What is it you fear about social interaction? Do you avoid certain social activities, such as parties or dinner invitations? The Social Anxiety Institute state that people with social anxiety disorder usually experience significant emotional distress in the following situations...

Stress is a survival mechanism that affects each and every one of us at times. When we feel under attack our bodies are flooded with hormones including cortisol and adrenaline that make us more alert and ready for action. We experience this as fear or anxiety. Stress is a normal reaction to certain events and can actually be very helpful. It triggers that fight or flight response that humans have relied on for thousands of years.

Separation anxiety is a normal part of childhood development and can start from the age of around 6 months. It is usual for young children to feel anxious at being left by a primary caregiver (usually mum or dad), especially in a new environment such as nursery or playgroup and they often settle quite quickly when they become more familiar with their new surroundings and the trusted adult who looks after them. Read more about separation anxiety in this blog post.

When I meet new people and they ask me what I do I initially tend to get one of two reactions. Either they lean forward and ask if they heard me right or they lean back in surprise and give me a strange look. In fact, in either case, I tend to get a strange look! On the odd occasion, I meet someone who has had experience of hypnotherapy and they are usually very positive about it and go on to share their experience and tell me how much it has helped them, which is lovely to h