How To Overcome Anxiety: A 3-Part Approach
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Anxiety is a harsh reality for millions of people around the world. From excessive worrying and racing thoughts to crippling panic attacks and physical symptoms like a pounding heart and shortness of breath, anxiety can be debilitating. If you’re struggling with anxiety, you’re certainly not alone—but you also don’t have to accept it as a way of life. There is a path forward to overcome anxiety and reclaim a sense of calm and control.
Anxiety disorders are among the most common mental health conditions, affecting an estimated 40 million adults in the United States each year. The rising global prevalence of anxiety poses a serious threat to the overall well-being and quality of life for many.
Anxiety often emerges early in life. While anxiety can impact anyone regardless of age, gender, or background, certain groups may be at higher risk, including those with a family history of anxiety disorders, individuals who have experienced trauma or high levels of stress, and those with certain medical conditions or substance use disorders.
The symptoms of anxiety can be both psychological and physical, and they can significantly impair daily functioning and quality of life. Common psychological symptoms include excessive worry, nervousness, irritability, difficulty concentrating, and feelings of dread or impending danger. Physical symptoms may include rapid heartbeat, sweating, trembling, muscle tension, headaches, stomach problems, and insomnia.
If anxiety is left untreated, it can lead to social isolation, missed work or school, and strained relationships, creating a vicious cycle that further fuels anxious thoughts and behaviours.
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A Three-Part Approach to Resolving Anxiety
As a therapist who specialises in anxiety treatment, I take a comprehensive three-part approach to help my clients break free from the grips of anxiety.
Part 1: Treat Your Symptoms & Strengthen Your Nervous System
The first part of my approach involves strengthening the nervous system through practices that promote relaxation. This is crucial because anxiety often stems from an overactive ‘fight or flight’ response—the body’s natural reaction to perceived threats. When this response is triggered too frequently or intensely, it can lead to chronic anxiety and difficulty calming the mind and body.
One of the most effective ways to counteract this overactive stress response is through relaxation practices that activate the body’s natural ‘rest and digest’ state. This is where hypnotherapy and somatic approaches become invaluable.
Moving in and out of a relaxed state using hypnosis and somatic exercises during our sessions will naturally tone your nervous system, making it easier for your mind and body to remain calm in stressful situations. Over time, this can help to rewire your brain and body’s stress response patterns, reducing the frequency and intensity of anxiety.
Based on your unique needs, I may incorporate other relaxation techniques such as deep breathing exercises, progressive muscle relaxation, and mindfulness meditation. These practices further reinforce the mind-body connection and teach you to activate the relaxation response consciously.
Part 2: Explore and Resolve the Root Cause
The second foundational step is to explore and resolve the root cause of the anxiety itself. While anxiety can seemingly arise out of nowhere, there are often deep-seated reasons buried in the unconscious mind. We can create lasting transformation by uncovering and addressing these root causes through hypnotherapy and hypno-psychotherapeutic counselling.
Hypnosis is a powerful tool that allows us to access the unconscious mind—the part of the mind that stores beliefs, memories, and deep-rooted patterns that shape our thoughts, emotions, and behaviours, often outside our conscious awareness.
During hypnotherapy sessions, I guide clients into a relaxed, focused state of hypnosis. In this state, the conscious mind becomes quieter, allowing us to communicate directly with the unconscious. From here, we can uncover the underlying factors fuelling anxiety, such as past traumas, unhelpful beliefs, or unprocessed emotions.
Once we’ve identified these root causes, we can use suggestion therapy and other therapeutic interventions to empower the unconscious mind with new beliefs and perspectives. This process helps to resolve long-standing issues at their core, paving the way for lasting change and relief from anxiety.
Part 3: Approach Life in New Ways
The third part of my approach involves supporting you to process old patterns and experiment with different behaviours. Talk therapy provides a space for you to process experiences, emotions, and insights that arise on your healing journey. While strengthening the nervous system and resolving root causes lay the groundwork, this final step supports a deep healing process by equipping you with practical tools and strategies to show up differently.
We’ll explore new ways of thinking, behaving, and responding to anxiety-provoking situations. This might involve cognitive-behavioural and Gestalt techniques to challenge thought patterns and reconsider unhelpful behaviours. This is supported by incorporating healthier coping mechanisms and self-care practices.
This ongoing exploration and integration are crucial for creating lasting change and developing self-awareness, self-acceptance, and resilience. By addressing anxiety from multiple angles, you’ll learn tools to manage anxious thoughts and feelings with ease.
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An Integrative Approach to Overcoming Anxiety
In my practice, I combine hypno-psychotherapeutic counselling, analytical hypnotherapy, Ericksonian hypnotherapy, and suggestion hypnotherapy to create a comprehensive and personalised approach for each client.
Hypno-psychotherapeutic counselling combines the power of hypnosis with traditional talk therapy, allowing us to access and work with the unconscious mind while also exploring conscious thoughts, feelings, and experiences.
Analytical hypnotherapy delves deeper into the root causes of anxiety by analysing the unconscious beliefs, memories, and patterns that may be contributing to anxious thoughts and behaviours.
Ericksonian hypnotherapy uses metaphors, stories, and indirect suggestions to communicate with the unconscious mind in a more subtle and permissive way, often bypassing conscious resistance.
Suggestion hypnotherapy, sometimes called traditional hypnotherapy, involves using direct suggestions and affirmations to reprogram the unconscious mind with new, empowering beliefs and perspectives.
By integrating these various hypnotherapy modalities with somatic approaches and talk therapy, I’m able to provide a tailored and comprehensive approach that not only explores and resolves the root causes of anxiety but also equips you with the tools and strategies you need to create lasting change and live a more peaceful, fulfilling life.
Creating a Calm Life
The journey to overcoming anxiety is a process, but it is possible with the proper support and guidance. If you’re ready to break free from the grip of fear and reclaim your sense of calm and control, I invite you to reach out and schedule a consultation. Together, we can embark on a transformative path towards lasting freedom from anxiety.
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References
Kavelaars, R., Ward, H.E., Mackie, D., Modi, K. and Mohandas, A. (2023). The burden of anxiety among a nationally representative US adult population. Journal of Affective Disorders, 336, pp.81–91. doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2023.04.069.
Mofatteh, M. (2020). Risk factors associated with stress, anxiety, and depression among university undergraduate students. AIMS Public Health, 8(1), pp.36–65. doi:https://doi.org/10.3934/publichealth.2021004.
National Alliance on Mental Illness (2017). Anxiety Disorders | NAMI. [online] Available at: https://www.nami.org/About-Mental-Illness/Mental-Health-Conditions/Anxiety-Disorders.
National Institute of Mental Health (2023). Any Anxiety Disorder. [online] www.nimh.nih.gov. Available at: https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/statistics/any-anxiety-disorder.
Racine, N., McArthur, B.A., Cooke, J.E., Eirich, R., Zhu, J. and Madigan, S. (2021). Global Prevalence of Depressive and Anxiety Symptoms in Children and Adolescents during COVID-19. JAMA Pediatrics, [online] 175(11), pp.1142–1150. doi:https://doi.org/10.1001/jamapediatrics.2021.2482.
Syed Fahad Javaid, Ibrahim Jawad Hashim, Muhammad Jawad Hashim, Stip, E., Mohammed Abdul Samad and Alia Al Ahbabi (2023). Epidemiology of anxiety disorders: global burden and sociodemographic associations. Middle East Current Psychiatry, [online] 30(1). doi:https://doi.org/10.1186/s43045-023-00315-3.
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