Stress, also known as the fight or flight response, is a primitive mechanism to ensure our survival. In today's world it is activated by any perceived threat or challenge, or when demands on us seem to outweigh our resources. Whether we benefit from or suffer the ill effects of stress depends upon our personality.

Dealing with Stress

There are many causes of stress, and therefore many ways of dealing with it. Anyone suffering from neurosis (e.g. depression, anxiety, phobias) will experience high levels of stress. They need to deal with the underlying causes of their stress and clinical hypnotherapy would be their answer.

Stress is also commonly experienced by people who are lacking assertiveness and find it difficult to say no. Again, clinical hypnotherapy would be useful for them, alongside stress management techniques.

Some people experience stress because they have poor life management skills, and they may need to consider life coaching, time planning, and review what their life is about.

Many people though suffer from the effects of stress simply because of every day demands and the hustle and bustle of life. For such people, the answer is to learn stress management skills.

I teach stress management skills using a combination of self hypnosis and N.L.P. For clients with an interest in meditation, I also teach stress management through mindfulness meditation.

Through self hypnosis you learn to relax deeply and to recondition yourself to be more relaxed in every day life. Entering the relaxed state of self hypnosis in itself turns off the stress response.

Using N.L.P.  I work with your map of reality changing threatening situations into challenging adventures, linking positive relaxed states to your future, and helping you to change your thought patterns.

Most clients need to attend around 6 hourly sessions.

If you are feeling stressed, you should initially book a general appointment and we will discuss which approach is best for you.

Book an appointment now

Stress was designed to give us strength and to act quickly. When we experience stress there are a series of physiological reactions. These include rapid breathing, increased blood pressure, a cut off of the digestive process, hormone, especially adrenalin release, changes in our blood sugar level, and impaired cognitive processes (so that we couldn't hang around and think).

Stress was designed to be switched on and then off quite soon after. In today's world, this often doesn't happen. Worry, neurosis, and excessive demands result in ongoing stress. For a while this can make us feel good, and we may even seem to perform better.

But eventually, stress moves into a chronic phase and the body becomes exhausted and depleted. Stress becomes part of our way of being, with the attendant physiological consequences.

Eventually the body reaches breaking point and physical or psychological disease begin, eventually culminating in death (heart attacks and strokes are very linked to stress, but so increasingly is cancer, diabetes and many other diseases).

Repressed or expessed anger is a major source of stress.

Anger prevents the mind from experiencing peace and happiness.

Anger management is an integral part of clincial hypnotherapy.

CASE STUDY
THE BUZZING EXECUTIVE

Peter was the UK managing director of a major company.

He was what stress management trainers describe as a type A: hard working, competitive, highly self motivated, assertive almost to the point of being aggressive. Peter had been brought up in a poor family and he was determined to be a success in life.

Peter had recently suffered a minor heart attack and had been directed to me by his G.P. He also suffered from insomnia.

During the first three sessions I conducted hypno-counselling  with Peter (in the state of hypnosis, Peter talked about his life). He got a lot off his chest and cried for the first time in his adult life. This was most embarrassing for him, but as Peter said, he felt "human" again.
I also taught him self hypnosis which he practised during the sessions and at home.

During the fourth session, he talked about pressure at work, and particularly about the Worldwide President of the company, who intimidated him. I taught Peter NLP techniques to change his response and he reported during the 5th session that his boss no longer seemed to hold power over him.

By the 6th session, Peter was much more "chilled out" and more enjoyable to spend time with. He was working less, spending more time with his family, had taken up walking, and was considering early retirement.

Stress management training saved Peter's life: a second heart attack seemed almost ineviatable before!