Tag: mental health

Can Hypnotherapy Help Anxiety?

Joe Parkhouse

Author: George Whitaker

Hypnotherapy for Anxiety (& More)

Do you have anxiety? If so, you’ll know how overwhelming it can feel.

It can seem like it’s taking over your life, leaving you nowhere else to turn.

Worries can grow and seem to be never-ending – in my last post I talked about ‘the worry mushroom syndrome’ which really is a good analogy for how it can feel.

Anxiety can make everyday activities feel almost impossible.

Read more about ‘the worry mushroom syndrome’ here – https://parkhousetherapycentre.co.uk/why-do-i-worry-all-the-time-what-should-i-do-about-it/

What is Anxiety?

Anxiety can affect us in many different ways, causing us to feel worried, scared or uneasy. We can create anxiety by negatively forecasting the future, such as worrying about events which are coming up (e.g. we could be anxious about an upcoming social event or presentation that we have to give in work). We can also create anxiety by negatively ruminating on the past, regretting or feeling negative about memories and events which have happened in our lives.

How can Anxiety show itself?

Anxiety can affect us in so many different ways and so many conditions rely on anxiety to thrive, including:

– Obsessive Compulsive Disorder – when a person has obsessive thoughts and compulsive behaviours

– Post Traumatic Stress Disorder – caused by very stressful, frightening or distressing events

– Depersonalisation & Derealisation – a feeling of being outside of yourself or not feeling like the world around you is real

– Generalised Anxiety Disorder – persistent and excessive worrying (it could be about anything, e.g. money, health, family or work)

– Panic Disorder – when a person has regular, sudden panic attacks

– Social Anxiety Disorder – an intense, persistent fear of being watched and judged by others

– Phobias – when someone has an overwhelming and debilitating fear of an object, place, situation, feeling or animal

How is Anxiety caused?

It might be obvious to us why we’re anxious, but it might also be that we’re so used to feeling anxious that we don’t know why we feel this way any more. In hypnotherapy we use the analogy of a stress bucket – all of our stresses are put into an imaginary bucket, and if we don’t empty it then sooner or later it will overflow. This is when anxiety can hit us with full force, creating a vicious, negative cycle in our minds, leading to more negative thoughts, more anxiety and more problems.

The Effects of Anxiety

Anxiety can stop us from doing the things we really want to in life.

It can effect us in so many different ways from OCD to GAD.

GAD (Generalised Anxiety Disorder) is thought to affect as much as 5% of the UK population, with slightly more women affected than men, and most common in those aged between 35 and 39 (NHS figures, as of May 2021). Those with GAD feel constantly anxious, unable to relax and trapped in a constant vicious cycle of negative thoughts.

Social anxiety is also commonly seen in those with high anxiety. You may feel overwhelmed and unable to attend social situations, scared to interact with new people or even with people you know well.

Anyone with high anxiety can experience panic attacks, characterised by a period of intense fear and physical reactions such as hyper-ventilating, increased heart rate and high blood pressure. It may feel like you’re losing control, having a heart attack or dying.

So, How can Hypnotherapy Help with Anxiety?

Hypnotherapy has been shown to be very effective in relieving anxiety. Hypnosis uses deep relaxation and visualisation to help you relax, breaking you out of that vicious cycle of negative thinking. This deep relaxation will assist in giving you more intellectual control, and allow you to clearly see the best way forward in your life.

If you’d like to find out how Whitaker Hypnotherapy can aid in relieving anxiety in your life, please go to https://www.whitakerhypnotherapy.co.uk/reduce-anxiety

If you know this is the step you want to take and want to get started straight away, please book a free initial consultation by going to https://www.whitakerhypnotherapy.co.uk/free-initial-consultation

If you’re still unsure and don’t know the best step forward, please contact me and I will be happy to help – E: [email protected]/ P: 07470111303

Thanks for reading this article and please share to anyone it may help.

Why Do I Worry All The Time & What Should I Do About It?

Joe Parkhouse

Author: George Whitaker

Hypnotherapy for Anxiety (& More)

One of my all-time favourite books is ‘The Chimp Paradox’ by Dr Steve Peters. It is an excellent book that I would strongly suggest that everyone reads, no matter what job you have or where you are in life. The book explains why we act the way we do, and how we all have a chimp and human side to us. It really helps highlight why we do certain things and shows that we’re not as weird and different to everyone else after all!

One paragraph in the book really resonated with me – ‘The Mushroom Syndrome’.

When mushrooms grow they constantly compete for space. When a mushroom is big enough, you pick it, and the next largest will grow and fill its space. When this one is picked, the same process happens again. There is always a mushroom ready to grow and fill the gap.

The worry mushroom syndrome is a great analogy for describing how anxiety can feel.

For some people, they grow worries the same way – when a worry disappears, the next one grows and fills their mind. No matter how serious or potent the worry, there’s always one occupying their mind. It’s sometimes said (by others looking in) that these people are worrying about having nothing to worry about!

Don’t worry, there’s an answer to your worries! Dr Peters suggests that worrying is a learned destructive habit. It’s tiring for both the individual and people around them, because worries seem to sprout up from nowhere.

No matter how hard we try, there will always be concerns occupying our minds. It’s normal and healthy to have some; However, there are steps that you can take if you find yourself constantly worrying into a state of stress, and displaying signs of the mushroom syndrome:

  • Recognise that you suffer from the mushroom syndrome.
  • As soon as you notice a worry taking over, replace it with a positive/ neutral thought (e.g. Worrying is an option and I can choose not to worry). By doing this every time, it will become a habit and you’ll notice signs of worry before they take hold.
  • Try to take your mind off worries by changing your surroundings or activity (e.g. go for a walk into another room or get some fresh air).
  • Clear your mind using meditation (which will also help to reduce the power of your worries and negative thoughts).
  • Burn off excess energy by exercising (even just a walk will help).
  • Listen to some good music to take your mind off things.

After reading this, do you feel that you suffer or have ever suffered from the mushroom syndrome? If you don’t yourself, I’m sure you know others that do. I’ve certainly found myself having the mushroom syndrome at times, and often find mushrooms (worries) sprouting up if left unchecked. But, by having a positive/ neutral thought ready, you can help to combat worries as soon as they’re discovered (rather than allowing them to grow and take over your head-space).

If you’re interested in learning more about how our minds work in everyday life, I really would suggest checking out ‘The Chimp Paradox’ by Dr Steve Peters (I’m not earning commission for recommending it either!).

Thanks for reading this and please leave a like if you found it interesting.

Also, please share on to others if it could help them too.

To find out how we can help you with your anxiety, please go to https://www.whitakerhypnotherapy.co.uk/reduce-anxiety

On to the final question – How are you going to reduce your worrying today?

George.

I also run a training company specialising in Mental Health courses for businesses. For more information on this, please go to www.whitakertraining.co.uk