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Lots of people use the words "stress" and "anxiety" interchangeably, but they are actually two distinct conditions. Stress is a response to a stimulus, which can be external or internal. You may feel stress when you are frustrated with something (like waiting in line behind a slow person) or when you worry that you won't meet expectations (such as missing a deadline at work). Anxiety, on the other hand, is a feeling of dread, or fear and nervousness. It can be caused by negative expectations and thoughts, or as a reaction to stress. You may feel anxious virtually all of the time and not know why, or your worry may be a reaction to something you are nervous about, like an upcoming business trip. Abnormal levels of certain neurotransmitters in the brain may cause generalized anxiety. Some research shows that anxiety can be hereditary. Anxiety may also stem from environmental conditions, as when the child of a parent who is often anxious learns to be an anxious person by observing the parent. But frequently, the base cause of anxiety is simply the thoughts that a person is thinking! Stress and anxiety are subjective conditions. Different people may feel stressed about different situations, and different people may respond to their anxiousness in very different ways. Symptoms of anxiety can range from the mild, such as sweaty hands and tense muscles, to the severe, such as vomiting, irregular heartbeat, and anxiety attacks. Everyone feels some amount of anxiety once in awhile. All of us have felt the dry mouth and vague sense of dread before a test or public speaking engagement. But when does it become damaging to your health? Research has shown that chronic anxiety can lead to sleep disorders, high blood pressure, depression, and relationship problems For sufferers of long-term untreated anxiety, there may be detrimental health consequences that have yet to be explored fully. Some studies have found a link between chronic anxiety and a variety of serious health conditions including cancer, respiratory illness, thyroid disease, arthritis, and heart disease. Chronically anxious people may even be more likely to suffer a fatal heart attack. If you experience what seems like a disproportionately high amount of anxiety relative to the situation, or if you feel anxious nearly every day, you may actually have an anxiety disorder. Anxiety disorders are chronic conditions characterized by one's inability to function normally because of frequent anxiety. Anxiety disorders are serious conditions that should be treated to reduce the risk of long-term effects. Anxiety treatment has long been the subject of much debate in the medical community. Some medical professionals believe that medication is the best method to treat chronic anxiety. Unfortunately, anti-anxiety medications often produce serious side effects that are just as bad as or even worse than the initial condition. There are plenty of natural ways to handle negative emotional responses. Exercise is a frequently overlooked option, but it is very effective in managing stress and anxiety. When you exercise, your body releases endorphins, which are natural mood-boosting and pain-killing chemicals. With regular exercise, you may start to see a dramatic decrease in negative emotional reactions to situations that would have previously made you extremely anxious. The most effective way to deal with tension and worry is to control it from the inside out. Stress relief and stress management techniques are very useful in managing 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 a form of tension management in which you practice mindful relaxation and deep, calm breathing. However, if you are searching for a proactive way to relieve yourself of anxiety, hypnotherapy is by far the most effective form of treatment. When a person undergoes hypnosis, their emotional responses and reactions to events are changed at their core. This gives them the opportunity to deal with typical anxiety-inducing triggers without the usual nervousness and fear. Hypnosis can be 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 can be purchased in the form of CDs, DVDs, or MP3s for individual home usage. No special skills are necessary to practice self hypnosis. All you need is a device to play the hypnotherapy program and a quiet space where you can relax and listen. Another very successful method of anxiety treatment is Neuro-Linguistic Programming, or NLP. NLP is a form of therapy that helps you retrain yourself to naturally respond to situations in a more positive way. You can consciously decide to remain calm rather than anxious, and consequently, you are always in control of your own feelings. In summary, you can see that it is important to control our negative emotional responses in order to remain healthy. Mastering techniques to deal with fear and nervousness may even extend your life. To treat chronic anxiety, the best course of action is to use hypnosis to change your reactions and attitudes from within. Then, use stress management techniques as needed to keep calm in everyday situations.
Alan B. Densky is an NGH certified hypnotherapist. He offers a complete line of stress elimination hypnosis CDs, and advanced stress reduction CDs through his Neuro-VISION hypnotism website. You can visit his self hypnosis blog, and download a free MP3.
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