
Anxiety & stress
Maybe you’ve noticed a racing heart before a flight, a tight chest before a presentation, or a worry that won’t switch off no matter how hard you try to reason with it.
Anxiety, stress and phobias all stem from the same root: the body’s natural fight-or-flight response becoming a little too quick to switch on, or too slow to switch off. It can show up as general anxiety or stress that’s hard to shake, a specific phobia – like a fear of heights or spiders – or the lasting effects of trauma, including PTSD.
You might recognise some of these:
Acrophobia (Fear of heights)
is an intense, irrational fear of heights that can trigger significant panic and avoidance behaviours, even when the person is in a secure location.
Anxiety (General)
is a broad state of excessive and persistent worry and nervousness about everyday situations, often accompanied by physical symptoms like restlessness and difficulty concentrating.
Arachnophobia (Fear of spiders)
is a very common specific phobia characterized by an overwhelming and distressing fear reaction to spiders, leading to active avoidance.
Claustrophobia (Fear of enclosed spaces)
is an anxiety disorder marked by a strong fear of being in confined spaces, often driven by the fear of being trapped or suffocating.
Driving anxiety
involves significant nervousness or fear related to operating a vehicle or being a passenger, sometimes leading to panic attacks while on the road.
Emetophobia (Fear of vomiting)
is an intense, often debilitating fear of vomiting, seeing vomit, or feeling nauseous, which can severely restrict social activities and eating
Exam stress
refers to the excessive worry, tension, and anxiety a student experiences before, during, or after academic tests, which can impair performance.
Fear of flying
is a common anxiety where a person experiences high levels of stress and panic at the thought of or during air travel.
Health anxiety
is characterized by excessive preoccupation with having or acquiring a serious illness, often leading to repeated checking of the body or seeking reassurance, sometimes referred to as hypochondriasis.
Mysophobia (Fear of germs/dirt)
is an intense and often irrational fear of contamination and dirt, frequently leading to compulsive behaviors like excessive hand washing
Needle phobia
(or trypanophobia) is the severe fear of medical procedures involving hypodermic needles, which can cause people to avoid necessary medical care.
Panic attacks
are sudden, brief periods of intense fear that trigger severe physical reactions, such as a pounding heart, shortness of breath, and dizziness, even when there is no real danger.
Phobias (General category)
refers to any type of overwhelming and debilitating, irrational fear of a specific object, place, situation, or animal that poses little actual danger but leads to extreme avoidance.
Public speaking
(or glossophobia) is a very common form of social anxiety where a person experiences high levels of nervousness and dread when giving a presentation or speech in front of an audience.
Stress
is the body’s reaction to a challenge or demand, involving physical and emotional tension, and while short-term stress can be beneficial, prolonged stress can negatively impact health.
PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder)
is a mental health condition triggered by experiencing or witnessing a terrifying event, leading to flashbacks, nightmares, severe anxiety, and uncontrollable thoughts about the event.
Trauma
is a deep distressing or disturbing experience, or a physical injury, which can cause lasting emotional and psychological harm if not processed effectively.
You don’t have to just live with it – there are ways to feel steadier again.
Hypno-CBT brings together the practical, structured tools of CBT with the calming, focused state of hypnotherapy – working with both the conscious mind and the subconscious patterns that keep anxiety on repeat, with the aim of bringing a sense of calm, more freedom from avoidance, and space to feel like themselves again.
If you’ve experienced any of these issues and would like support, Find a therapist to see practitioners who can help.