Welcome to Hypnotherapy for Health Anxiety
Craig Fookes, Clinical Hypnotherapist and Mindfulness Instructor
Learn More about Hypnotherapy For Health Anxiety
Is Hypnotherapy For Health Anxiety right for me?
Are you tired of feeling anxious and overwhelmed all the time? Do you struggle to manage your emotions and find yourself avoiding certain situations or people? Hypnotherapy could be the solution you've been looking for.
If you're struggling with anxiety, you're not alone. Anxiety can impact anyone at any time, and it can be overwhelming and debilitating. While medication and talk therapy can be helpful, many people are seeking alternative therapies to help manage their symptoms. Hypnotherapy is one such alternative that has shown promising results in treating anxiety.
Hypnotherapy uses guided relaxation and focused attention to help you enter a trance-like state. While in this state, you're more receptive to suggestion and can work with your therapist to explore the root causes of your anxiety and develop strategies for managing it.
This can include techniques like visualization, positive affirmations, and deep breathing exercises, amongst many other techniques and practices.
At our practice, we specialize in using hypnotherapy to help our clients overcome anxiety and related issues. Our experienced hypnotherapists will work with you to uncover the root causes of your anxiety, develop personalized treatment plans, and guide you through powerful hypnosis sessions designed to reduce stress and promote calmness.
With hypnotherapy, you can learn to retrain your mind and change negative thought patterns that contribute to anxiety. You'll gain tools and techniques to manage your emotions and improve your overall mental and emotional wellbeing.
If you're ready to take control of your anxiety and live a more peaceful life, contact us today to schedule a consultation. We look forward to helping you achieve your goals.
What is Health Anxiety?
Health anxiety, also known as illness anxiety disorder, (or traditionally known as hypochondria) is a condition characterised by excessive and persistent worry about having a serious medical condition or developing a serious illness. People with health anxiety may be preoccupied with bodily sensations, such as pain or discomfort, and may interpret them as signs of a serious illness, even when there is no medical evidence to support this.
Individuals with health anxiety may engage in frequent checking of their bodies, such as examining their skin for signs of cancer or constantly monitoring their heart rate. They may also seek reassurance from healthcare professionals, family members, or friends, and may even avoid situations that they believe could trigger their anxiety, such as reading or hearing about medical issues in the news.
Health anxiety can significantly impact a person's quality of life, leading to disruptions in daily activities, social relationships, and work or school performance. In severe cases, it can even lead to unnecessary medical procedures and tests.
Another form of Health Anxiety is when an individual is fearful of seeking medical attention
The fear of seeking medical attention is a type of anxiety that can cause individuals to avoid or delay seeking medical care, even when they are experiencing symptoms that could indicate a serious health condition. This fear may be related to a variety of factors, such as past negative experiences with healthcare providers, fear of medical procedures, concerns about the cost of healthcare, or a general fear of being diagnosed with a serious illness.
People with this fear may avoid routine medical check-ups, ignore symptoms, or try to self-treat their conditions. This can lead to a delay in diagnosis and treatment of health problems, which can ultimately lead to more serious health consequences.
It is entirely possible for an individual to experience anxiety around their current state of health and also be deeply fearful and experience anxiety about seeking medical attention.
It is important to keep in mind that Health Anxiety is an entirely individual experience and everyone that has Health Anxiety will have a different set of thoughts, feelings, emotions and behaviours as a result.
During a course of hypnotherapy sessions will explore the individual's unique experience of health anxiety.
What Causes Health Anxiety?
There is no single cause of health anxiety or fear of seeking medical attention. These conditions may be the result of a combination of biological, psychological, and environmental factors. Some common factors that may contribute to the development of health anxiety or fear of seeking medical attention include:
Previous negative experiences with medical care: People who have had negative experiences with medical care in the past, such as misdiagnosis or a traumatic medical procedure, may develop anxiety about seeking medical attention in the future.
Family history of anxiety or fear of medical care: Anxiety disorders and fear of medical care may have a genetic component, and individuals with a family history of these conditions may be more likely to develop them.
Personality traits: People who are prone to anxiety or have a tendency to worry may be more likely to develop health anxiety or fear of seeking medical attention.
Exposure to media: Exposure to news or media stories about serious illnesses or medical procedures can increase anxiety and contribute to a fear of seeking medical attention.
Trauma: Traumatic experiences, such as accidents or serious illnesses, can increase anxiety and contribute to a fear of seeking medical attention.
Fear of loss of control: People who have a fear of losing control may avoid medical care because they feel vulnerable in medical situations where they are not in control.
It is important to remember that health anxiety and fear of seeking medical attention are treatable conditions, and individuals who experience these symptoms can seek help from a mental health professional.
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Hypnotherapy provided in a comfortable, inviting, and homely setting in Colchester, Essex
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Feeling Anxious is a complex emotion that can be described as a feeling of apprehension or fear about the future, often accompanied by physical symptoms such as increased heart rate, sweating, and muscle tension.
In the context of psychology, anxiousness and some anxiety, is considered a normal and adaptive response to stress or danger, but when it becomes chronic or excessive, it can interfere with daily life.
The brain structures involved in anxiety include the amygdala, which is responsible for processing emotions, particularly fear, and the prefrontal cortex, which is involved in decision-making and regulating emotional responses. The amygdala plays a crucial role in the fear response by triggering the release of stress hormones, such as cortisol and adrenaline, and activating the sympathetic nervous system, which leads to physical symptoms of anxiety.
The nervous system also plays a key role in anxiety, with the sympathetic nervous system responsible for the "fight or flight" response, and the parasympathetic nervous system responsible for calming the body down after a stressful event. In individuals with anxiety disorders, the sympathetic nervous system may become overactive, leading to chronic stress and heightened anxiety symptoms.
Overall, anxiety is a complex emotion that involves a range of psychological, brain, and nervous system factors. Understanding these factors can help individuals with anxiety develop effective coping strategies and treatment approaches.
Have you ever used any of the following phrases:-
- Heartache
- Gut feeling
- Weight of the world on your shoulders
- Up to my eyes in it
- Butterflies in the stomach
- Walking on air
Any emotional experience has a physical sensation attaching to it. Our emotions are our body preparing for the world as we perceive it at that time.
Anxiety can manifest in a variety of physical symptoms, which can vary in severity and type from person to person. Some common physical symptoms of anxiety include:
- Rapid heartbeat or heart palpitations
- Chest pain or tightness
- Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
- Sweating or chills
- Trembling or shaking
- Nausea or stomach upset
- Dizziness or light-headedness
- Muscle, pain, tension, or stiffness
- Headaches or migraines
- Insomnia or difficulty sleeping
For anyone that experiences or has experienced a panic attack, you have my greatest sympathy.
When I think back to my own personal experiences of them in the past, I can easily recall how physically debilitating, painful, and truly terrifying they can be. Also, that there always seemed to be a period of recovery time afterwards when I felt fatigued, "brain-foggy", and emotionally depleted.
I wonder if that might resonate with you?
Think of it this way...
I believe that for anyone that experiences anxiety, sometimes it is necessary to "push-through" and continue living your life on a day-to-day basis. However... We can ignore our anxiety and continue to push-through when we shouldn't. Our brain is trying to communicate something to us about the situation we find ourselves in and "it" (our brain's) believes that we are in immediate danger of some sort - whether it is true or not, it really doesn't matter!
Our subconscious mind instructs our body to start to freeze and we get the feeling of shutting down.
Hypnotherapy for anxiety and panic attacks can help your mind to unlearn the whatever it is that is causing this situation to arise in the first place.
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