Natural Stress Management with Integral Hypnotherapy
Stress is the body’s natural defensive mechanism against predators and danger. It floods the body with chemicals like cortisol, epinephrine and, norepinephrine, which prepare our nervous system to escape or confront danger. This triggers physical symptoms like increased heart rate and blood pressure.
Acute stress is body’s immediate reaction to a significant threat, challenge or scare. It is the fight-or-flight response—a function of autonomic nervous system. On the other hand, chronic stress is a state of ongoing physiological stimulation. Research and studies believe the more we get stressed, the fewer solutions we get. The fight-flight-freeze response also effects our emotional health. Fear and anger are the primary emotions under both responses.
Today, stress is quite prevalent. According to the American Psychological Association. stress is even considered a major health problem in the U.S. The American Institute of Stress reports that about 77 percent of people experience stress that affects their physical health, 73 percent of people have stress that impacts their mental health, and 48 percent of people have trouble sleeping because of it. Stress levels have increased during the pandemic, which made the overall picture even worse.
In 2020, no one could have anticipated the world changing so drastically, especially in such a short period of time. Living in fear, being bombarded by terrifying news, grieving, expecting lockdowns, wearing masks and working from home became routine, regular experiences—the “new normal”.
Extended lockdowns created an unsafe environment for most people globally. Many individuals were concerned about their financial stability, health and socialization. When we feel like our survival is in question and our familiar environment collapses, we are forced to adapt and face the unknown. It is normal to feel stressed and experience anxiety in such situations, because anxiety is a natural response to potential danger.
Different factors may cause stress and anxiety in different people. For example, what makes one person extremely worried may seem trivial from another’s perspective. Additionally, some individuals are simply better equipped to deal with stress than others. Moreover, not all stress is harmful: it may even protect us from danger and injury. In general, our bodies are built to withstand stress. However, while stress can be a natural and reasonable response to events, especially the pandemic, being chronically subjected to it is harmful, both emotionally and physically. Constant stress may raise a person’s risk of developing Type 2 diabetes, hypertension and heart disease. When stress becomes chronic, depression, anxiety and other mental health problems, such as post-traumatic stress disorder, may emerge. It can even result in suicide, aggressive behavior, a heart attack or a stroke.
Integral hypnotherapy is an excellent tool to help manage and decrease stress levels. It is specifically designed to help lead a balanced and harmonious life, and even make deeply positive shifts. Integral hypnotherapy helps discover the root of the problem and create a long-lasting, effective shift using scientifically proven techniques. The lifelong skill of self-hypnosis helps in training the physical body to be more in parasympathetic drive (homeostasis), which the state of rest-and-digest. The parasympathetic nervous system (PNS) boosts the immune, digestive and reproductive systems. It also improves higher brain problem-solving and reduces stress. It can deeply balance our emotional health, because the primary emotions of being in PNS are joy, contentment, peace and love.
Chronic stress may go untreated for years as people become accustomed to high levels of anxiety and agitation which can have serious, long-term consequences for physical and mental health. Many therapies for stress reduction require serious financial investments and often months or even years to achieve desired results. People can benefit from hypnotherapy affordably on their own schedule. Through Integral hypnotherapy, one can discover the blocks and the actual stress triggers that are holding them back and are making them feel worrisome and anxious. No matter what issues are involved, clinical hypnotherapy can free us from the negative, subconscious blocks that are holding us back and making us feel stressed and anxious.
Integral Hypnotherapy™ is an adjunct to traditional mental health services for alleviating feelings of stress and anxiety. If one has a diagnosis of anxiety from a medical provider, a certified clinical hypnotherapist can work alongside their physician in helping them deal with the uncomfortable symptoms and emotions.
Neeta Handa is a board-certified medical support clinical hypnotherapist and a fellow of the International Board of Hypnotherapy.
