Stress can be defined as an adaptive response by a body to adjust in the surroundings. Anxiety reaction evolved to allow humans to deal with life-threatening perils or stressors such as being confronted with a wild animal or perhaps a intimidating human. Circumstances like this required action – the activation of stress response whether to stay and fight or to take off.
At present we hopefully won’t have to face the same perils as our ancestors but the stress response to difficult circumstances we face is still with us and our psyche and body still get ready for fight or flight when confronted with the equivalent of the wild animal. This is where the problem may begin as initiation of the fight or flight reaction with no physical exit, such as…. if we are trapped in a traffic jam and can’t fight it or flee it, or maybe an unfair confrontation in the office where once again the reaction for action may be triggered but we cant vent it by fighting or running away without consequences we would rather avoid. Maybe both of these events and more are experienced on the same day, perhaps every day, and the anxiety builds within us until it can damage our health if a solution is not found.
Stress isn’t always bad – the stress reaction was designed to help and protect us and some people even put themselves in stressful situations they know they can handle for stimulation and ‘the rush’ as it is often called. We all experience anxiety in different ways depending upon our personality style, conditioning and possible teaching also.
When we face a stressor but think we have the ability to deal with it successfully a feeling of success and achievement can be gained. Getting the balance right between good anxiety to stimulate us and encourage us to grow, and our capacity to cope with the anxiety is probably the key to remaining healthy, optimistic and active in whatever arena of life we find ourselves.
Our capability to cope with anxiety can be affected by our diet and the intake of good substances that our body needs to remain strong and flexible and to restore itself when needed. Also we should steer clear of anything that could cause us to be more stressed or weaker such as drugs, alcohol, smoking etc. Finally, anxiety can be external, some event or situation that is causing stress, or internal, attitudes or emotions that lead to stress (anxiety, guilt, low self esteem, fear, etc).
The ‘Fight or Flight response’ is a physiological response and is the body’s response to a stressor. Changes in hormones set up a person to either stay and deal with a stressor or to take flight/run away. This immediate state of alarm is when the body prepares to take action, and in this state a person will be extremely alert to their surroundings but also very anxious and possibly unable to think.
The body will slow down systems not vital in responding to the stressor, such as the digestive system, which is why a person in a fight or flight situation may have a dry mouth and a nervous/upset stomach. The body will make other preparations such as improved cooling for the body as more energy is used and this will result in perspiration.
Once the initial stages of this fight or flight reaction are over, a person will have a psychological response to the stressor which will be based upon many variables including, personality type, conditioning, age, physical and intellectual capability, and their facts relevant to the situation to be dealt with.
It is very often the resulting symptoms of this fight or flight response kicking in that we tend to call a panic attack. What actually happens is that we may be in a situation where we can’t fight or flight, such as a gathering or on a train, and so we become more and more anxious and may feel as though we will pass out, or be sick, or any one of a number of responses. What often happens then,is we find we have a desperate need to urinate, and that is another way the subconscious mind will occasionally attempt to gain our attention and compel us to exit the place in which we find ourselves at the time. It is normally the sensation of not being able to get away, and knowing that we might have this strong sensation to fight or flight that causes much of the anxiety and anticipation of problems for most people who find they need help to triumph over their problem.
Hypnotherapy is different from any other form of therapy because of the way in which the healing part happens while one is in hypnosis. Put another way, hypnotherapy is a very successful mixture of hypnosis and therapy.
Hypnosis allows an individual to enter a state of deep relaxation which in itself is a very useful therapy for fighting stress. It also enables one to become relaxed and focused, as all parts of the mind work together and focus on solving the problem at hand, and therefore making the very best use of the chosen therapy as it is applied.
Hypnosis is a state in which the conscious crucial faculty is temporarily suspended or distracted and in which all parts of the mind work in agreement for the good of the whole being. Hypnosis then, is a safe, calming state in which we can let go the tensions in and around us for a short period, and in which, if we desire it, a skilled therapist can guide us through the stages of investigation, discovery, planning and mending we may need.
