What causes anxiety?

Anxiety stems from our ‘flight or fight’ response which  is triggered when our body perceives threat or feels as if it’s in danger. The fight or flight response is an automatic reaction which we have no control over. Our bodies release hormones, such as adrenaline and cortisol to make us more alert.

If we get locked into this stress response consciously thinking about an issue for prolonged periods our bodies get trapped in this need to be on high alert, our heart beats faster, our breathing more rapid and shallow, our desire for food drops and it can become a vicious circle.  We perceive danger even if there is little evidence for it.

Talking to a counsellor can help you understand what particular situations in your life are causing your anxiety so you can then you can look at steps to address it. You may want to look at ways to break out of a cycle of negative thoughts that are making you anxious. Or you may need to think about whether what is making you anxious is a fact – or something you have imagined.

Hypnotherapy can be a very useful complementary therapy to help deal with anxiety, working with the sub-conscious mind to reassure and replace the negative automatic thoughts with new positive suggestions to bring some ‘peace of mind’ to the client. I have had a lot of success in this area. Breathing exercises can help to regulate your heart rate, which can have an impact on relaxing your mind as well. Mindfulness techniques, such as meditation, can also have a positive impact for some people.