Introduction
Common requests for hypnotherapy treatment are those related to stress, anxiety, habits and phobias. An understanding of the relationship between these disorders, examining the similarities and the differences between each, provides the therapist with information useful in deciding how and if to treat these disorders. It could also be argued that the uniqueness of each client and each set of symptoms demands the therapist to review each case on a one to one basis and not to blur the boundaries between each of these types of disorders, which may in turn result in a less effective form of treatment being provided. Each of these disorders is discussed below, along with mention of any similarities and differences, as well as the considerations that need to be made in the treatment of these disorders.
Understanding Stress
The term stress was first employed in a biological context by the endocrinologist Hans Selye in the 1930s. In his usage stress refers to a condition and stressor to the stimulus causing it. Selye researched the effects of stress on rats and other animals by exposing them to unpleasant or harmful stimuli. He found that all animals display a similar sequence of reactions, manifesting in three distinct stages, Alarm, Resistance and Exhaustion. He labeled this universal response to stressors the general adaptation syndrome or GAS.
When a threat or stressor is identified or realised, the body's stress response is a state of alarm. During this stage adrenaline will be produced in order to bring about the fight-or-flight response.
As Dr David Beales, a specialist in the field of stress, commented recently, “There is not enough oxygen in the brain to solve a problem or make s good decision,” This problem occurs because the blood has been diverted from the thinking brain to the emotional brain, which diverts