From unexpected terror attacks to exams and from job concerns to the rising cost of living, there is enough going on in modern society to make most of us worried, anxious, stressed and even depressed. How we cope with what the word throws at us is crucial to our well-being.
While many can cope, others resort to coffee, alcohol and recreational drugs to get them through. Some, who are stressed out might seek medication from their GP. But just talking about your problems can help, too.
The mental health charity, Mind, says there is no medical definition of stress and health care professionals often disagree over whether stress is the cause of problems or the result of them. But it adds: “We all experience stress differently in different situations.
“Sometimes you might be able to tell right away when you’re feeling under stress, but other times you might keep going without recognising the signs. Stress can affect you both emotionally and physically, and it can affect the way you behave.”
Talking with a trained professional can help someone suffering from stress or anxiety, says Mind, allowing the person to learn how to deal with it ‘and become more aware of your own thoughts and feelings’.
Clinical hypnotherapy, an evidenced-based therapy with over 70,000 worldwide research references, can help people make changes to their behaviour and how they react to situations.
The National Council for Hypnotherapy, with around 2,000 qualified therapists across the UK, is the nation’s leading professional association for clinical hypnotherapy and its members are experienced in helping people deal with anxiety and stress.
Anxiety and stress can make people feel as if they are ‘out of control’ but, says the NCH, changes can be made with therapy – if the person seeks to change, take control and lead a better, stress-free life.
“<a href="http://“>A hypnotherapist is a guide and helps you on a journey, but the change can only be made by you,” says the NCH. “Often the realisation that you are in control, and that you can make change yourself is very empowering. You’ll find that the more often you going into hypnosis, aware that you doing it, the more you realise how easy it is to let go, secure in the knowledge that you can always stop a session if you feel uncomfortable.”
The NCH adds that there could be a considerable variation in the anxiety and stress levels of people being treated and there is, as a result, ‘no general rule which makes it possible to say how much improvement can be achieved and in how much time’.
Some anxieties can be overcome in one session, adds the NCH pointing out that the therapist, as a member of the Council, is committed to providing swift and effective help.
“An NCH therapist will be able to give you a fair assessment of how much improvement you can expect and how many sessions may be needed by the end of the first session. But, if the problem is more complex, then you will jointly review progress from time to time,” the national body says.
It is important to reduce stress and anxiety and hypnotherapy can help – whether the problem is immediate or a post traumatic stress disorder. If you feel the need to aim for a less anxious and stress-free life, make contact an NCH therapist near you by clicking here.