Tension - What Causes It And How To Get Rid Of It

By: Alan B. Densky
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[ Posted On: 2008-05-13 ]

Many people use the words stress and anxiety interchangeably, but they are actually two distinct conditions. Stress is a reaction to a stimulus, which can be external or internal. You may feel stress because you are frustrated with something (like waiting in line behind a slow person) or when you worry that you won't meet expectations (such as missing a deadline).

Anxiety, on the other hand, is a sense of fear and nervousness or even dread. It can be brought on by negative expectations and thoughts, or as a reaction to stress. You may feel anxious all of the time and not understand why, or your worry may be a reaction to something you are nervous about, such as an upcoming exam.

Abnormal levels of certain neurotransmitters in the brain may cause generalized anxiety. Some research indicates that anxiety can be brought on genetically. Anxiety may also be induced environmentally, as when the child of a parent who is often anxious becomes an anxious person by observing the parent. But very often the core cause of anxiety is simply the thoughts in a person's mind!

Anxiety and stress are subjective conditions. Different people may feel stressed about different situations, and different people may respond to their anxiousness in extremely different ways. Symptoms of anxiety can range from the mild, such as sweaty hands and tense muscles, to the severe, such as irregular heartbeat, anxiety attacks, and vomiting.

Everyone experiences feelings of anxiety from time to time. We have all experienced the dry mouth and vague sense of dread before a public speaking engagement or an exam. But when does it become harmful to your health? Research has revealed that prolonged anxiety can lead to sleep disorders, depression, high blood pressure, and relationship problems

For sufferers of chronic untreated anxiety, there may be negative health consequences that have yet to be fully examined. Some studies have found a link between generalized anxiety disorder and a number of serious health conditions including heart disease, cancer, thyroid disease, arthritis, and respiratory illness. Chronically anxious people may even be more likely to suffer a fatal heart attack.

If you experience what seems like an overwhelmingly high amount of anxiety relative to the circumstances, or if you feel anxious nearly every day, you may actually have an anxiety disorder. Anxiety disorders are chronic conditions characterized by a person's inability to function normally because of frequent anxiety. Anxiety disorders are serious conditions that should be treated to lower the risk of long-term negative health effects.

Anxiety treatment has long been the subject of much debate in the medical field. Some medical professionals believe that medication is the best method to treat chronic anxiety. Unfortunately, anxiety medications often have side effects that are just as bad as or even worse than the initial affliction.

There are many safe and effective ways to handle negative emotional reactions. Exercise is an often overlooked option, but it is extremely effective in managing stress and anxiety. Exercise causes your body to release endorphins, which are natural mood-boosting and pain-killing chemicals. With regular aerobic exercise, you may begin to feel a decrease in negative emotional reactions to situations that would have previously made you very anxious.

The most effective way to deal with tension and worry is to control it from within. Stress relief and stress management techniques are very useful in handling day-to-day stress. These techniques can teach you to calm yourself and let the tension leave your body. You make a conscious effort to slow your rate of breathing, release the worry, and maintain a calm state of mind. Meditation is an excellent form of tension management in which you practice mindful relaxation and deep, calming breathing.

However, if you are searching for a proactive way to relieve yourself of anxiety, hypnotherapy is by far the most effective form of treatment. When a person undergoes hypnotherapy, their emotional responses and reactions to events are changed at their core. This permits them to handle anxiety-inducing triggers without the usual nervousness and fear.

Hypnosis is typically performed by a licensed hypnotist in a series of regular sessions. More commonly today, hypnotherapy can be learned from self hypnosis programs which are available in the form of CDs, MP3s, or DVDs for individual home usage. No special skills are necessary to practice self hypnosis. All you need is a device to play the hypnotherapy program and a quiet space where you can relax and listen.

Another successful method of anxiety treatment is Neuro-Linguistic Programming, or NLP. NLP is a type of therapy that helps you retrain yourself to naturally respond to situations in a more positive manner. You can consciously decide to be calm rather than anxious, and consequently, you always maintain control over your own feelings.

In summary, you can see that it is very important to manage our negative emotional responses in order to stay healthy. Learning to cope with nervousness and fear may even add years onto your life. To treat long-term anxiety, the best course of action is to use hypnosis to change your reactions and attitudes from within. Then, it becomes easy to use stress management techniques as necessary to keep calm in everyday situations.

Article Source: http://www.afroarticles.com/article-dashboard

About The Author: Alan B. Densky --, CH has been in practice over 30 years. His Neuro-VISION self hypnosis website carries a broad range of stress reduction hypnosis CDs, and advanced stress reduction CDs. Visit his site to download a free MP3.

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