Anxiety can often lead to a vicious circle where we worry about the problem, so we feel more anxious which makes us worry even more. Some people experience ‘panic attacks’ which can feel very frightening indeed, with people often describing how they thought they were going to die, usually of a heart attack.A panic attack occurs as a result of a continuation of this problem. We all still have an inbuilt fight or flight system within us, this helped us thousands of years ago so we could run away from an animal attack, or so we could chase prey. Of course we still can use this to get us away from danger, but nowadays we are more likely to be experiencing similar symptoms as a result of worrying about bills or even being stuck in a traffic jam. Our bodies produce exactly the same chemicals when we are stuck in a traffic jam as they do in a situation where real danger might occur. So our bodies prepare us for danger by increasing heart rate (so blood can pump faster and heal cuts quicker) also increasing breathing rate (to provide more oxygen to run faster) and providing us with chemicals such as adrenalin. This is a key chemical which helps to boost heart rate, also suppressing digestion.

It is important for a sufferer to realise the input that our minds have in this situation. Due to the increase in breathing rate, carbon dioxide levels can drop, this not an 'anxiety attack' makes a person feel dizzy. The chemicals involved can also give us tingling feelings, and the increase in heart rate can make a person feel like they are having a heart attack - all these feelings can lead sufferers to have lost control over their bodies when in fact, what is happening is our bodies reacting to a stimulus which we have been worrying about. It is just our perceptions that need to be changed, so we can realise just what IS happening and what IS NOT happening, then we learn to change our perceptions which can help us to not be so worried. Using a combination of Hypnotherapy, NLP and Time Line Therapy Techniques, I have helped many people deal with their anxieties by helping them to install new choices into their old behaviours and learning new ways to cope better, so that in time you may be free from the anxiety that has bothered you for so long.