According to data from the World Health Organization (WHO), Brazil is the country with the highest number of anxious people in the world. The report, from 2018, pointed out that 18.6 million people suffer from anxiety crisis: this represents 9.3% of the entire Brazilian population. 

With the coronavirus pandemic, the statistics are even more concerning. To give you an idea, Google searches for “what is it like to have an anxiety crisis” increased by over 5000% between January and July 2020.

But after all, how is anxiety characterized? 

Anxiety, in itself, can be characterized by feelings of:

• nervousness, 
• fear,
• worry. 

These feelings are normal to a certain extent, as they are almost instinctive behaviors of humans before an important event, such as a job interview or a public presentation, for example. They are natural body reactions to help us in new challenges or situations that require caution. 

However, when this starts to affect the routine and cause significant and constant suffering, anxiety is considered a mental disorder that compromises the quality of life and needs to be treated.

Normally, in an anxiety crisis, what happens is that there is an intensification of some sensations that would already be common and the appearance of new sensations. This set of sensations in the literature is called symptoms. They can vary from person to person, without specific rules, but usually involve:

• palpitations and chest pain;
• a feeling of impending doom;
• shortness of breath;
• breathlessness;
• restlessness in the legs and arms;
• muscle tension;
• migraines;
• dry mouth;
• shaking;
• fatigue;
• insomnia;
• diarrhea; 
• difficulty concentrating;
• irritability; 
• sweating; 
• nausea;
• fear. 

Why care about anxiety? 

When untreated or not properly managed, anxiety can become a problem that harms different areas of life, from personal relationships to work performance. But the good news is that it can be treated with psychological and psychiatric support. But what about hypnosis? Well, it comes in as an auxiliary tool for these professionals.

Keep reading and you’ll understand better! 

What is hypnosis and how can it be an ally in treating anxiety crises? 

A technique that has been increasingly used in therapies, hypnosis is defined as “a state of consciousness involving focused attention and reduced peripheral awareness, characterized by an enhanced capacity for response to suggestion, in which the patient is guided to experience changes in sensations, perceptions, thoughts, or behavior”. 

The methodology, of course, can be used for various purposes, including the treatment of disorders such as anxiety crisis. 

Hypnosis is regulated and recognized by the Federal Councils of Medicine, Psychology, Physiotherapy, Occupational Therapy, Dentistry, and Nursing. In addition, the WHO approves its use in the healthcare field, and it is also provided for in the Unified Health System (SUS). 

As with all areas that deal with our health, it is important to pay attention to a crucial issue before investing in this treatment: relying on the support of licensed or certified mental health professionals, especially those trained in this technique. This is because properly trained professionals can offer greater safety and quality in the service to help you achieve your goal with hypnotherapy.

Hypnosis, in turn, can help you understand how your main anxiety triggers work. As well as reframe events and experiences, and offer alternatives and cognitive training for you to develop healthy and desired habits in your life.

But why do therapists use hypnosis in these cases?

Because it is a tool that can enhance the results with the patient, as the assistance of the hypnotic experience facilitates the process of change from the inside out. 

Thus, throughout the sessions, one of the approaches may be to encourage the patient to access that (traumatic) moment that may have been the triggering factor of anxiety and deal with the situation differently, changing their perception of that event and, therefore, working on the motivator(s) so that they can overcome it/them. 

This, of course, is just one example. It is also possible to learn, throughout the treatment, to: 

• develop focused attention, 
• have greater physical and emotional control, 
• better control one’s own thoughts, allowing dysfunctional behaviors to become increasingly rare.

Attention: not everything you read about hypnosis is true

There are several myths surrounding the practice of hypnosis, including the belief that the patient may never come out of a hypnotic state, but this is not true. 

The technique induces a temporary state, designed to perform a specific task. It is almost like the concentration you achieve to solve a particular exercise. 

Therefore, as soon as you stop receiving those stimuli, you will return to your normal state of consciousness.

To move away from this universe that mystifies hypnosis, it is worth remembering that it is just a tool that can assist in reaching a high level of concentration. In other words, it is a state that everyone can access in a certain activity and that can even happen in daily life without us noticing. 

In the professional use of the technique, however, the difference is that the specialist teaches how to intensify this brain activity, elevating concentration and, as we have already mentioned, directing thoughts towards a specific therapeutic goal. 

The truth is that the possibilities are many and, of course, they can work in specific ways for each patient. The important thing is to focus on the goal: to regain quality of life.

 
Did you like the content and want to see how hypnosis can be a great ally in treating anxiety crisis? Look for a qualified professional for online or in-person service in your region. Just access app.www.hipnose.com.br!