Anxiety

Common symptoms include:

Chronic worry
Sleep disturbance
Muscular tension
Panic attacks
Gut problems
Heart palpitations
Sweating
Breathing problems

Anxiety is also known as Stress, panic disorder, or sometimes just as nervousness. Included in this disorder are panic attacks, phobias and – sometimes – post traumatic stress disorder

Anxiety is not an emotion. It is that state that ensues when Headmind blocks action on the emotions. The most common emotion that gets blocked is Fear but blocked Anger and Sadness (or even all three) can also contribute to an Anxiety disorder.

Emotions are intended by Bodymind to be cleared quickly through action. For example, when Bodymind sends up the emotion of Fear it needs the individual to start talking to people, get help, and take gradual steps to master the situation. When this does not happen (because Headmind thinks 'it's weak to be afraid' for example) the original emotion is intensified and added to any other emotions in the pot. The resulting 'pressure-cooker' effect partly contributes to the Anxiety state. When Bodymind notices that the pot is full it switches the alarm button on the Nervous system, thereby triggering gut reactions, increase in heart rate, sweating, tension, shallow breathing and panic. Meanwhile, Headmind tends to go round and round with worry, getting nowhere, instead of planning for action.

Phobias are simply anxiety disorders linked to specific situations, such as lifts, planes, cars, heights or social situations. Sometimes these are based on a trauma from the past. Again, the basic fear is there to warn the person that the situation is potentially unsafe but Headmind interprets the fear as a signal to run away into an imaginary comfort zone. The main task is to help people identify their fear as a natural emotion which is useful in flagging up that more steps need to be taken in order to improve confidence.

The Reverse Therapy treatment process for Anxiety goes as follows:

• Teach client Bodymind focusing techniques
• Investigate situations in which Anxiety appears
• Identify the underlying emotion which needs to be released
• Identify the symptom-message
• Work with client on expressing, acting upon, and resolving, the emotion in question
• Help client tolerate discomfort when resolving emotions like fear and anger
• Teach client how to bypass Headmind worry and 'disaster movies'
• Keep focusing on tasks that improve confidence and take client out of the comfort zone.