What is Anxiety and how can therapy help?
As humans we have evolved to protect ourselves. One of the ways we do that is through the ‘fight, flight or freeze’ reaction. If our brains perceive a threat or danger, it releases hormones to prepare us to run away, fight, or freeze. These hormones include adrenaline and cortisol, and they make us feel more vigilant of what’s happening. They also make our hearts beat faster, so blood is sent where it’s needed the most when we’re under attack.
It’s a great system, but as society has developed, we generally have less need for it. For many of us, the system gets activated when there is no physical danger present. For example, our fight, flight or freeze response may be triggered by our manager asking us to add another task to our to-do list.
We then end up internalising the feelings and find ourselves sitting at our desks, with our hearts pounding, with no idea how to make it stop. Anxiety becomes a mental health problem when it starts affecting daily life. You may be very easily triggered, or find you have a level of anxiety constantly throughout the day.
What we offer you:
- Following your initial free 20-minute consultation, either in person or on the phone, we will arrange your consultation.
- We will provide you with information and how we aim to support you.
- We offer a follow up service to consolidate the changes you have made.
What are the signs and symptoms of Anxiety?
Anxiety is a difficult thing to live with. It can feel exhausting, taking its toll on both our mental and physical health. If you suffer from anxiety, in any form, know that you’re not alone and we are here to help you.
Anxiety will feel different to everyone, however, there are certain symptoms here you may relate to if you have anxiety:
- overthinking
- ruminating
- headaches
- chest pain
- dizziness
- difficulties sleeping
- faster breathing
- nausea
- fast or irregular heartbeat
- teeth grinding
- restlessness
Types of Anxiety
Because anxiety is a normal part of life, it can be difficult to recognise when it is becoming a problem. However, if you are experiencing strong feelings of anxiety, or they are lasting for a long time, it can become exhausting and overwhelming.
The symptoms and problems associated with anxiety will differ between each individual but, depending on the kind of problems you experience, you may be diagnosed with a more specific anxiety disorder, such as generalised anxiety disorder, panic disorder or social phobia.
Generalised anxiety disorder (GAD)
Those with generalised anxiety disorder (GAD) will feel anxious often and may not know why. The anxiety can interfere with daily life as sufferers may seriously worry about family, money and health. The condition is often diagnosed when an individual spends at least six months worrying excessively about everyday problems. It can be a difficult disorder to live with as it can feel as if there’s no respite from anxiety.
Panic disorder
Panic disorder is characterised by intense feelings of terror, which can strike suddenly and without warning. A common symptom is panic attacks, though not everyone who experiences a panic attack will have panic disorder. Those who are diagnosed with panic disorder can often feel constantly afraid of having a panic attack. It’s this fear that can then often lead to panic attacks, where it becomes a vicious cycle.
Social anxiety disorder
Social anxiety disorder (also known as social phobia) involves extreme feelings of anxiety and discomfort in social situations. Some of the common signs of social anxiety include fear of being around and interacting with people and being judged negatively by others.
Health anxiety
More commonly associated with OCD, health anxiety is a specific type of phobia or anxiety, that can make day-to-day life extremely difficult.
Someone with health anxiety will find themselves worrying a great deal about their health and may think they’re unwell when they’re not. They might check their body regularly for signs of illness, including unusual lumps, pains or other physical sensations. They may also be perpetually frightened of dying.
Other forms of anxiety disorders include:
- obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)
- phobias
- post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
Related Testimonials:
Anxiety
Thanks for the wonderful hypnotherapy session on Monday, I am looking forward to future sessions. I slept great and the positive feeling carried on into Tuesday, which was great and I was able to manage my anxiety after a good night’s sleep! Honestly, I was really impressed with how much difference it made after one session. I’m hoping with more sessions and support my anxiety will be something I can learn to overcome and relax- genuinely can’t thank you enough for making me believe there is light at the end of the tunnel, and I can overcome this!
Sam Tweedie – Leicester
Regression for anxiety
I wholeheartedly recommend Debbie. Having trained alongside Debbie I know that she is an excellent therapist who puts clients at ease and works with them in a supportive and encouraging way. If you want to improve your life in any way, Debbie can help you.
Camilla – Nottingham