Anxiety Stress and Panic Attacks

Anxiety and Avoidance

by Dan Regan | Jun 15, 2020 | Anxiety Stress and Panic Attacks

Anxiety and Avoidance

The classic behaviour that goes with anxiety is avoidance. Those anxious thoughts and feelings are so strong and uncomfortable that you make excuses, cancel plans or say and do whatever it takes to avoid going into that feared situation or environment. And if you can’t avoid it altogether, your anxiety will certainly lead to you escaping from there as soon as you practically can.

When I struggled with social anxiety, making excuses and avoiding things were common occurences. I might have been looking forward to that night out when it was days away, yet the closer it came, the more I would worry about things going badly, about how I might look or saying the wrong thing (or having nothing interesting to say at all). The more anxious and filled with dread I would become, and the more it would play on my mind as I tried to think of a believable excuse I could use to bail out of the plans. There were times when even if I was at a social event, I would feel so uncomfortable from anxiety that I would make my escape and head home.

Of course, sometimes a few drinks might relax me enough to enjoy myself but that’s not a reliable, healthy or always acceptable strategy for tackling anxiety. And it can easily lead to overdoing it, feeling sick and losing the next day with a hangover (as well as those thoughts of what other people might have thought about what you were saying and doing). When it came to something like public speaking, I would try and get out of it any way I could, even to the point of faking sickness.

The problem with avoidance or escape because of anxiety is that it brings you relief when you do it. You dodge or get away from your anxious thoughts and feelings and then feel better as a result. But that short term relief only re-enforces your anxiety and makes feeling anxious and avoidance all the more likely the next time.

The Anxiety Equation – Hypnotherapy in Ely and Newmarket

by Dan Regan | Jun 10, 2020 | Anxiety Stress and Panic Attacks

The Anxiety Equation – Hypnotherapy in Ely and Newmarket:

Many people come to hypnotherapy thinking that the thing they are anxious about causes their anxiety. And in many ways this is quite natural because for you that thing is associated with anxiety, worry and dread.

Whether it’s public speaking that makes you anxious, or flying, or driving on motorways, social situations, swimming in open water or something else, in those places, situations or circumstances, the anxiety can be overwhelming. There are the thoughts and feelings beforehand and when you think of that anxiety filled thing, the increased anxious thoughts, feelings and sensations when in the situation, as well as any analysis or self-criticism as you think back upon it afterwards.

Yet there is an additional element in your anxiety. We know this because not everyone struggles with catastrophising thoughts and anxious feelings about those things. Some people love flying, socialising or public speaking and those other things you try and avoid.

The fact there is more to it is good news, because it means that rather than being stuck wtih those thoughts and feelings, you can do something about them that can help you feel better.

Hypnosis and Control – Who’s In Control Really?

by Dan Regan | Jun 10, 2020 | Anxiety Stress and Panic Attacks

Hypnosis and Control – Who’s In Control Really?

One of the issues that tends to come up time and time again in any discussion around hypnosis, is that of control. Perhaps due to movies featuring hypnosis or some of those old stage routines, there’s an ongoing misconception that hypnosis involves you being controlled in some way.

And when it gets mentioned to me I can’t help but have a wry smile, because why would I spend so many hours helping people with mental health issues like anxiety if I could make you all do my evil bidding (cue evil laughter!!). And I’d definitely also get myself a cape and some spinning hypnotic eyes like that snake in the Jungle book too.

But seriously, hypnosis has nothing to do with being under my control or being controlled in some way. In fact, it’s very far from that.

It’s all about helping you to learn how to be in control of your own mind.

Emotional Thinking and Anxiety

by Dan Regan | May 27, 2020 | Anxiety Stress and Panic Attacks

Emotional Thinking and Anxiety

Emotional thinking comes with anxiety and a whole range of mental health issues, like depression, fear and stress. It’s all those black and white, all or nothing thoughts that can mentally escalate and make you feel even worse.

Over recent days, there has been a lot of emotional thinking going on about the Prime Minister’s senior advisor, Dominic Cummings, breaching the lockdown rules by heading up to Durham and visiting Barnard Castle (to test his eye sight). Regardless of whether you think he broke the rules, this controversy has led to raising emotions of annoyance, anger and frustration leading to people saying and posting all sorts of comments and accusations.

And, with emotions (and identity and beliefs being challenges) a huge number of things being thought and said boil down to ‘I’m right, you’re wrong’ with people drawing upon some facts and ignoring others, raising unrelated issues to muddy the waters and sometimes just trying to dismiss someone else’s opinion with insults or calls to move on. It’s quite incredible how many people will not countenance someone having a different view. It’s a strange sort of democracy with freedom of speech where someone can’t feel comfortable with different views, no matter how strongly held (assuming they aren’t threatening harm or violence or being abusive). It comes down to black and white, all or nothing, right or wrong thinking.

But I’m not here to talk about politics or the current shambles (which may – or may not have all blown over by the time you read this). Yet it gives an illustration of where emotional, black and white thinking can end up.

Of course, with anxiety, that emotional thinking is all inside your head. You may even know in your mind that those worst case scenarios and things you ae catastrophising and dreading are irrational. Yet the anxiety keeps those thoughts coming one after another.

Post Lockdown Anxiety – Hypnotherapy Vlog

by Dan Regan | May 26, 2020 | Anxiety Stress and Panic Attacks

Post Lockdown Anxiety – Hypnotherapy Vlog:

After many weeks of lockdown, it has now been announced that the UK lockdown will be eased further from next month, having already been eased a bit a couple of weeks ago. And, perhaps unsurprisingly given all that has been going on, many people are feeling apprehensive and anxious about the next stage towards things reopening and life getting nearer to some normality (albeit a new normality with social distancing rules).

Many people are worried about what this next stage may look like and involve. There may be fears about safety and health, education and jobs, amongst other anxieties. And certainly some polls suggest people are worried about getting the covid-19 disease and the impacts and implications of that.

In recent articles I’ve talked about several ways to look after your mental health and to deal with anxiety and stress, alongside listening to the hypnosis downloads that I’ve made available over in my hypnosis download shop.

And it’s worth keeping in mind that research shows that we are generally quite poor at predicting how we will feel in the future. If challenges come our way we tend to think we will feel and be a lot worse than turns out to be the case. In the same way that you’ve dealt with, handled and somehow got through all the challenges you’ve already faced in your life up until now, you will find a way to handle and cope with life after the lockdown. You are more resilient and capable than perhaps you’ve been giving yourself credit for.

I covered more about this in a previous article (that you can read here: Are You More Resilient Than You Think? Dealing With Challenges Post Covid-19) and today I’ve got a video version for you so please do click on the image below and have a watch:

Covid-19 & Easing Lockdown: A Ticking Mental Health Timebomb?

by Dan Regan | May 13, 2020 | Anxiety Stress and Panic Attacks

Covid-19 & Easing Lockdown: A Ticking Mental Health Timebomb?

As the lockdown restrictions here in England begin to get eased, all the focus is now shifting towards returning to work, being out and out about more, starting to be able to meet someone from another household and the possible return of school (at least for some children).

Having spent seven or so weeks being told to stay at home to protect the NHS and save lives, the message now is shifting towards being able to take the next steps towards the ‘new normal’ and remaining ‘alert’ whilst maintaining social distancing.

And there’s no doubting that for many people, covid-19 and the lockdown has had an impact on their mental health and wellbeing. There has been anxiety, stress and worry about many aspects of life including health, education, employment, finances, being restricted and much more. I know that in the very early days of the pandemic and lockdown I suffered some stress as I adjusted to what it all meant for home, health, work and keeping a roof over our heads.

These sorts of concerns were being echoed all over the country with the ONS (Office For National Statistics) reporting in April, through their Opinions and Lifestyle Survey, that over 4 in 5 adults in Great Britain said they were very worried or somewhat worried about the effect that the coronavirus (COVID-19) was having on their life right then. At that time, just over half of adults said covid-19 was affecting their well-being and nearly half of adults reported high levels of anxiety. Covid-19 and lockdown impacted on our mental health.

Of course, whilst everyone experienced elements of social isolation, lifestyle disruption, impacts on income, employment and education, everyone’s individual circumstances will vary, and some who are at higher risk may have had to isolate and restrict their actions even more than some others of us.

Over recent days there have been a number of commentators and other people beginning to talk about a ‘mental health ticking timebomb.’ There seems to be a sense that the anxiety and mental health impacts of covid-19 and lockdown will continue even after lockdown eases, and that more and more people will need help to address their coronavirus-induced mental health issues.

So will the mental health impacts of covid-19 continue in the post lockdown era?

The Stress Mindset – Shifting Stress From Bad To Good

by Dan Regan | May 7, 2020 | Anxiety Stress and Panic Attacks

The Stress Mindset – Shifting Stress From Bad To Good:

There is no doubt that the coronavirus pandemic has added to national (and international) stress levels. There’s been the financial stress of businesses being closed down, jobs being lost and people waiting for Government support (if they qualify for something). The closing of schools led to many of us parents trying to work out some sort of home schooling routine, and in some subjects (like secondary school maths!) trying to even work out what the kids were being asked to work out. There has been stress from the uncertainty of not knowing what is going to happen, or when. And many have been struggling with not being able to see friends and family, or to go out much, or for those shielding themselves not going out at all.

From lockdown to now, some seven or so weeks into it, there has been stress, worry and anxiety. This has been captured in survey data from the Office of National Statistics (ONS) which showed that over 80% of people in the UK are worried about the effect that covid-19 is having on their life and with around half of adults reported high levels of anxiety and stress.

And now with the conversation shifting towards easing the lockdown, many posts from people online reflect that this stress has now shifted to what the ‘new normal’ of life may be like as we start having more freedom and less restriction.

Yet whilst stress is generally considered to be something bad and unwanted, experiencing stressful events is unavoidable (like this pandemic), so can stress ever be shifted into something more positive and constructive that actually benefits us?

Are You More Resilient Than You Think? Dealing With Challenges Post Covid-19

by Dan Regan | Apr 23, 2020 | Anxiety Stress and Panic Attacks

Are You More Resilient Than You Think? Dealing With Challenges Post Covid-19

Throughout the Covid-19 pandemic and the associated lockdown, one element of us all that has been well and truly tested is our resilience. We’ve all had to cope with changes to our usual habits and patterns and we’ve all faced restrictions on leaving home. Whilst we all face challenges throughout our lives at one time or another, it’s rare for a countrywide, and even worldwide, challenge to affect so many at one time.

As time passes and the rate of cases and deaths continue to drop here in the UK, more and more the focus turns to life after lockdown and the gradual return to more of a sense of normality, albeit that social distancing may be here to stay for quite some time yet.

For many of you, lockdown may have taken a toll on your mental health with increased symptoms of stress, anxiety and depression. Some of the things that you may usually do to feel better, such as socialising, getting out, and some forms of exercise are not available at all or in the usual way. Combined with these changes to normality is the risk to health from catching the disease, financial worries, home schooling and a sense of being confined and trapped in a situation where you aren’t in control.

Certainly your resilience has already been tested, and when the lockdown is lifted or relaxed, that resilience may be needed to an even great extent.

Meat and Mental Health – Do Vegans & Vegetarians Have More Anxiety and Depression?

by Dan Regan | Apr 22, 2020 | Anxiety Stress and Panic Attacks

Meat and Mental Health – Do Vegans & Vegetarians Have More Anxiety and Depression?

It’s an interesting question that I’m covering today: is there a link between how much meat you do (or don’t) consume and your mental health? As more and more people turn to a vegetarian or vegan diet for health or ethical reasons, are they in danger of damaging their psychological health and well-being?

Recently (April 2020) a systematic review of the current evidence set out to examine the relationship between the consumption or avoidance of meat and psychological health and well-being, such as anxiety and depression.

Before I get onto their findings, it’s worth me mentioning that I am a vegetarian and have been for nearly thirty years now. My decision was an ethical one, yet I’ve always been of the view that there are health benefits too from avoiding things like processed meat and red meat (but hey I’m not a dietician so you should always satisfy yourself about the physical health benefits either way). And because it’s always the next question people ask: no my kids aren’t vegetarian; that’s for them to decide when they are old enough.

Certainly there is some evidence that a diet without meat can help to reduce the likelihood of a number of diseases and so, if nutritionally adequate, can provide health benefits in that regard.

When I became a vegetarian my mental health was pretty poor and I struggled with anxiety and low self-esteem. Was there a link between my anxiety and becoming vegetarian? I couldn’t tell you. Has my mental health improved since then? Massively. But is there any sort link between meat consumption and mental health?

Mindful Hypnotherapy to Reduce Stress and Increase Mindfulness

by Dan Regan | Apr 17, 2020 | Anxiety Stress and Panic Attacks

Mindful Hypnotherapy to Reduce Stress and Increase Mindfulness:

Mindfulness has been popular for quite some time now, and in the same way that hypnotherapy shares a huge amount of common ground with Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, there is also an overlapping between hypnotherapy and mindfulness.

Within all of these therapeutic approaches, we are seeking to deal with our thoughts, feelings, actions and reactions. You find yourself with troublesome thoughts, feelings and behaviours and you want to change those patterns to something more helpful and beneficial.

Mindfulness can be deﬁned as ‘paying attention in a particular way; on purpose, in the present moment, non-judgmentally.’ It is something that I employ within my therapy room in combination with hypnosis to help clients with anxiety, stress and so forth, as part of helping them to achieve their goals and feel better. In addition to being okay with thoughts as they happen in the present moment, we also want to expand upon this to help you take this ability into everyday situations and to help you to progress towards your goals.

Recently, some research was published that examined the results of adding hypnosis to mindfulness to reduce stress symptoms.

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