Anxiety, and its more severe form panic, are usually natural responses to situations (now or in our perceived future) that we decide are inherently unsafe in one way or another. They are sometimes linked to phobias.

Our subconcsious is always looking to protect us from harm, and it attempts to help by looking back into its past database of patterns that have been built up over the course of our lifetimes, to find an appropriate "match" to any given situation, and an appropriate response to it that best keeps us safe.

Anxiety and panic attacks are a result of the activation of the fight-or-flight response, heightening our senses and getting us ready to fight or run away from the perceived threat.

Whilst this is fine and perhaps even appropriate in the short term, longer term exposure (even at low levels) to the hormones involved such as cortisol can cause other physical and mental problems such as short term memory loss, poor immune system functioning and weight gain.

Some anxiety and panic can be purely biochemically driven, perhaps in response to some sort of environmental stressor.

Cognitive Hypnotherapy can be useful in helping to treat the mental contributors to anxiety and panic.

If the triggers are environmental, Nutritional Therapy can also be useful in this field as an alternative to commonly prescribed medications such as anti-depressants, SSRI's and benzodiazepines.

As always, having an effective therapeutic relationship between the therapist and the client, and the client's willingness to participate and change are very important.