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What is Stress and Anxiety?

Stress and Anxiety are the most common reasons for people seeking therapy.   These were amplified by the Covid-19 Global Pandemic.

Image by Emma Simpson

Stress response begins when a fearful and threatening situation arises.  The brain areas that respond to stress are the amygdala, hippocampus, and prefrontal cortex. These areas of the brain play the dominant role in how we respond to stress. The amygdala, however, is said to be the main part of our brain that immediately responds to fearful and threatening stimuli.  The amygdala processes both pleasureful as well as fearful emotional learning.

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There are similarities between Stress and Anxiety, but stress is the trigger for anxiety. When individuals are stressed, they feel overwhelmed and are unable to cope with the daily life pressures. Anxiety is different from stress in that, in the absence of stressors; a person is still experiencing excessive worrying, feelings of constant unease and coupled with the inability to find a cause (sometimes referred to as a trigger).

The effects of stress are both physical and mental, as you will see from the listed symptoms below:

Physical

  • Gut Issues

  • Immunity

  • Obesity

  • Diabetes

  • Stomach Ulcers

  • High Blood Pressure

  • Heart Disease

  • Headaches – Migraines

  • Backache

  • Muscle pain

  • Exhaustion

  • Skin

  • Musculoskeletal System

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Emotional

  • Depression

  • Racing thoughts

  • Poor Concentration

  • Anxiety

  • Feeling Overwhelmed

  • Loneliness

  • Irritability

  • Restlessness

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The effects of anxiety are also both physical and mental, as you will see from the listed symptoms below:


Physical

  • Poor Sleep 

  • Panic Attacks

  • Heart Health

  • Poor Appetite or Overeating

  • Hyper-arousal

  • Gastrointestinal Issues

  • Stress Headaches – Migraines

  • Fatigue

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Emotional

  • Depression

  • Sense of impending doom

  • Racing thoughts

  • Poor Concentration

  • Over Thinking

  • Irritability

How do I treat stress and anxiety?

Anxiety and stress have numerous similarities. We know from published scientific medical studies that stress and anxiety will generally have an effect on the body.

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A high percentage of the hypnotherapy sessions I conduct with my clients are to treat stress and anxiety.  Once we identify the root cause of the anxiety, we can effectively work on eliminating it and planting new seeds in the subconscious mind that can be accessed as your own inner resources to bring about positive changes in your thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. 

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You need not feel overwhelmed with emotions such as anxiety, depression and grief.  Please reach out to me and let’s talk about how hypnosis can help you release whatever is causing these symptoms.

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