily tasks like walking to the shop can feel scary. I have worked with a client who had been the victim of a random, highly violent attack in her twenties, as well as under-going several years of domestic violence. Despite being in a safe relationship for many years she was unable to switch off her 'survival switch' and lived in high anxiety which effected her sleep, family and ability to engage in activities. A combination of hypnotherapy and EMDR resolved this for her. We focussed on re-wiring her to feel safe and calm, and re-educating her nervous system through suggestions. She uses her self-help tools to this day. She is no longer living with this terrible sense of 'feeling unsafe' and constantly being on high alert and in fear of what might happen to her children. She can sleep through the night.
If you are a survivor of domestic violence you may find you are unable to switch off your 'fight or flight or freeze' response as you have been hyper vigilant for so many years.
Many forms of anxiety and fear happen outside of your conscious awareness, at a completely subconscious level. It might be you had a scary experience with doctors and needles when you were three and don't even remember and consequently have a phobia of needles. You may rationally and consciously know that anxiety or phobias is not doing you any good. But you still can't stop it. Anxiety is an unconscious response and no amount of logically thinking about it will get you out of anxiety. Hence we need to solve the problem at the level where it actually exists: the unconscious. Hence modern clinical hypnotherapy and NLP are well suited than any other therapy to change these subconscious anxiety patterns.
If you wish to reduce anxiety, through hypnotherapy I can help you bring through a new state of relaxation, peace and calm and a feeling of 'safety'. Through EMDR I can work with you on any trauma that has contributed to the feelings of not being safe. Through NLP practises I can help you reframe your thinking and feelings. Through energy work we can help release old patterns (through
time lines and regression or inner child work) and bring healing to these experiences, allowing you to move forward healed.
Please call to discuss whether hypnotherapy is right for you:
By Diana Joy, Balmain Hypnotherapy
1 Birchgrove Rd, Balmain
04144486707
diana@dianajoy.com.au
Comments