Anxiety

Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) has proven very effective in dealing with Anxiety.

Firstly, EFT allows the person to effectively deal with anxiety on a day to day basis. At the same time EFT can be very effective in dealing with the past issues that have contributed to the anxiety in the first place. Clients use the technique as symptoms arise or deal with the aprehension of an inpending attack. Most clients report a significant reduction in their symptoms within the first few weeks of regularly applying the technique to themselves.

So what exactly is Anxiety?

Anxiety is a generalized mood condition that can often occur without an identifiable triggering stimulus. As such, it is distinguished from fear, which occurs in the presence of an observed threat.

Additionally, fear is related to the specific behaviors of escape and avoidance, whereas anxiety is the result of threats that are perceived to be uncontrollable or unavoidable.

Another view is that anxiety is "a future-oriented mood state in which one is ready or prepared to attempt to cope with upcoming negative events suggesting that it is a distinction between future vs. present dangers that divides anxiety and fear. Anxiety is considered to be a normal reaction to stress. It may help a person to deal with a difficult situation, for example at work or at school, by prompting one to cope with it. When anxiety becomes excessive, it may fall under the classification of an anxiety disorder.

Physical effects of anxiety may include heart palpitations, muscle weakness and tension, fatigue, nausea, chest pain, shortness of breath, stomach aches, or headaches. The body prepares to deal with a threat: blood pressure and heart rate are increased, sweating is increased, bloodflow to the major muscle groups is increased, and immune and digestive system functions are inhibited (the fight or flight response). External signs of anxiety may include pale skin, sweating, trembling, and pupillary dilation. Someone who has anxiety might also experience it as a sense of dread or panic. Although panic attacks are not experienced by every person who has anxiety, they are a common symptom. Panic attacks usually come without warning, and although the fear is generally irrational, the perception of danger is very real. A person experiencing a panic attack will often feel as if he or she is about to die or pass out.

Venkat (name changed) approached me for his problem with ongoing anxiety. He was constantly in a state of tension, the physical symptoms being pounding of the heart, tightness in the left leg and also tightness in the head. These symptoms worsened when he had to meet people, and in crowded places.

Previously an extrovert he was forced to change his lifestyle because of this constant anxiety. He stopped driving, partying, going out on trips and even avoided going shopping. I asked him when this anxiety first surfaced and if there was any particular incident which triggered it. He told me this started two years ago when he had a dizzy spell at his workplace. He fainted and even though people were there to help him, he felt helpless, out of control and weak.

After this incident he had constant fear and anxiety that he would faint again. It often happens that people dismiss such feelings with words like “It is all in the mind,” and “you just need more willpower.” As practitioners we know better. We know how a disruption in the energy system can make a person feel helpless and weak.

I figured it was an intense issue for him and used the Tearless Trauma Technique. We labeled the incident as ‘dizzy incident,' and after some rounds of tapping, he was more in control and ready to talk about the details.

We then worked on the incident using the Movie Technique until the intensity dropped to a zero out of 10.

Some of the setup statements used were:
• Even though this dizzy incident happened… and I am OK.
• Even though this dizzy incident happened… and I choose to release the past and step into the future.
• Even though this dizzy incident happened… and I choose to move on right now.
• Even though this dizzy incident happened and I felt helpless and weak… and I choose to take my power back.

There was a sense of regret that he lost 2 years in his life and he had suffered so much pain.
We tapped for the regret and sadness:
• Even though I lost 2 years of my life…
• Even though I gave my power away I now choose to take my power back.
• Even I though I felt helpless and weak, it is now time to embrace my power and I choose to do that now.

Venkat felt that tapping for “I take my power back” felt uplifting so we did a lot of tapping using these words.
The level of intensity on a scale of 0 to 10 for the pounding heart, tension in the left leg and also tension in the head were constantly between 8 and 10 before we started the EFT sessions. The intensity level started dropping after a few sessions and came down to a 4 out of 10.
We then tapped for the physical symptoms directly, saying, Even though my heart is pounding… and I ask my heart to relax, it is OK and we are safe.

The EFT sessions were conducted over phone. Venkat also tapped between sessions and he was very dedicated and determined to clear this problem.
The feedback I received from him a month after our last session included many success stories. He now meets people comfortably, he has started driving again, he has made two business trips and he is no longer terrified of crowds. He is very happy that he has his life back and I am very happy that I could part of this wonderful healing.

Best Wishes, Susitha.P