By Leah Jung
Have you ever tried to stop yourself worrying about something?
Maybe a member of your family is unwell, you’re struggling to find work, you’re strapped for cash or you’re fearful that your child might be getting bullied at school and just won’t talk to you about it.
There are many reasons you might be feeling anxious and, if you are, you’ll know all too well that telling yourself to stop worrying and expecting it to work is effectively the dictionary definition of pointless.
Six in 100 people are diagnosed with generalised anxiety disorder in the UK in any given week (according to mental healthy charity Mind), more than eight million people experience an anxiety disorder at any one time (Mental Health UK) – so why are fewer than one in two people with generalised anxiety disorder being treated for it?
We don’t know. But we do know this.
Hypnotherapy is an effective way to combat anxiety.
Just in case you’re not completely aware, hypnotherapy differs from other therapies in that it involves hypnosis.
And that’s as good a place to start as anywhere, because hypnosis in itself is a proven way of reducing anxiety and increasing relaxation; in that relaxed state, you will start to focus on the more positive aspects of your life and emerge with a different outlook.
Research has shown that clinical hypnotherapy also improves the effectiveness of your immune system, which in turn offsets stress levels and leads to a reduction in your anxiety.
But what is clinical hypnotherapy exactly?
By definition, it’s when hypnosis is used to treat a range of conditions, from addiction to smoking to fear of spiders.
It’s also highly effective in treating anxiety, focusing on whatever is causing you to feel anxious at the same time as helping you sink into a completely relaxed state.
Research into the effectiveness of the services provided by Anxiety UK – the national anxiety charity I work for as a clinical hypnotherapist – showed that 62% of its clients recovered and 71% reliably improved.
The research also concluded that its highly effective psychological therapies were just as effective regardless of how they were delivered – whether via phone, online via Zoom or Teams, face-to-face, or combination therapy.
Hold on. Am I even suffering from anxiety? Isn’t it natural to worry about my health/my family/my work?
It is natural to worry about certain things but if you even think you might be suffering from anxiety then the chances are you probably are.
If you’re not sure, though, some symptoms of anxiety are overthinking things, suffering from regular headaches, having difficulty sleeping or concentrating, feeling irritable, suffering with nausea or grinding your teeth.
If you recognise any of these symptoms, you might want to think about doing something about them. If not for your sake, then for the sake of those around you.
How much hypnotherapy will I need to address my anxiety?
The answer to that question depends entirely on you.
The average person might need around six sessions in a typical course, but there is such thing as the average person and you might only need four – or maybe you’ll need 10. It’s impossible to say and everyone, but everyone, is different.
Need to know more information?
If you’re interested in having a chat about hypnotherapy and how it can help you fight anxiety, get in touch.
Drop me an email (leah.hypnotherapist@gmail.com) and I’ll get back to you as soon as possible.
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