Fear and anxiety are completely natural reactions. They are a result of millions of years of human evolution and act as a defense mechanism. The very fact that we as a species still exist today is proof that this mechanism is quite efficient. When faced with immediate danger, our mid is programmed to react in a certain way. It causes the release of adrenaline, cortisol, and noradrenaline which puts our body into survival mode and pushes into action to either run away from the threat or fight it.
However, today’s society is relatively safe from predators (unless you are part of an isolated tribe in some rain forest or in some tropical grasslands) and finding yourself in a life and death situation is not that common. But this programming is deeply engraved in our minds at a subconscious level and is often triggered by situations that are not realistically threatening. What triggers this mechanism today are mostly emotional threats and in some cases it can really get out of hand and cause panic attacks. This is known as an anxiety disorder and it can make it really hard for people to function normally. Trying to control anxiety can make the situation even worse since you start to develop a fear from anxiety itself and enter a constant loop of fear that feeds itself.
Whether it is social anxiety, obsessive compulsive disorder or phobias, it is really hard to fight them because there is no real threat, it is all imaginary, but our subconscious can’t tell the difference and triggers the survival mechanism anyway. If only there was a way to reprogram the mind not to exaggerate common non-threatening situations… Well, today there is a way, and I am not talking about a Vulcan mind meld. It is called hypnosis for anxiety. Not the kind of hypnosis you see in cartoons and circus acts where people are made to believe that they are chicken. Hypnosis doesn’t work that way at all.
A professional hypnotherapist will help boost your confidence and reduce the feelings of fear and intense worry. The main goal of hypnosis for anxiety is accessing your unconscious and promote positive change by using the power of suggestion. The therapist will first discuss what you hope to achieve with hypnotherapy and ask you a series of questions about your life in order to determine what triggers the anxiety and then explain how hypnosis works. After the initial consultation, the hypnotherapist will help you enter a deep relaxed state of mind and despite all the popular myths about hypnosis, you will still be conscious during the session. Depending on your situation, your therapist will make certain suggestions that will help you control your anxiety and calm your thoughts. The hypnotherapist will also teach you techniques for self-hypnosis that will help you calm yourself when you feel anxiety building up. The number of sessions may vary from one person to another, but the results are astonishing.