Anxiety Bio-psychology

Sheffield Hypnotherapy

Anxiety is such a common problem these days, there is a danger for issues which are common or constant to become normal, and normal is something that is accepted. Anxiety which is preventing people from leading happy, healthy lives should be addressed and its prevalence does not reduce its significance, should not reduce our being pro-active in striving to alleviate its symptoms.

Obviously we can be justifiably anxious, if something is present and threatening, it makes sense as a defense mechanism to be so, however if we are experiencing an anomalous hard to reason anxiety that has no clear source, then we are moving into the realms of the problematic.

We must look toward the interaction between psychological and biological factors to begin to understand. The feeling of anxiety; a sense of rising panic, restricted breathing, sweaty palms, dread, is a message being provided signaling that the mind is at its threshold of stress.

We all have different thresholds of stress, and these are governed by our ways of thinking and the biological responses. To place this in context, someone who has developed a distorted way of thinking due to a past traumatic public speaking event will perceive subsequent similar events as stressful. Stress elicts the stress response; adrenaline and glucocorticoids are pumped into the body and the fight or flight response ensues. If we develop perceptions in which the world seems threatening based upon past happenings being projected upon future happenings the individual is subject to more and more stress and ultimately the threshold is breached and anxiety occurs.

Importantly, the body is keen on forming patterns which its various functions can refer to as a baseline. Patterns of secretions, patterns of breathing, patterns of rhythmic heart beats ect ect. This helpful for regulation purposes and makes sense. As the body is regularly exposed to the changing of patterns due to high levels of stress the assumption that this state, and its associated functions, are the new normal is made which leads to the adjustments of relevent bodily functions. Thus in individuals who are chronically stressed but are monitored in a relaxing environment we see that their stress hormones remain significantly higher than people who do not suffer from anxiety. We also see higher than normal rates of heart beat as dictated by the vagus nerve. Stressed is the new bodily norm. Fortunately by being exposed to contrary patterns, i.e being calm more often and in trigger scenarios the body will once again reset itself and anxiety reduced.

Another aspect worth mentioning is the understandable behaviour by many people with anxiety to avoid the situation which gives rise to anxiety. Obviously it may be difficult for people to enage in such scenarios, however their avoidance gives credence to anxiety inspiring thinking; 'I have not done it, I am not anxious, I am safe, therefore I am doing the right thing and am justified in my thinking and behaviour. And this will reinforce and entrench anxiety. This should be borne in mind, and worked into therapy. Aspects of success can be built upon and used to contradict distorted thinking to then build towards resilience and functionality.

Sheffield City Hypnotherapy.