Anxiousness and Stress 2How We Create It and How To Overcome ItLots of people use the terms Stress and Anxiousness interchangeably, but they are in fact two distinct conditions. Stress is a reaction to a stimulus, which can be internal or external. You may feel stress when you are frustrated with something (like waiting in line behind a slow person) or when you are worried that you will not meet expectations (such as missing a deadline). Anxiety on the other hand, is a sense of dread, or nervousness and fear. It can be brought on by negative expectations and thoughts, or as a reaction to stress. You may experience feelings of anxiety virtually all of the time and not know why, or your worry may be a reaction to something you are nervous about, such as an upcoming test. Abnormal levels of certain neurotransmitters in the brain may cause generalized anxiety. Some studies show that anxiety can be hereditary. In addition, anxiety can be induced environmentally, as when the child of a parent who is often anxious becomes an anxious person by observing the parent. But frequently, the base cause of anxiety is simply the thoughts that a person is thinking!
Anxiety AttacksAnxiety and stress are subjective conditions.Different people may experience stress during different situations, and different people may react to their anxiousness in very different ways. Symptoms of anxiety can range from the mild, such as tense muscles and sweaty hands, to the severe, such as vomiting, irregular heartbeat, and anxiety attacks. Everyone feels some amount of anxiety once in awhile. We have all felt the dry mouth and "butterflies in the stomach" before an exam or public speaking engagement, but when does it become damaging to your health? Studies have revealed that prolonged anxiety can make us vulnerable to sleep disorders, high blood pressure, depression, and relationship problems For sufferers of long-term untreated anxiety, there may be negative health consequences that have yet to be fully examined. Many studies have found a link between generalized anxiety disorder and a number of serious health conditions including cancer, thyroid disease, heart disease, arthritis, and respiratory illness. Chronically anxious people may even be more likely to suffer a fatal heart attack. Anxiety DisorderIf you experience what seems like a disproportionately high amount of anxiety relative to the situation, or if you feel anxious nearly every day, you may actually have an anxiety disorder.Anxiety disorders are chronic conditions characterized by an individual's inability to function normally because of frequent anxiety. Anxiety disorders are serious conditions that should be treated to lower the risk of long-term effects. Anxiety treatment has long been the subject of much discussion in the medical field. Some medical professionals believe that medication is the best treatment for chronic anxiety. However, anxiety medications often produce side effects that are just as bad or even worse than the initial affliction. There are many natural ways to handle negative emotional reactions. Exercise is an often overlooked option, but it is very effective in managing stress and anxiety. When you exercise, your body releases endorphins, which are natural pain-killing and mood-boosting chemicals. With regular aerobic exercise, you may start to feel a dramatic decrease in negative emotional responses to situations that would previously have made you feel quite anxious. The best way to deal with worry and tension is to control it from within. Stress management and stress relief techniques are extremely useful in handling day to day stress. These techniques can teach you to relax yourself and relieve your tension. You make a conscious effort to slow your breathing rate, release the tension, and maintain a calm state of mind. Meditation is an increasingly popular form of tension relief in which you practice mindful relaxation and deep, calm breathing. Be Proactive – Be Free!However, if you are looking for a proactive way to free yourself of anxiety, hypnotherapy is the best treatment option.When an individual undergoes hypnotherapy, their reactions and emotional responses to events are changed at the core. This gives them the opportunity to deal with typical anxiety-inducing triggers without the usual fear and nervousness. Hypnosis is typically performed by a licensed hypnotherapist in a series of regular sessions. More commonly today, hypnotherapy is available in the form of self hypnosis programs which can be purchased in the form of MP3s, CDs, or DVDs for individual home use. No special skills are required to perform self hypnosis. All you need is a device to play the hypnotherapy program and a quiet place where you can relax and listen. Control your EmotionsAnother very successful method of anxiety treatment is Neuro-Linguistic Programming, or NLP.NLP is a type of therapy that helps you retrain your mind and body to naturally react to situations in a more positive way. You can consciously decide to stay calm rather than anxious, meaning that you are always in control of your own emotions. It is evident that it is important to be able to manage our negative emotional responses in order to remain healthy. Learning to deal with nervousness and fear may even add precious years onto your life. To treat long-term anxiety, the best course of action is to participate in hypnotherapy to change your reactions and attitudes from within. Then, use stress management techniques as needed to stay calm in everyday situations.
Alan B. Densky, CH has been in practice over 30 years. His Neuro-VISION hypnosis website carries a broad range of anxiety management hypnotherapy CDs, and advanced anxiety management CDs Visit his site for the Free video hypnosis blog, and download a free MP3.
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