Everyone suffers from feelings of anxiety and worry at some point. You may feel worried or anxious about a job interview, getting the results from a medical test, financial issues or even getting married. Feelings of worry and anxiety are perfectly normal reactions to the daily pressures of life. However, for some people, these feelings of worry or anxiety can become intrusive and may begin to have a negative effect on a daily basis.
NHS 24 estimate that approximately 1 in 50 people will suffer with generalised anxiety disorder at some point during their lifetime. The condition is most likely to occur in people in their 20s and it affects slightly more women than men. It is a long-term condition which can make you feel anxious about a whole range of things, rather than one specific issue. The problem is when anxiety becomes all pervading and you can’t even remember the last time you were able to properly relax.
Some people experience panic attacks which can feel very frightening indeed, with people often describing how they thought they were going to die. Stress has always been a part of our daily lives, beginning with the fight or flight response we inherited from our early ancestors. Many of our stresses are natural everyday responses to situations where our bodies react in a somewhat stimulated way. This type of stress could be viewed as positive or necessary stress because without it we would probably lead quite inactive, dull and directionless lives.
James Tighe from BBC Health points out that “Stress in itself isn’t necessarily harmful. Everyone needs goals and challenges. But too much can be damaging.”
In our current society, people are increasingly experiencing too much stress, or what we can call ‘negative stress’. This is the type of stress that can make you feel overwhelmed. Stress is a well-known trigger for depression and it can also affect your physical health.
There are a limitless number of triggers for stress, however the following are generally accepted as being in the top dozen:
- Any sort of loss, from bereavement, divorce and separation to a child leaving home
- Long-term illness and disability
- Marriage
- Moving house
- A new job
- Holidays
- Work
If you are anxious or stressed about a specific upcoming event such as taking an exam, making a speech or a presentation, attending a social gathering, or if you’re about to have an operation, hypnotherapy will help you to feel less anxious. It can help you to reduce and manage your anxiety and stress levels, irrespective of the cause. You may even find yourself looking forward to the event or situation you’ve been fearing!