So many people with anxiety come in to see me for help yet they are a little bit skeptical because they have tried so many things that have not worked for them. Let me share with you why we are different and what makes our approach so powerful.

Firstly I want to say being a little bit skeptical can be a healthy quality. Skepticism is not good or bad in itself, it only becomes destructive when it’s always ‘on’ and therefore someone has an inability to have an open mind for change, especially when change is exactly what they need. Why do so many Dr’s, healers, psychologists, body workers, breathing clinics and therapists fail to treat anxiety effectively?

{Please keep in mind that this commentary is coming from my clinical experience, working in private practice. The clients who come to see me have almost always tried multiple things first and none have worked. So from my perspective, it is hard for me to see them as being effective. I am sure they all get some great results, it’s just I have never come across it. Often at best my clients found it helpful at managing the anxiety but not resolving it.}

The are a few reasons why so many people get such miserable results when they try to treat anxiety. But before I can explain why and share with you how we are different I need to explain how I see anxiety.

The experience of anxiety is the body being in the fight or flight or survival mode. When we are in survival mode we are operating from a different part of the brain and this creates sensations which we label as anxiety.

The metaphor that I like the most is that of a glass. It has a certain capacity to store water in the same way we have a capacity to store stress in our bodies. If we pour too much water in the glass it overflows. Stress is what fills the glass. If we, in our own lives get to the overflow point from too many (or too high intensity of) life traumas and stresses symptoms of anxiety begin to manifest. Now this experience for many can feel like it comes out of nowhere, it may seem random and often we are unconscious if there are any triggers (I would say that there almost always are triggers). Also the first experience of anxiety for so many people can be so scary if it manifests as a panic attack (this is not the case for everyone with anxiety) that we then begin to fear having another panic attack and now our thoughts of having another panic attack is actually creating more stress and so more drips are filling the glass. This creates more overflow and the cycle is now set in motion. When the glass is overflowing our fight or flight reaction is stuck on!

Drip by drip the glass fills (with life’s stresses and traumas) – and then overflows!

 
One of the main reasons other practitioners don’t have much success is that they address the symptom and not the cause. They are concerned about the overflow of the water on and beside the glass.Drugs don’t do anything to reduce the anxiety, they merely cover up the overflow. It’s still overflowing or the glass is still full but the drugs just stop you being aware of this undesirable experience. Sadly, they themselves are toxic to the body and need to go through an elimination system (Liver mainly) and actually place another stress on the body, thus adding even more drips into the glass.Talking about the stresses can be helpful (can be stressful for some) and beneficial at eliminating the thinking which is a very important factor. I would say developing a new mindset makes up about 15% of what I do – a vital part – BUT only a small part. The reason it is only a small part is due to the fact that when the glass is full the body-mind is at maximum capacity and stuck in survival mode and this therefore creates a thinking that is reactive and defensive in nature. The brain is hardwired to protect you so the thinking is am I in danger, what could go wrong etc. It’s like you’re walking around still holding onto a shield and a dagger even though the war is long over. My point is you can’t really very easily shift your thinking if your body and nervous system is stuck in a defensive, reactive, fight or flight pattern. So now you know what you’re meant to be thinking, you know you should be practicing mindfulness, or experiencing the present moment but your body is screaming “danger”.This is why we are different, here at Inspiring Wellness. We get to the cause — the nervous system being stuck in a defensive pattern (fight or flight) due to too much stress accumulated in the nervous system from life’s stresses and traumas. We release this and provide new healthy strategies. We work with the body and mind (your physiology) and work on developing a healthier new mindset and at the same time help you become more resourceful and resilient. When the nervous system calms down your thinking shifts from defensive and reactive to being more open, creative and proactive. You will feel calmer and have a sense of peace in life. Of course, it is a process to get to this point but it doesn’t take as long as you might think to break free from anxiety, especially when many clients have come in after suffering for multiple decades.

Are you ready for a transformation?

Even though most people walk in to my practice with a healthy amount of skepticism, they walk out with a sense of hope because they are able to finally see how they can make change effectively and break free from anxiety. Lots of people think they have to live with anxiety — this is simply not true! Email me and I look forward to meeting you.

You are only one decision away from your transformation.

If your reading this, living in Auckland, New Zealand and you are ready to make a change and break free from anxiety I would love you to get in touch. Simply contact us to make an appointment so we can sit down and discuss how I can help you finally be free from anxiety.

Dovvy Phillips


I am the owner of Inspiring Wellness, a wellness and personal transformation clinic in Auckland CBD and the Author of “Wellness Words, how to think speak and feel great” and “How to Break free from Anxiety”. I love helping my clients take back their lives, regain their health and get a whole new higher quality of life. If you are curious if we can help you, please contact us. We are here to help you.

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