Hypnosis & Hypnotherapy Relieves Anxiety and Panic Attacks

Panic attacks occur suddenly for brief episodes (lasting only a few minutes) when a person may feel the following symptoms: dizziness, faintness, sweating, trembling, nausea, hot or cold flashes, discomfort in chest area, difficulty breathing, stomach distress, fear of going crazy, feeling out of touch with their body, numbness, tingling or thinking they are going to die. A combination of at least four of these symptoms indicates a panic attack.

Anxiety on the other hand is less intense and has a longer duration from hours to days. Anxiety attacks are less specific in its symptoms, however it may include many of the same or similar symptoms of panic attacks. Generalized anxiety feels like one is always on the edge, easily startled, and may have problems concentrating. Other symptoms include irritability, restlessness, easily tired, muscle tension and sleeping difficulties.

Self-hypnosis can be taught to clients so that they can regain control of their life again. Being in a state of panic and fear over a long period of time has its toll on the body. Often when anxiety and panic attack victims are in a state of anxiety, they are not physically relaxed. Usually the heart is racing and they're very tense. Hence the body has extra adrenaline (cortisol) pumping through their blood stream which keeps them in a panic state for several hours or days. Prolonged exposure to cortisol (the stress hormone) has long-term health consequences on the body.

Although people who suffer from anxiety cannot physically control how quickly adrenaline gets cleared from the blood stream, they reduce their symptoms by learning how to go into auto-hypnosis. NLP techniques will literally "re-teach" the body to respond differently to anxiety triggers. Anxiety and panic disorders have responded favourably to hypnosis treatments and hypnotherapy.