MENTAL TOUGHNESS Hypnotherapy London - ANXIETY & TRAUMATIC INCIDENTS

Anxiety and Traumatic Incidents

When referring to traumatic incidents it is important to note the variations in experience. A traumatic incident may be a "life or death" situation such as an accident or combat situation where we suffered extreme physical and psychological distress. It may also be an event when we experienced emotional and physical discomfort from a more common situation, such as being ridiculed and embarrassed at school or work, being bullied, not passing an exam, being criticised by our parents and other significant people or perhaps ending a relationship.

Our unconscious minds have a protective mechanism, which helps us to learn from our experiences, and store any useful information from the experience together with sensory data (images, sounds, tastes and smells) as well as emotional and physical feelings.

When an incident happens that is physically or emotionally painful, we may either:

1. Confront it and experience it fully.

In this case we will feel the pain and discomfort of the incident fully until its natural conclusion. We will work through and understand our emotions at the time and resolve the issue to its completion. The resolved experience will become a past incident - part of our memory and we can view it objectively without extreme negative feelings such as panic or anxiety being restimulated. We can refer to this experience as being fully processed by our memory and nervous system. The mental wound has been healed successfully in the same way that a physical wound heals and is no longer painful.

2. Try to block our awareness of it.

In this case the full action of experiencing the event is blocked and the incident is repressed. At the time this may aid our immediate survival and not dwelling on the incident helps us to cope until we reach safety. However, the incident and our intention not to experience it continues to exist as "unfinished business" and is carried over into the present. The incident is not fully processed by our memory and nervous system and continues to be painful, in a similar way to a physical wound that becomes infected and does not heal. Therefore, we may still react in the same way to current events and stimuli, even though our old thoughts, emotions, behaviour and our view of ourselves may no longer be appropriate or helpful; in effect we are still reacting in ways consistent with the earlier incident. Feelings from the past incident may be triggered by current events and stimuli, either by external situations or our internal thoughts. This may result in nightmares, flashbacks, fear and negative emotions, anxiety low confidence and avoidance behaviour.

Overprotective Emotional Scars and Phobias

Our unconscious minds contain our protective and survival instincts. When we suffer a traumatic physical or emotional incident the knowledge is stored to protect us from future real or perceived threats. We could say that a scar forms around the emotional wound that protects against further similar incidents. In the same way that a scar on our flesh is tougher and thicker than the original skin, repeated emotional scars form a tough layer to protect us from real or perceived danger. The emotional scar may over protect us to the extent where we perceive a threat where none exists. For example, a person who suffers having their bag snatched in a shopping mall, might in the future, not only avoid shopping malls but also avoids going out completely. Their world and self -confidence shrink, as they avoid any risk of future harm. Similarly if a person has not suffered any physical threat but has been injured emotionally, perhaps through a relationship, they may lose confidence and avoid the risk of hurt and not form subsequent relationships. Emotional scars can build into protective shells or walls that cut us off from engaging with the world and therefore, restrict our lives. If we do not engage with others, then we do not fully engage with ourselves and cannot develop our potential for growth.

How can hypnotherapy help?

During hypnotherapy we can revisit traumatic incidents (and any subsequent related incidents) and update our unconscious minds that the issue or event is in the past; it is history and there is no longer any need for it to affect us in the present. We can update our unconscious that it is overprotecting us against an irrational threat, such as offices in high buildings and that we can now make a conscious and rational decision as to whether there is any danger or not. Having done this we will no longer experience inappropriate fear or anxiety and have more confidence in ourselves.

How can Traumatic Incident Reduction (TIR) help?

A past trauma that has never been fully confronted continues as unfinished business. Emotional pain is similar to physical pain, in that it tells us that we need to pay attention to something and to do something about it. Traumatic Incident Reduction is a method that enables us to pay attention and do something about past traumatic events. By doing this and examining past events fully, the incidents lose their power to cause us suffering, pain and discomfort. We have paid attention and done something about them.

How can Eye Movement Technique (EMT) help?

Eye Movement Technique is a fast and effective method that facilitates the processing of traumatic incidents and the resolving of emotional conflicts. It is also highly effective in times of stress and anxiety, such as work pressures or exam stress. Eye Movement Technique further acts as a catalyst for change and facilitates problem solving. The technique can be easily taught to clients, so that they can use it to increase calmness and confidence in times of high stress, anxiety or pressure.

Mental Toughness Hypnotherapy London
10 Harley Street,
London,
W1G 9PF.

Tel: 020 7467 8548

phil@mental-toughness.co.uk