If you want to beat stress and anxiety something must change.
This blog provides you with information and evidence about the effectiveness of hypnosis to help you rid yourself of stress and anxiety. Questions I answer include:
- What are stress and anxiety and what’s the difference?
- Could you be suffering from stress or anxiety?
- What is the evidence that hypnosis works with reducing stress and anxiety?
- Are there different types of hypnosis?
- Where can I find a hypnotherapist who specialises in helping people with stress and anxiety?
Did you know that stress and anxiety are the leading causes of unhappiness and ill health. According to the World Health Organisation
What is the difference between stress and anxiety?
Stress is pressure or demands on someone. It can lead to feelings of being out of control as it usually involves using resources such as time.
We can all feel anxious but anxiety is usually a condition that this diagnosed by a doctor. The feelings of anxiety will be continuing for months. It is considered a survival response by the body to a perceived or real threat.
Anxiety is a feeling of fear and apprehension. Sometimes it can follow prolonged stressful situations and sometimes the cause is unknown.
Could you be suffering from stress or anxiety?
We all experience stress and anxiety at some time in our lives. It’s a survival mechanism to alert us that something is wrong. But if you get too much stress or anxiety you can become ill.
Stress and anxiety can affect your body and the way you think.
But when you feel stressed or anxious for longer than a few weeks and you start getting symptoms like insomnia, tummy upsets, aches and pains, IBS, and you pick up lots of coughs and colds, and feeling de-motivated then you need to do something to prevent it getting worse. Some people get panic attacks.
You might start to avoid situations. You might not go out as often as you used to and so you stop seeing friends as often.
Mentally you worry a lot and feel that things are going around in circles.
So if you feel under pressure try and do something about it. Find ways to relax and unwind after a busy day at work. And always get a check-up from the doctor especially if you are on any medications as some medications can contribute to feelings of anxiety.
What is the evidence that hypnosis works with reducing stress and anxiety?
Treatments for stress and anxiety range from healthy eating, and exercise to medications, relaxation, counselling, complementary therapies and hypnosis.
There are lots of studies that show the effectiveness of hypnosis for stress and anxiety.
A meta-analysis by Hammond (2010) looked at studies and concluded that hypnosis is effective in reducing anxiety.
A later meta-analysis by Valentine et al (2018) also concluded that hypnosis is effective in helping people beat anxiety.
Numerous other studies have looked at specific types of anxiety and hypnosis and found that it is helpful resulting in Anxiety UK supporting its use.
Are there different types of hypnosis?
Yes. There are different approaches depending on the problem, the knowledge and skills of the therapist and your condition.
Increasingly, hypnotherapists use Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), a type of counselling with hypnosis to help people with stress and anxiety issues as it can be more effective.
Where can I find a hypnotherapist that specialises in helping people with stress and anxiety?
You can search professional directories, get recommendations or search for someone online that fits with your needs. You can find hypnotherapists who work online or face to face in an office.
Hi, I’m Linda from Awaken the Change. I’m a hypnotherapist, counsellor, coach and trainer.
I help people to reduce their stress and anxiety, get out of a rut and love life again. This means not only that I am trained to help people with these conditions but I also search for the research and evidence that underpins my work.
If you want to beat stress and anxiety I can help either with face to face appointments in my office or online via Zoom. Please contact me for a free initial consultation.
