emotions
Although we all share a similar repertoire of emotions, we don’t always experience them at the same intensity or for the same reasons. The part of our brain that plays a central role in producing our feelings is called the amygdala. When an event takes place, it can immediately engage us before our rational mind has an opportunity to evaluate the situation, and it can do so at a level that is both primitive and surprisingly powerful. Usually, this process works well for us but, for whatever reason, we may develop patterns of emotional and behavioural response that are unhelpful and inappropriate to the world in which we live.
The way we experience our emotions evolved over many generations to help our ancestors survive in conditions quite different to the ones we now face. Strong feelings of anger and fear would have proved valuable to them in that they prepared them to either avoid or fight predators, while love and empathy facilitated their mating and the forming of the social groups necessary for their protection and survival. Although still instinctual, our inherited emotions do not always provide a useful response to the challenges of our modern world.
Should our negative emotions begin to become a liability to us, we may need to consider intervening so as to find new, more appropriate ways to deal with life’s situations and events. The way we feel and the way we respond to circumstances significantly impacts on our performance, our health and our sense of wellbeing. For the sake of our continued quality of life, it is therefore essential that we deal with emotional issues as soon as they arise in us.
Although, of course, far from comprehensive, here are some or the broad categories I see in my practice:
- Abandonment
- Anger
- Anxiety and stress
- Confidence and self-esteem
- Depression and sadness
- Fear
- Grieving
- Panic and panic attacks
- Phobias
The good news is that, with help, most of us are all able to heal our underlying pain, learn to let our feelings subside and adopt helpful strategies to manage our emotions. We tend to have a surprising ability to calm ourselves and to not only control our outward behaviour but also our internal responses.
support
Hypnotherapy and NLP are excellent tools to use when it comes to dealing with either the symptoms or the underlying causes of most emotional issues. If you need help with your emotional or other responses, please make a time to see me, or contact me with any questions you may have.
