Fight or Flight Response and Panic Disorder.

What is the fight or flight response?

The fight or flight response is best described as a physical response to an external events which the body considers threatening or dangerous. Essentially, the response prepares the body to either stay and deal with the threat, or run away to safety.

Research has shown that the fight or flight response can also be set off by both real and imaginary threats. This is because the response happens automatically, and sometimes responds to perceptions which are not always accurate.

 

What happens when the response is triggered?

Studies have identified certain physiological changes which occur during the fight or flight anxiety response.

These changes are believed to be caused by the release of stress hormones into the bloodstream:

·      A rapid heart rate.

·      Rapid breathing.

·      Dilation of pupils.

·      Sweating, trembling and shaking.

These symptoms are very similar to those of a panic attack. The frightening thing about the fight or flight attacks, is that when there is actually no actual danger associated with the attack, the fear and symptoms often intensify.

You theoretically become stuck in a fight or flight response, and the anxiety is allowed to build up until there is a fully-fledged panic attack, which you may even believe is life-threatening.

Phobias, such as agoraphobia (a fear of public places) are also examples of how a fight or flight response may be triggered, because of a perceived threat.

Bear in mind that the response can be set off by both real and imaginary dangers.

 

A recommended treatment protocol.

Intensive studies have shown that hypnotherapy, in the same way that it helps combat anxiety and panic attacks, is highly recommended to treat the fight or flight response. If you feel that severe anxiety is controlling your life, consulting a competent hypnotherapist, will help to restore control you feel you have lost.

Hypnotherapy can bring positive changes to your life, and offer freedom from the debilitating effects of anxiety.

 

How hypnotherapy helps with fight or flight anxiety.

Always consult a qualified, experienced therapist, who is well-versed in the treatment of panic attacks. Each therapist has a slightly different approach to treatment, but in general, this is the path the treatment may take:

·       The therapist may initially try to find the root cause of the problem, as well as the triggers which are inclined to set it off, and cause you to lose control.

·      When you are in the relaxed state of hypnosis, positive suggestions will be made to desensitise the anxious feelings received from the triggers.

·      This can lead to a myriad of positive changes which will be rooted in the subconscious mind, and make a marked improvement in your life.

·      The therapist may also use the neuro-linguistic programming (NLP) system which researchers have spent time gathering all of the best, up-to-date concepts and techniques that will help you get control of your life, your emotions, and your mind.

·      Subsequently, the therapist will begin to remove layers of old thought patterns, and replace them with new patterns that have a positive effect. Your mind will be reset, and the old baggage and anxiety will start to be a thing of the past.

The experience of hypnotherapy will help you, whenever you feel that you are getting anxious, to put into practice the things you have learned, and look for ways to calm down and relax your body.

 

Why is the fight or flight response important?

The response plays an important role in how we deal with stress and danger in in our lives, and the environment in which we live.

Understanding and dealing with the body’s natural fight or flight response is the key to coping with a new mindset.

This is where hypnotherapy comes in as a great tool for success in dealing with anxiety.