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Anxiety & Panic - The New Epidemic
Elizabeth Bohorquez, RN, C.Ht
The number of people suffering from panic, anxiety, agora-
phobia & the like has reached more than epidemic pro-
portions. If we add to this number, those people suffering
additional anxiety due to a specific disease process such as
heart disease, cancer, diabetes, circulatory disturbances &
pain-related disorders such as arthritis, fibromyalgia & the
like, one wonders if anyone is left anxiety-free.
The anxiety/panic epidemic is not just a national problem,
but one of international proportion. The large majority of
those suffering with these disorders are holding full-time
jobs, many at Executive and managerial levels and are ex-
periencing a relatively high degree of workplace stress.
Many are taking medications of some sort, from tran-
quillizers to anti-depressants & sleeping pills. Others are
addicted to other substances including alcohol, cigarettes,
sugar& drugs, both legal and illegal.
Most people with anxiety/panic disorder have very similar
complaints from free floating anxiety to full-blown anxiety
attacks, making them prisoners of their own lives. Many
complain of poor concentration and memory recall & tend to be
absent from work quite frequently & few can remember the
last time they felt well, physically, emotionally or
spiritually.
Managing anxiety and panic is like anything else. There are
many facets to be considered & once these are defined, a
workable program needs to be put in place & then worked on
with persistence!
Holistic Key #1: Food Stress
Most people pay very little attention to what they put into
their bodies in the form of food or drink, or the com-
bination thereof. In fact, most bodies don't know what to
expect. Sometimes they get breakfast, sometimes they don't.
Many days they are loaded with junk & other days they're
put on some sort of a diet. Now, I can hear the yelps...."I
eat low-fat." "I never snack between meals." " I count my
calories very closely." For many people this is true, but
even for those who follow some sort of regime, research
shows we still may be eating incorrectly for our own body
needs. 75% of the population carry a gene known as Profactor
H, or the caveman gene.
This hereditary factor guides the way our body responds to
certain foods, especially high carbohydrate foods by over
producing the hormone insulin. Insulin is a fat-storer & out
of balance, is experienced in the body as a stressor. Under
certain conditions, hereditary & otherwise, the body can
either over produce this hormone or build a resistance to
it. The body will have a tendency to store the intake as
fat, even if eating a low fat diet. In reality, if a diet is
too low-fat, the body will actually store even more, thus
creating food stress. If we have a tendency towards this
Profactor, we need to be careful about which carbohydrate
foods we chose, how often we eat them & the amounts at each
meal. We need to be aware of the balance between our intake
of protein, fat & carbohydrates. Once the balance is in
place the body can start burning fat, which is the ideal
biochemical state for physiological, emotional & cognitive
functioning.
This holds true even if a person is not over-weight, as is
sometimes the case in panic and anxiety disorders. It is
also important to note that Profactor H is the underlying
link to the major killers; heart disease, adult onset dia-
betes, atherosclerosis, high blood pressure, high choles-
terol, certain cancers including breast, ovarian & uterine
& is a link to smoking & yo-yo weight gain.
People with a tendency to Profactor H, or hyperinsulinemia
have a particular personality profile which includes
anxiety, panic, agoraphobia, emotional instability, de-
pression, PMS & many other uncomfortable body feelings. Many
turn to cigarettes, drugs, or alcohol to try to calm this
feeling which they describe as "stress." This feeling is
actually a drop in blood sugar, or what is known as food-
induced hyperinsulinemia.
For people with an active "body symptom policing system" in
place, this blood sugar drop is very frightening. The body
answers this hypoglycemic response with an outpouring of
other stress hormones including adrenalin and cortisol,
among others. These neurological stimulators increase the
already present body sensations & fear sets in. This
frightening cycle intensifies& many choose to completely
alter their lives in a sad attempt to manage this bio-
chemical reaction.
Once one learns to manage food-induced hyperinsulinemia,
the body sensations are reduced greatly. The next step is to
understand how to reinterpret the sensations, so they can
actually work for the individual, instead of hindering his
progress.
INTERACTIVE SELF-HYPNOSIS:
Working with Body Sensations, Thoughts and Emotions
The body communicates with us through our body feelings or
sensations. Whenever we feel tension , that is an attempt of
the body to let us know it is under physical stress. Most of
us never pay any attention to this body communication, es-
pecially on low levels. We do pay lots of attention once the
sensations begin screaming at us, such as neck spasms,
backache, indigestion, heart palpitations, dizziness,
headaches, to name a few. By this time the stress chemicals
in the body are very high& seriously interfering with our
ability to function on all levels. We can learn to manage
this by learning various techniques which retrain the brain
to release the stress chemicals on low levels subconsciously.
"Interactive Hypnosis" is a collection of original tech-
niques, designed by the author, that put the individual in
charge of managing his own body chemistry. When we teach
our brain to be aware and release low stressors, we do not
need to be alerted. The brain becomes an excellent
employee, doing it's job for us. We can also train the
brain to notice and release negative chemical producing
thoughts and emotions that appear &which are not currently
needed for our functioning. These techniques are very power-
ful & allows the mind to clear itself & be available for the
work at hand. These tools have been utilized by top
athletes, executives& those interested in accelerated
learning.
Most people suffering from anxiety, panic, depression, sleep
disorders, poor concentration, memory & pain, have what is
known as "run away brain syndrome." The mind is continuously
running all by itself with no guidance or direction. This
is very stress-chemical producing& a person in this state
has little chance of moving towards a worthwhile goal. They
are basically caught in the stress cycle which is self-
fulfilling. To make matters worse, the brain sees this
"syndrome" as the goal & works hard to keep it going.
Anyone can learn self-hypnosis, as it is a natural process.
When one learns to relax very deeply utilizing special
techniques& then introduces personalized metaphors, the
subconscious mind accepts these as real. "Interactive Self-
Hypnosis" utilizes sensory imaging techniques to move one
past obstacles or the perceived problem& on to greener
pastures. These techniques are health producing, as the body
works to manufacture healing chemicals when the person
places himself in this state. These chemicals actually boost
the immune system& work to reverse or control an active disease process.
We know that 60-90% of disease processes are stress related.
By learning to manage anxiety and panic holistically, you
have the power to move your mind/body from an illness mode
to one of high level health So, we could say that 60-90% of
your health outcomes are up to you!
Elizabeth Bohorquez, RN is a Clinical Medical Hypnotist,
President & Program Designer, Sarasota Medical & Sports
Hypnosis Institute located in Sarasota, FL & online at
www.hypnosis-audio.com &
www.sugar-addiction.com.
She specializes in teaching self-hypnosis for health,
disease management, self-improvement & sports enhancement.
Her sites are interactive & educational, offering +350 CD
programs for adults, kids, executives & athletes. She is
the author of "Sugar...the Hidden Eating Disorder & How to Get
Free"
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