Nervousness - What Creates It And How To Cure It
Even though many people tend to use the words “anxiety” and “stress” interchangeably, they are in fact two separate conditions. Stress is a response to a stimulus, either external or internal. You may experience stress because you feel frustrated with something (like waiting in line behind a slow person) or when you are worried that you will not meet expectations (such as missing a deadline at work).
Anxiety, on the other hand, is a sense of dread, or fear and nervousness. It can be brought on by negative thoughts and expectations, or as a response to stress. You may experience feelings of anxiety all of the time and not know why, or your feelings may be a response to something you are nervous about, such as an upcoming journey.
Abnormal levels of certain neurotransmitters in the brain may cause generalized anxiety. Some studies indicate that anxiety can be hereditary. Anxiety may also be induced environmentally, as when a child whose mother or father is often anxious becomes an anxious person by observing the parent. But very often the core cause of anxiety is simply the thoughts in a person’s mind!
Stress and anxiety are subjective conditions. Different people may feel stressed about different situations, and different people may respond to their anxiousness in extremely different ways. Symptoms of anxiety can range from the mild, such as sweaty hands and tense muscles, to the severe, such as anxiety attacks, vomiting, and irregular heartbeat.
Everyone feels some amount of anxiety from time to time. We have all experienced the dry mouth and vague sense of dread before an exam or public speaking engagement. But when does it become harmful to your health? Research has shown that chronic anxiety can make us vulnerable to sleep disorders, depression, high blood pressure, and relationship problems
For sufferers of long-term untreated anxiety, there may be negative health consequences that have yet to be fully identified. Some studies have found a link between chronic anxiety and a number of serious health conditions including heart disease, thyroid disease, arthritis, cancer, and respiratory illness. Chronically anxious people may even be more likely to suffer a fatal heart attack.
If you suffer from what seems like an overwhelmingly high amount of anxiety relative to the circumstances, or if you feel anxious nearly every day, you may actually have an anxiety disorder. Anxiety disorders are chronic conditions characterized by an inability to function normally because of constant anxiety. Anxiety disorders are serious conditions that should be treated to reduce the risk of long-term negative health effects.
Anxiety treatment has long been the subject of much discussion in the medical field. Some medical professionals believe that medication is the best treatment for chronic anxiety. However, anxiety medications often produce undesirable side effects that are just as bad or even worse than the initial affliction.
There are many safe and effective ways to control negative emotional reactions. Exercise is a frequently overlooked option, but it is extremely effective in managing stress and anxiety. When you exercise, your body releases endorphins, which are natural mood-boosting and pain-killing chemicals. With regular aerobic exercise, you may begin to feel a dramatic decrease in negative emotional reactions to situations that would have previously made you extremely anxious.
The most effective way to manage worry and tension is to control it from the inside out. Stress management and stress relief techniques are extremely useful in handling day to day stress. These techniques can teach you to relax yourself and let the tension leave your body. You make a conscious effort to slow your breathing, release the tension, and maintain a tranquil state of mind. Meditation is an excellent form of tension control in which you practice thoughtful relaxation and deep, calm breathing.
However, if you want a proactive method to relieve yourself of anxiety, hypnotherapy is by far the most effective treatment option. When an individual undergoes hypnotherapy, their emotional responses and reactions to events are changed at the core. This permits them to handle common anxiety-inducing triggers without the typical nervousness and fear.
Hypnosis is often performed by a licensed hypnotist in a series of regular treatments. More commonly today, hypnotherapy is available in the form of self hypnosis programs which are available in the form of DVDs, MP3s, or CDs for individual home usage. No special skills are needed to practice self hypnosis. All you need is a device to play the hypnotherapy program and a quiet space where you can listen and relax.
Another very successful type of anxiety treatment is Neuro-Linguistic Programming, or NLP. NLP is a form of therapy that helps you condition yourself to naturally respond to situations in a more positive manner. You can consciously decide to be calm rather than anxious, and consequently, you always have control over your own emotions.
It is evident that it is important to be able to manage our negative emotional responses in order to remain healthy. Understanding how to cope with fear and nervousness may even extend your life. To treat long-term anxiety, the best course of action is to use hypnosis to change your reactions and attitudes from within. Then, it becomes easy to use stress management techniques as needed to remain calm in everyday situations.
Alan B. Densky is an NGH certified hypnotherapist. He offers a complete line of stress reduction hypnosis CDs, and advanced stress management CDs through his Neuro-VISION self hypnosis website. You can visit his self hypnosis blog, and download a free MP3.
- Alan B. Densky, CH
