The
number of people suffering from panic, anxiety, agoraphobia,
and the like has reached more than epidemic proportions.
If we add to this number, those people suffering additional
anxiety due to a specific disease process such as
heart disease, cancer, diabetes, circulatory disturbances,
and pain-related disorders such as arthritis, fibromyalgia,
& the like, one wonders if anyone is left anxiety-free.
The
anxiety/panic epidemic is not just a national problem, |
 |
but
one of international proportion. The large majority of those
suffering with these disorders are holding full-time jobs,
many at Executive and managerial levels and are experiencing
a relatively high degree of workplace stress. Many are taking
medications of some sort, from tranquillizers to anti-depressant,
& sleeping pills. Others are addicted to other substances
including alcohol, cigarettes, sugar, and drugs, both legal
and illegal.
Most
people with anxiety/panic disorder have very similar complaints
from free floating anxiety to full-blown anxiety attacks,
making them prisoners of their own lives. Many complain
of poor concentration and memory recall, and tend to be
absent from work quite frequently, and few can remember
the last time they felt well, physically, emotionally and
spiritually.
Managing
anxiety and panic is like anything else. There are many
facets to be considered, and once these are defined, a workable
program needs to be put in place, and then worked on with
persistence!
Holistic
Key #1: Food Stress
Most
people pay very little attention to what they put into their
bodies in the form of food or drink, or the combination
thereof. In fact, most bodies don't know what to expect.
Sometimes they get breakfast, sometimes they don't. Many
days they are loaded with junk, and other days they're put
on some sort of a diet. Now, I can hear the yelps...."I
eat low-fat." "I never snack between meals."
"I count my calories very closely." For many people
this is true, but even for those who follow some sort of
regime, research shows we still may be eating incorrectly
for our own body needs. 75% of the population carries a
gene known as Profactor H, or the caveman gene. This hereditary
factor guides the way our body responds to certain foods,
especially high carbohydrate foods. by over producing the
hormone insulin. Insulin is a fat-storer, and we either
over produce this hormone or build a resistance to it, our
bodies store our intake as fat, even if we are eating a
low fat diet.
In
reality, if a diet is too low-fat, the body will actually
store even more. If we have a tendency towards this Profactor,
we need to be careful about which carbohydrate foods we
chose, how often we eat them, and the amounts at each meal.
We need to be aware of the balance between our intake of
protein, fat and carbohydrates. Once the balance is in place
the body can start burning fat, which is the ideal biochemical
state. This holds true even if a person is not over-weight,
as is sometimes the case in panic and anxiety disorders.
It is also important to note that Profactor H is the underlying
link to the major killers; heart disease, adult onset diabetes,
atherosclerosis, high blood pressure, high cholesterol,
certain cancers including breast, ovarian and uterine, and
is a link to smoking and yo-yo weight gain.
People
with a tendency to Profactor H, or hyperinsulinemia have
a particular personality profile which includes anxiety,
panic, agoraphobia, emotional instability, depression, PMS,
and many other uncomfortable body feelings. Many turn to
cigarettes, drugs, or alcohol to try to calm this feeling
that they describe as "stress." This feeling is
actually a drop in blood sugar, or what is known as food-induced
hyperinsulinemia. For people with an active "body symptom
policing system" in place, this blood sugar drop is
very frightening. The body answers this hypoglycemic response
with an outpouring of other stress hormones including adrenalin
and cortisol, among others. These neurological stimulators
increase the already present body sensations, and fear sets
in. This frightening cycle intensifies, and many choose
to completely alter their lives in a sad attempt to manage
this biochemical reaction.
Once
one learns to manage food-induced hyperinsulinemia, the
body sensations are reduced greatly. The next step is to
understand how to reinterpret the sensations, so they can
actually work for the individual, instead of hindering his
progress.
INTERACTIVE
SELF-HYPNOSIS: Working with Body Sensations, Thoughts
and Emotions
The
body communicates with us through our body feelings or sensations.
Whenever we feel tension, that is an attempt of the body
to let us know it is under physical stress. Most of us never
pay any attention to this body communication, especially
on low levels. We do pay lots of attention once the sensations
begin screaming at us, such as neck spasms, backache, indigestion,
heart palpitations, dizziness, headaches, to name a few.
By this time the stress chemicals in the body are very high,
and seriously interfering with our ability to function on
all levels. We can learn to manage this by learning various
techniques which retrain the brain to release the stress
chemicals on low levels subconsciously.
"Interactive
Hypnosis" is a variety of techniques which put the
individual in charge of managing his own body chemistry.
When we teach our brain to be aware and release low stressors,
we do not need to be alerted. The brain becomes an excellent
employee, doing its job for us. We can also train the brain
to notice and release negative chemical producing thoughts
and emotions which appear and which are not currently needed
for our functioning. These techniques are very powerful,
and allow the mind to clear itself and be available for
the work at hand. These tools have been utilized by top
athletes, executives, and those interested in accelerated
learning.
Most
people suffering from anxiety, panic, depression, sleep
disorders, poor concentration, memory, and pain, have what
is known as "run away brain syndrome." The mind
is continuously running all by itself with no guidance or
direction. This is very stress-chemical producing, and a
person in this state has little chance of moving towards
a worthwhile goal. They are basically caught in the stress
cycle which is self-fulfilling. To make matters worse, the
brain sees this "syndrome" as the goal, and works
hard to keep it going.
Anyone
can learn self-hypnosis, as it is a natural process. When
one learns to relax very deeply utilizing special techniques,
and then introduces personalized metaphors, the subconscious
mind accepts these as real. "Interactive Self-Hypnosis"
utilizes sensory imaging techniques to move one past obstacles
or the perceived problem, and on to greener pastures. These
techniques are health producing, as the body works to manufacture
healing chemicals when the person places himself in this
state. These chemicals actually boost the immune system,
and work to reverse or control an active disease process.
We
know that 60-90% of disease processes are stress related.
By learning to manage anxiety and panic holistically, you
have the power to move your mind/body from an illness mode
to one of high level health. So, we could say that 60-90%
of your health outcomes are up to you! |
