The Use of Hypnosis for Anxiety Treatment

Statistics show that approximately five percent of the population suffers from anxiety and anxiety related problems. Anxiety is a state of mind where there is a predominant feeling of unrest and hyperactivity, accompanied with panic at times.

Generally speaking, anxiety is the feeling you get just before a big exam or a job interview or at times just before getting married! But when the same feeling of anxiousness is present in everyday life so much so that normal functioning is hampered, a diagnosis of anxiety can be made. Anxiety is recognized by its physiological symptoms, such as heart palpitations, rapid breathing and, at times, a feeling of nausea.

Hypnosis for anxiety is one of the most recommended paths of treatment, since hypnosis is the best known anti-anxiety agent. The major theme of hypnosis is relaxation and achieving a state of calmness. Also, hypnosis is a form of therapy that relies on reaching the root cause of the disorder in order to treat it.

Hypnosis for Anxiety: How it works
Hypnosis for anxiety works on two levels, the analytical level and the behavioral level. The basic premise of hypnotherapy is to explore the subconscious for the hidden cause of the disorder and then to alter behavior through suggestion.

Analytical Approach
The analytical approach of hypnosis for anxiety works on the premise that the cause of the anxiety is deeply rooted in the psyche and can be approached and explored within the subconscious while in a state of deep trance. The therapist guides the patient through the series of steps that will induce a state of trance, and once the patient has achieved the trance state, the therapist starts questioning the patient. The questioning process is a delicate one and the therapist is careful about the kind of questions that are asked. This explorative method allows the patient to be exposed to his own fears and causes of anxiety, and as a consequence, to face and deal with them.

Behavioral Approach: The behavioral approach is also called the suggestion approach because it uses post hypnotic suggestions. This hypnosis for anxiety approach is generally employed as the second step in severe cases once the cause for the anxiety is uncovered by the therapist and the patient. Suggestions are given to help the patient deal with situations that have the potential to induce anxiety. Using this method of hypnosis for anxiety is helpful as step one in mild cases of anxiety.

Apart from the two hypnosis approaches mentioned above, the therapist also introduces the client to self hypnosis to help the patient deal with any anxiety attacks that might occur before the patient is fully equipped to deal with it on his or her own. Self hypnosis is a series of steps that the therapist teaches the client that help in relaxation. Since anxiety is a state of hyperactivity, the knowledge of how to relax is a helpful tool for any patient.

Hypnosis for anxiety works better than traditional psychiatric medication, since anti anxiety medications only result in numbing the person completely. They are a temporary solution to anxiety and are often addictive and might result in doing more harm than good.

Benefits of Using EFT to Overcome Anxiety

Did you know that approximately 13.3% of the American population in the age group of 18 to 54 years suffers from anxiety in any given year? Anxiety is characterized by an intense feeling of panic and unrest. There are several forms of anxiety disorders, and the most common one of them is Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD). Restlessness and feeling keyed up or on edge, difficulty concentrating, fatigue, irritability, being easily startled, insomnia, muscle tension and nausea are all symptoms of GAD. It could sometimes be accompanied by an eating disorder as well.

Many therapists are using EFT to overcome anxiety, particularly GAD. Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) is a recent therapy that combines the ancient technique of acupuncture with psychotherapy. EFT works on the premise that the energy flowing through the body can be channelized and used to heal emotional problems. The human body has electrical energy flowing through it. This energy flows along meridians.

In EFT, the acupuncture points are tapped while keeping the issue that is causing the disruption in mind. The basic premise here is that the tapping stops the disruption in the energy flow. When this is done while keeping the issue in mind, our emotions are not affected by the same issue when it happens again because the energy is channelized.

EFT to Overcome Anxiety: How Is It Better than Other Treatments? Using EFT to overcome anxiety is highly beneficial to the patient. Anxiety is often a belittling ailment, and can cause severe disruptions in daily life and in the social functioning of a person. Traditional talk therapy has been used for years to identify the root cause of anxiety. This helps the patient to better deal with the problem. However, patients often develop a dependence on the therapist. Using EFT to overcome anxiety has many benefits over traditional therapies:

• Patient dependence: A patient who learns EFT to overcome anxiety is more independent. The technique teaches the individual to deal with situations on his own. The EFT methodology is essentially developed to make the patient self reliant.
• No medication involved: Anti-anxiety medication is addictive and results in the client becoming dependant on the medication. This is a situation that might lead to other psychological problems and physical side effects. Also, medication alone is not enough to overcome anxiety, psychotherapy is essential.
• Assistance with other stressors: EFT to overcome anxiety also equips the client to deal with things such as panic attacks and stress. EFT is a very good technique to release the stress caused by anxiety.
• Physiological symptoms: EFT to overcome anxiety helps an individual to alleviate the physiological symptoms like insomnia and fatigue.

Using EFT to overcome anxiety is a completely natural process, and has no side effects. This technique uses the energy already present within the body to heal an ailment. Not only is it used to help with anxiety and panic, it also has uses in handling other problems, such as depression, eating disorders, anger management, stress and panic attacks, to name a few.