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Anxiety is defined as an abnormal and overwhelming sense of apprehension and fear often marked by physiological signs (as sweating, tension, and increased pulse), by doubt concerning the reality and nature of the threat, and by self-doubt about one's capacity to cope with it (Merriam-Webster). There are varying degrees of anxiety from mild to severe. There are also different treatments used to treat anxiety. A few treatments include psychotherapy, medication, self-hypnosis, and meditation. In an article published in the journal Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, researchers tested the effectiveness of two different techniques on the treatment of anxiety. The two techniques were meditation and self-hypnosis. Meditation has been shown to reduce the activity in the sympathetic nervous system. Self-hypnosis has been shown to increase relaxation. The study included thirty-two participants who had been clinically diagnosed with anxiety. All participants were assessed on their ability to respond to hypnosis. They were then separated into two groups: those who had a high response rate and those who had a low response rate. These thirty-two participants were then randomly selected to either receive meditation relaxation techniques or self-hypnosis relaxation techniques. This means that there were actually four groups total: 1. High response rate receiving meditation techniques 2. Low response rate receiving meditation techniques 3. High response rate receiving self-hypnosis techniques 4. Low response rate receiving self-hypnosis techniques (control group) All the participants were given specific relaxation techniques (either meditation or self-hypnosis) to use every day for eight weeks. Participants received three different evaluations before and after using the relaxation techniques. They received assessment from a psychiatrist, they received physiologic testing, and they were also asked to evaluate themselves. Results showed that there was no clear advantage to either the meditation relaxation techniques or the self-hypnosis relaxation techniques. However, the psychiatric assessment showed that 34% of the participants reduced their anxiety and according to the self-evaluations, 63% of participants reported less anxiety. The study also showed an added benefit to group that had a high response rate and received self-hypnosis techniques. This group had a significant reduction of anxiety according to the psychiatric assessment. This group also showed a lower average systolic blood pressure. Before the study the average was 126.1 and after completion of the 8-week study the average was 122.5. Although this study did not find that self-hypnosis was the best treatment, it did show that self-hypnosis relaxation techniques does help those who have anxiety and show a high response rate to hypnosis. Sources: Merriam-Webster Dictionary Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics. 1978; 30(3-4):229-42. Happy Learning, Yovan P. Putra www.primastudy.com Expand your genius through Total-Mind Learning Series coaching program ....
