Why is Anxiety and Stress having such an impact on our lives?

Stress has been called ‘the health epidemic of the 21^st century’ by the World Health Organisation.  The total number of cases of work related stress, depression or anxiety in 2015/16 was 488,000 cases, a prevalence rate of 1510 per 100,000 workers.  The total number of days lost due to this condition in 2019/20 was 21.6 million days. (Statistics taken from Health & Safety Executive). Due to the arrival of Covid-19 and 3 lockdowns to date, anxiety and stress levels have gone through the roof!

There are physical, emotional, psychological and behavioural symptoms from a person who suffers from anxiety and or stress.  If not resolved there can be an increased risk of developing high blood pressure, muscle tension, headaches, depression, insomnia, IBS symptoms, upsets your digestion and can cause breakouts of acne, eczema as well as other problems.

Since I started working as a Clinical Hypnotherapist in 2008 I have seen a huge increase in clients coming to see me for various issues but who also suffer with anxiety and stress.  Over the last 5 years I have had a rising number of clients seeking help with Anxiety, General Anxiety Disorder, Panic Attacks and Stress as well as people suffering from OCD and depression; and a high percentage of these clients are taking some form of medication.

Of the last 25 clients I have successfully worked with and helped to develop coping strategies for their stress and anxiety, 15 were on medication.  Those clients taking medication said that they had not resolved what was causing them anxiety or stress and that they existed rather than were living life. These clients still got anxious and stressed but felt that they didn’t have any other option than to take the medication and they came to see me as a last resort.

Due to the way we live our lives now in an ever-changing world of media and technology, trying to cram as much as we can into 24 hours. Is there any wonder we become anxious and stressed or even suffer with panic attacks?

Then the pandemic struck and 2020 became the year that wasn’t. 3 lockdowns and anxiety and stress levels going through the roof. People fearful and worried about what the future may or may not hold, will we ever return to normality? Children and teenagers missed out on so much over the year, not being able to spend time with their friends or family, not able to play outdoors in parks etc – their anxiety levels went up too.

So what is the answer?

Due to the demand for Stress Therapy, I have put together my own Anxiety/Stress Package, which incorporates 6 motivational hypnotherapy sessions to help clients feel more relaxed whilst incorporating positive suggestions for them to remain calm, confident and in control.  I use the information each client gives me in a consultation to make their sessions personal to them, it isn’t one size fits all. Assignments are given to help create coping strategies and a different mindset.

Working together, we look at what causes them anxiety and stress, what their stress triggers are and how they perceive their world.  We look to see if they can change their way of thinking or accepting things that they cannot change which causes stress in their life. I give my clients coping strategies to use in their daily lives to enable them to live abetter life and enjoy it.  They may need to come back to see me for a top up session, they may not. We are all different and unique.

I would prefer my clients come to see me as a first resort, rather than a last resort when all else has failed.