THE STRESS VIRUS
how hypnotherapy can help you build your immunity.

There seems to be an epidemic in the UK - 70% of us are stressed, 55% have been depressed and 31 million antidepressant prescriptions are handed out each year, according to ONS and the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy and MIND. Like a virus, we do seem to catch it from each other as well as from the media, which is constantly invading our lives with news of catastrophes, the scandals of impossibly rich celebrities, urgent emails. Some people seem to thrive on the kick that this storm of information can create, others begin to crumble, and fear that they cannot cope creeps up. This fear is infectious, we are tuned to pick up on the emotions of others and fear was particularly useful in our primitive ancestors' lives, a very useful instinct that kept them alive while sabre tooth tigers prowled. The adrenalin keeps the body hypervigilant and ready for extreme action, heart pumping and attention primed for that worst case scenario, a predator lurking in the bushes.

This fantastic survival mechanism works best for short term danger. When the mind becomes constantly attuned for the worst case scenario, constantly expecting danger around every corner, that initial adrenalin hit becomes a difficulty getting to sleep or staying asleep, which leads to fatigue, a loss of optimism and humour, head and neck tension, digestive difficulties and more. Before you know it, your ability to relax and laugh have become a vague memory, and the problems of the world weigh heavily on your shoulders.

This is when hypnotherapy can be so helpful. It is one thing knowing you should relax, another thing entirely trying to do it when your whole body is on "high alert". The hypnotherapist can gently present to your unconscious mind the benefits of being calm, that it will be safe to settle down and indeed highly productive for your health and wellbeing. Once they have experienced deep relaxation most people find that their mind becomes much calmer and they can think with greater clarity and creativity.

In my stress management course I will teach you breathing and relaxation techniques that you can use to quickly calm yourself down when you are beginning to get stressed. You will learn to recognise your personal stress signals and triggers and what to do about them. Mindfulness and a flexible thinking style are also taught and practised and you will have time to reflect on lifestyle, eating habits and exercise. The aim of the course is to introduce you to strategies and skills that can help to build your immunity against the stress virus.

© Nicola Preston Bell BA DHypPsych(UK) GPHR Hypnotherapist and psychotherapist

If you would like any advice on how to get yourself back to work, or would like to book an appointment with any of our practitioners, then please contact the Clinic on 01273 835116 or www.sussex-osteopath.co.uk

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