[Radio Interview] CityPlus FM - All about the Pre-Election Anxiety

On air today, we discussed about the Pre-Election Anxiety and how to cope with it:)

Basically the symptoms of it is similar with the Autonomic Dysfunction.

Beside all the tips that we mentioned on air, you can cope with it via psychological hypnosis method as well.

Review ( Non-drug approach - Health Anxiety Treatment Malaysia) - Mr Jay

Name              : Jay

I didn’t know what was wrong with me. I felt tired constantly. I could not sleep. I was taking sleeping pills to sleep. I had uncontrolled anxiety.

I had gone to many doctors and spent tens of thousands of ringgit to check my condition. My health anxiety had gotten worse! Doctors could not figure out what was wrong with me.
I also went to see at least 4 other psychologists but it did not make any difference to me. In fact it made me feel even worse than when I had started. 

Then I read about Hiro on the internet. i was on the verge of giving up but I told myself to give this a last shot. Hiro assessed me and told me that I had an overthinking brain and shared with me techniques to calm myself down. Until this very day, I practice the techniques daily.
I feel a lot better now. Marked improvement in my daily life.

I would recommend Hiro to everyone. His technique really works!



Remark: Our client's information will be kept strictly confidential all the time. All reviews and photos have been acknowledged and provided by past and current clients of Hypnosis Integrative Hub (Clinical Hypnotherapist Hiro Koo). Clients names have been changed to protect their identity.  

Review ( Non-drug approach - Anxiety Treatment Malaysia) - Mr Chai Case

Name              : Chai

I tended to experience some anxiety symptoms like heart palpitation, muscle tension and breathing difficulty. I constantly worry about my health and I wish to get rid of anxiety symptoms as it had affected my sleep quality and caused a lot of physical and mental discomfort.

I had tried other approaches like visiting doctor and having a different types of health screening test but it can’t help me to find the root cause. After searching on the internet, I found that hypnotherapy can help in reducing all these symptoms. I never know that all this discomfort and symptoms are possible due to dysautonomia (autonomic dysfunction) reaction but after I met Hiro. 

Right after the first session, I understood that I can get rid of my anxiety by just relaxing. I found that I am in control of myself and I can get rid of all the negative and anxious thoughts that caused all this discomfort in my life. 

Now, I am able to get back to my normal life. I will recommend this approach to those who have the similar problem with me. I felt very relax during the session and self-practice in the home did help me in improving myself.

Remark: Our client's information will be kept strictly confidential all the time. All reviews and photos have been acknowledged and provided by past and current clients of Hypnosis Integrative Hub (Clinical Hypnotherapist Hiro Koo). Clients names have been changed to protect their identity.  

Review ( Non-drug approach - Treatment for Panic Attack) - Miss Lee Case

One day, I felt that my hand, legs and heart paralyzed.

I was sent to hospital and doctor claimed that I suffered from panic attack.
However, my medical doctors told me that they cannot help me much.
They think that I need help from other specialist.
I was so helpless and depressed.

This panic attack had affected my normal daily life especially my job.

For example:

• I cannot focus on the tasks that I need to accomplish and I even face some difficulties in breathing. 
• At night, I cannot sleep well and I tend to ruminate a lot After visiting other medical specialist, I consume medicines for one whole week but I decided to stop eating because there is side effect, I found that the medicines worsen my sleep quality. 

By that time, I had no choice but to seek help from other specialist who practicing non-drug approach. And I glad that finally I found a clinical hypnotherapist, Hiro Koo.

After few sessions of clinical hypnotherapy,

I realized that I managed to calm down myself and breathe smoothly. In addition, my fear, scare and worry reduce drastically. I am so happy that I can become a healthy person again with positive mindset. Besides, I am able to communicate with my family members and I am confident enough to socialize with my friends again.

Personally, I felt that clinical hypnotherapy is a very effective treatment for me, it deals with my subconscious mind that made me become stronger. I was amazed by this treatment, I felt refresh when I woke up from each session. The clinical hypnotherapist did a very good job in helping me as he provided me with indirect suggestions and allow me to choose my ideal decision. He never affect me so that I can gain insight from it. Frankly speaking, I felt more and more confident every time after the treatment.

Hope my testimonial can benefit you who face similar symptoms like me.


Remark: Our client's information will be kept strictly confidential all the time. All reviews and photos have been acknowledged and provided by past and current clients of Hypnosis Integrative Hub (Clinical Hypnotherapist Hiro Koo). Clients names have been changed to protect their identity.

Researchers discover brain inflammation in people with OCD

A new brain imaging study by the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) shows for the first time that brain inflammation is significantly elevated - more than 30 per cent higher - in people with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) than in people without the condition. Published today in JAMA Psychiatry, the study provides compelling evidence for a new potential direction for treating this anxiety disorder, which can be debilitating for people who experience it.

"Our research showed a strong relationship between brain inflammation and OCD, particularly in the parts of the brain known to function differently in OCD," says Dr. Jeffrey Meyer, senior author of the study and Head of the Neuroimaging Program in Mood & Anxiety in CAMH's Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute. "This finding represents one of the biggest breakthroughs in understanding the biology of OCD, and may lead to the development of new treatments."

Inflammation or swelling is the body's response to infection or injury, and helps the body to heal. But, in some cases, this immune-system response can also be harmful, says Dr. Meyer, who holds a Canada Research Chair in the Neurochemistry of Major Depression. Dampening the harmful effects of inflammation and promoting its curative effects, through new medications or other innovative approaches, could prove to be a new way to treat OCD. In an earlier study, Dr. Meyer discovered that brain inflammation is elevated in people with depression, an illness that can go hand in hand with OCD in some people.

A novel direction for developing treatments is important, since current medications don't work for nearly one in three people with OCD. About one to two per cent of adolescents and adults have OCD, an anxiety disorder in which people have intrusive or worrisome thoughts that recur and can be hard to ignore.

The study included 20 people with OCD and a comparison group of 20 people without the disorder. Doctoral student Sophia Attwells was first author of the study. The researchers used a type of brain imaging called positron emission tomography (PET) that was adapted with special technology at CAMH to see inflammation in the brain. A chemical dye measured the activity of immune cells called microglia, which are active in inflammation, in six brain areas that play a role in OCD. In people with OCD, inflammation was 32 per cent higher on average in these regions. Inflammation was greater in some people with OCD as compared to others, which could reflect variability in the biology of the illness.

Additional investigations are under way to find low-cost blood markers and symptom measures that could identify which individuals with OCD have the greatest level of inflammation and could benefit the most from treatment targeting inflammation. Another notable finding from the current study - a connection between resisting compulsions and brain inflammation - provides one indicator. At least nine out of 10 people with OCD carry out compulsions, the actions or rituals that people do to try to reduce their obsessions. In the study, people who experienced the greatest stress or anxiety when they tried to avoid acting out their compulsions also had the highest levels of inflammation in one brain area. This stress response could also help pinpoint who may best benefit from this type of treatment.

The discovery opens different options for developing treatments. "Medications developed to target brain inflammation in other disorders could be useful in treating OCD," says Dr. Meyer. "Work needs to be done to uncover the specific factors that contribute to brain inflammation, but finding a way to reduce inflammation's harmful effects and increase its helpful effects could enable us to develop a new treatment much more quickly."

Source: 
https://medicalxpress.com/news/2017-06-brain-inflammation-people-ocd.html#jCp

EEG Biofeedback Training for Stage Fright and Performance Anxiety

EEG Biofeedback Training for Stage Fright and Performance Anxiety

You may have had the experience that when the greatest demands are made upon you, your brain is so preoccupied with fear of failure that it is actually prevented from performing. This kind of anxiety seems at such times to take on a life of its own, and one loses any sense of control.

There is hope. Our brains are capable of learning how to control the anxiety state. The usual way this is done is called biofeedback. If you have heard of biofeedback before, it has most likely had to do with training in relaxation and “stress management”. Much of this work deals with controlling anxiety states which are worsened by stress. Anxiety states include such reactions as panic attacks and phobias at one extreme, and such problems as performance anxiety and stage fright on the other. When the person is challenged to perform in some way, the brain reacts by overly heightened vigilance that actually undermines the ability to function well. This problem can compound itself, as the person becomes anxious, observes himself or herself becoming anxious, and becomes even more anxious. At a time of future challenges, the anxiety response can be more readily kindled because of the memory of earlier failure to perform.

Recently brainwave training has become available as a new option for doing biofeedback for stage fright, performance anxiety, and other anxiety states. This kind of learning is based on information derived directly from the brain’s electrical activity, the EEG, which can reveal anxiety states. In this way, anxiety is seen as one manifestation of diminished self-regulation by the brain. By challenging the brain to regulate itself better, it subsequently also functions better under life’s normal as well as extreme challenges. Once the brain has been trained to self-regulate, it is no longer as vulnerable to the paralyzing and disabling downward spiral of anxiety.

During EEG training for stage fright or performance anxiety, the person is shown information derived from his or her EEG in real time, and is asked to bring certain aspects of it under control. This training repeatedly challenges the brain to improve its own internal regulatory processes. The therapist adjusts the level of difficulty to the situation.

As with other learning, the process is largely accomplished at a subconscious level. However, there may very well be some conscious awareness of changes taking place as the training proceeds. For example, the trainee will usually observe times when the EEG reflects existing anxiety states. The trainee then brings his skills to bear to bring these states under control. As mastery improves, the person gains confidence in his ability to control and regulate these states. The improved level of confidence further supports the process, and allows the person to work at a higher level of difficulty. Eventually, the person may visualize situations in which they may have previously become anxious. They will see their brain waves change, and will actively bring them back under control.

We find that most persons who undertake the training gain significantly in their ability to control anxiety states, to the point that these no longer interfere with the conduct of their life, even during their greatest challenges. Once the task is learned, the brain tends to retain that ability, and follow-up sessions are usually not necessary.

Source: http://www.eegspectrum.com/applications/anxiety/stagefrightperformanx/

Agoraphobia and Panic Disorder Treatment in Malaysia - Psychological Hypnosis Method

What is Agoraphobia?

Agoraphobia is a type of anxiety disorder in which you fear and often avoid places or situations that might cause you to panic and make you feel trapped, helpless or embarrassed.

With agoraphobia, you fear an actual or anticipated situation, such as using public transportation, being in open or enclosed spaces, standing in line or being in a crowd. The anxiety is caused by fear that there's no easy way to escape or seek help if intense anxiety develops. Most people who have agoraphobia develop it after having one or more panic attacks, causing them to fear another attack and avoid the place where it occurred.

Agoraphobia treatment usually includes both psychotherapy and medication. It may take some time, but treatment can help you get better.

Typical agoraphobia symptoms include:

• Fear of being alone in any situation
• Fear of being in crowded places
• Fear of losing control in a public place
• Fear of being in places where it may be hard to leave, such as an elevator or train
• Inability to leave your home (housebound) or only able to leave it if someone else goes with you
• Sense of helplessness
• Overdependence on others

In addition, you may have signs and symptoms of a panic attack, such as:

• Rapid heart rate
• Excessive sweating
• Trouble breathing
• Feeling shaky, numb or tingling
• Chest pain or pressure
• Lightheadedness or dizziness
• Sudden flushing or chills
• Upset stomach or diarrhea
• Feeling a loss of control
• Fear of dying

Panic disorder and agoraphobia

Some people have a panic disorder in addition to agoraphobia. Panic disorder is a type of anxiety disorder in which you experience sudden attacks of extreme fear that reach a peak within a few minutes and trigger intense physical symptoms (panic attacks). You might think that you're totally losing control, having a heart attack or even dying.

Fear of another panic attack can lead to avoiding similar circumstances or the place where it occurred in an attempt to prevent future panic attacks.

Psychotherapy

Also known as talk therapy or psychological counseling, psychotherapy involves working with a therapist to reduce your anxiety symptoms. Cognitive behavioral therapy is one of the most effective forms of psychotherapy for anxiety disorders, including agoraphobia.

Generally a short-term treatment, cognitive behavioral therapy focuses on teaching you specific skills to gradually return to the activities you've avoided because of anxiety. Through this process, your symptoms improve as you build upon your initial success.

You can learn:

• That your fears are unlikely to come true
• That your anxiety gradually decreases if you remain in public and you can manage those symptoms until they do
• What factors may trigger a panic attack or panic-like symptoms and what makes them worse
• How to cope with these symptoms
• How to change unwanted or unhealthy behaviors through desensitization, also called exposure therapy, to safely face the places and situations that cause fear and anxiety

If you have trouble leaving your home, you may wonder how you could possibly go to a therapist's office. Therapists who treat agoraphobia will be well aware of this problem. They may offer to see you first in your home, or they may meet you in what you consider a safe place (safe zones). They may also offer some sessions over the phone, through email, or using computer programs or other media.

Look for a therapist who can help you find alternatives to in-office appointments, at least in the early part of your treatment. You may also want to take a trusted relative or friend to your appointment who can offer comfort and help, if needed.

Message from your clinical hypnotherapist (Hiro Koo):

"Give a man a fish, he'll eat for a day; teach him how to fish, and he'll eat for a lifetime,"

I will use clinical hypnosis as an adjunct to psychotherapy session (Psychological hypnosis method): Hypnosis method is used to help patients to reduce cognitive and physical symptoms of anxiety (Frankel and Macfie, 2010; Elkins and Perfect, 2008), and provides you with more control in every day situations (Baker and Nash, 2008). I will also teach you self-hypnosis techniques so you can continue your treatment at home. So next time you feel anxious or overwhelmed, you can practice a brief self hypnosis method and trigger a sensation of calm. 

You can complete the self rating assessment below to understand your condition better (Welcome to email me your result, it will be kept as P&C):
Panic And Agoraphobia Scale

Source:

http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/agoraphobia/basics/definition/con-20029996

http://www.londonhypnotherapyuk.com/agoraphobia-social-phobia/

Defense Mechanisms

What is a Defense Mechanism?

Definition:

Most notably used by Sigmund Freud in his psychoanalytic theory, a defense mechanism is a tactic developed by the ego to protect against anxiety. Defense mechanisms are thought to safeguard the mind against feelings and thoughts that are too difficult for the conscious mind to cope with. In some instances, defense mechanisms are thought to keep inappropriate or unwanted thoughts and impulses from entering the conscious mind.

Because of anxiety provoking demands created by the id, superego, and reality, the ego has developed a number of defense mechanisms to cope with anxiety. Although we may knowingly use these mechanisms, in many cases these defenses work unconsciously to distort reality.

For example, if you are faced with a particularly unpleasant task, your mind may choose to forget your responsibility in order to avoid the dreaded assignment. In addition to forgetting, other defense mechanisms include rationalization, denial, repression, projection, rejection and reaction formation.

While all defense mechanisms can be unhealthy, they can also be adaptive and allow us to function normally. The greatest problems arise when defense mechanisms are overused in order to avoid dealing with problems. In psychoanalytic therapy, the goal may be to help the client uncover these unconscious defense mechanisms and find better, more healthy ways of coping with anxiety and distress.

Researchers have described a wide variety of different defense mechanisms. Sigmund Freud's daughter, Anna Freud described ten different defense mechanisms used by the ego.

Follow the links below to read more about each type of defense mechanism as well as other defense mechanisms described by psychologists.

Denial

Denial is probably one of the best known defense mechanisms, used often to describe situations in which people seem unable to face reality or admit an obvious truth (i.e. "He's in denial."). Denial is an outright refusal to admit or recognize that something has occurred or is currently occurring. Drug addicts or alcoholics often deny that they have a problem, while victims of traumatic events may deny that the event ever occurred.

Denial functions to protect the ego from things that the individual cannot cope with. While this may save us from anxiety or pain, denial also requires a substantial investment of energy. Because of this, other defenses are also used to keep these unacceptable feelings from consciousness.

In many cases, there might be overwhelming evidence that something is true, yet the person will continue to deny its existence or truth because it is too uncomfortable to face.

Denial can involve a flat out rejection of the existence of a fact or reality. In other cases, it might involve admitting that something is true, but minimizing its importance. Sometimes people will accept reality and the seriousness of the fact, but they will deny their own responsibility and instead blame other people or other outside forces.

Addiction is one of the best-known examples of denial. People who are suffering from a substance abuse problem will often flat-out deny that their behavior is problematic. In other cases, they might admit that they do use drugs or alcohol, but will claim that this substance abuse is not a problem.

Repression

Repression is another well-known defense mechanism. Repression acts to keep information out of conscious awareness. However, these memories don't just disappear; they continue to influence our behavior. For example, a person who has repressed memories of abuse suffered as a child may later have difficulty forming relationships.

Sometimes we do this consciously by forcing the unwanted information out of our awareness, which is known as suppression. In most cases, however, this removal of anxiety-provoking memories from our awareness is believed to occur unconsciously.

Displacement

Have ever had a really bad day at work and then gone home and taken out your frustration on family and friends? Then you have experienced the ego defense mechanism of displacement. Displacement involves taking out our frustrations, feelings, and impulses on people or objects that are less threatening. Displaced aggression is a common example of this defense mechanism. Rather than express our anger in ways that could lead to negative consequences (like arguing with our boss), we instead express our anger towards a person or object that poses no threat (such as our spouse, children, or pets).

Sublimation

Sublimation is a defense mechanism that allows us to act out unacceptable impulses by converting these behaviors into a more acceptable form. For example, a person experiencing extreme anger might take up kick-boxing as a means of venting frustration. Freud believed that sublimation was a sign of maturity that allows people to function normally in socially acceptable ways.

Projection

Projection is a defense mechanism that involves taking our own unacceptable qualities or feelings and ascribing them to other people. For example, if you have a strong dislike for someone, you might instead believe that he or she does not like you. Projection works by allowing the expression of the desire or impulse, but in a way that the ego cannot recognize, therefore reducing anxiety.

Intellectualization

Intellectualization works to reduce anxiety by thinking about events in a cold, clinical way. This defense mechanism allows us to avoid thinking about the stressful, emotional aspect of the situation and instead focus only on the intellectual component. For example, a person who has just been diagnosed with a terminal illness might focus on learning everything about the disease in order to avoid distress and remain distant from the reality of the situation.

Rationalization is a defense mechanism that involves explaining an unacceptable behavior or feeling in a rational or logical manner, avoiding the true reasons for the behavior. For example, a person who is turned down for a date might rationalize the situation by saying they were not attracted to the other person anyway, or a student might blame a poor exam score on the instructor rather than his or her lack of preparation.

Rationalization not only prevents anxiety, it may also protect self-esteem and self-concept. When confronted by success or failure, people tend to attribute achievement to their own qualities and skills while failures are blamed on other people or outside forces.

When confronted by stressful events, people sometimes abandon coping strategies and revert to patterns of behavior used earlier in development. Anna Freud called this defense mechanism regression, suggesting that people act out behaviors from the stage of psychosexual development in which they are fixated. For example, an individual fixated at an earlier developmental stage might cry or sulk upon hearing unpleasant news.

Behaviors associated with regression can vary greatly depending upon which stage the person is fixated at:

• An individual fixated at the oral stage might begin eating or smoking excessively, or might become very verbally aggressive.
• A fixation at the anal stage might result in excessive tidiness or messiness.

Reaction formation reduces anxiety by taking up the opposite feeling, impulse or behavior. An example of reaction formation would be treating someone you strongly dislike in an excessively friendly manner in order to hide your true feelings. Why do people behave this way? According to Freud, they are using reaction formation as a defense mechanism to hide their true feelings by behaving in the exact opposite manner.

Other Defense Mechanisms

Since Freud first described the original defense mechanisms, other researchers have continued to describe other methods of reducing anxiety. Some of these defense mechanisms include:

• Acting Out: In this type of defense, the individual copes with stress by engaging in actions rather than reflecting upon internal feelings.
• Affiliation: This involves turning to other people for support.
• Aim Inhibition: In this type of defense, the individual accepts a modified form of their original goal (i.e. becoming a high school basketball coach rather than a professional athlete.)
• Altruism: Satisfying internal needs through helping others.
• Avoidance: Refusing to deal with or encounter unpleasant objects or situations.
• Compensation: Overachieving in one area to compensate for failures in another.
• Humor: Pointing out the funny or ironic aspects of a situation.
• Passive-aggression: Indirectly expressing anger.

While defense mechanisms are often thought of as negative reactions, some of these defenses can be helpful. For example, utilizing humor to overcome a stressful, anxiety-provoking situation can actually be an adaptive defense mechanism. In other cases, they allow people to temporarily ease stress during critical times, allowing them to focus on what is necessary in the moment.

Source:

https://www.verywell.com/defense-mechanisms-2795960