It is quite natural to experience anxiety from time to time and sportsmen for example need to be ‘hyped up‘ in order to perform in a competitive situation.

Excessive anxiety however can lead to irrational fears and worries, phobias, OCD, PTSD and other chronic illnesses such as heart disease, skin conditions, ulcers and asthma.

Symptoms of anxiety include:

• insomnia
• drug abuse eg alcohol,tranquilisers
• migraine
• skin conditions
• ‘burn out’
• depression

(See also Stress)

The Therapy

In order to reduce and alleviate some of the symptoms a Human Givens therapist will recommend:

• a lifestyle audit
• exercise eg walking
• regular sleep
• a regular eating pattern
• relaxation
• changing the problems causing the anxiety
• adapting attitude to stressors causing the anxiety

The Human Givens approach to alleviating anxiety is solution focused and encourages the person to develop a range of skills so they are able to manage their own stress. This will ensure they are getting their needs met by using their resources appropriately.

Therapy for sufferers of anxiety may include some of the following:

• accurate information eg a panic attack is a normal reaction to extreme stress – fight/flight mechanism
• teach 7-11 breathing which is a simple technique to diffuse arousal levels
• relieve insomnia using the above technique amongst others
• guided imagery and visualisation to rehearse making changes and feeling calm
• rewind technique(see PHOBIAS)
• challenge unhelpful thought patterns
• teach skills

A Human Givens therapist might encourage someone suffering from anxiety become AWARE

Accept anxiety
Watch it and measure it on a scale of 1-10
Act normal
Repeat 3 steps above
Expect the best

Therapy for anxiety need not be long term. Clients will generally notice important and effective change within 1 to 3 sessions, though dealing with multiple related concerns can take longer.