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More than ever, scientific research is attesting the fundamental responsibility played by stress in triggering or aggravating various psychological and somatic afflictions. A cover story in the June 6, 1983 issue of Time Magazine described stress as "The Epidemic of the Eighties." The article also mentioned that stress is a major health problem. Indeed one has to recognize that the world has become a lot more complex and stressful in the last twenty-five years since that article was published.

A lot of surveys indicate that most adults have the impression of being under a lot of stress. Researchers in the field estimate that 75 - 90 percent of the visits to PCPs (Primary Care Physicians) are related to stress.

Most people claim that their job is the main cause of their stress. Stress levels have also grown in children as well as the elderly population because of several reasons including: Peer pressures that often lead to everything from cigarette smoking to alcoholism and drug abuse; the loss of family and religious values and ties; increased crime rates; threats to personal safety; as well as social isolation and loneliness.

Stress can cause and aggravate problems such as diabetes, ulcers, low back and neck pain, high blood pressure, strokes and heart attacks. This is due to the increased sympathetic nervous system activity as well as a high level of cortisol, adrenaline, and other hormones. Chronic stress is co-morbid with weakened immune system resistance. Stress can contribute to anxiety, depression, and its different effects on one's organs.

The following definition for "stress" can be found in the American Heritage Dictionary: "To subject to physical or mental pressure, tension, or strain"

The following definition is given for "tension": "Mental, emotional, or nervous strain"

It defines "anxiety" as follows: "A state of uneasiness and apprehension, as about future uncertainties"

And the following definition is given for "depression": "The condition of feeling sad or despondent"

"Clinical depression" is defined as follows: "A psychiatric disorder characterized by an inability to concentrate, insomnia, loss of appetite, anhedonia, feelings of extreme sadness, guilt, helplessness and hopelessness, and thoughts of death."

What we can be sure of is that our mind is the primary cause of our experience of stress, anxiety and depression. To put it into different words, what we think about, and our attitudes and points of view about our experiences dictate our feelings. That way, if we can manage to modify our thoughts, attitudes, and points of view, then we can release our feelings of stress, anxiety, and depression and replace them with a more positive state of being.

Since the beginning of time, people have searched for methods that would allow them to release stress. The pharmaceutical industry seems to have a drug for everything. For that the industry has designed a large array of anxiolytics from Valium to Xanax. If you choose to use these pills for relief, please be sure to pay attention to the fine print and learn about the side effects, which usually include addiction and dependency. Unfortunately, these sorts of drugs attempt to treat the symptoms, instead of the cause. So when one stops taking them, the symptoms can come back.

A more intelligent way of releasing tension, stress, anxiety, and depression is to work on its actual cause, which as I wrote before, is generally our thought processes. Now, here is the good news. Hypnosis is all about relaxing. The AMA accepted hypnosis in 1958 as an effective way to treat stress or stress related symptoms. Moreover unlike pills, there are absolutely no undesirable side effects.

Hypnosis is the Alpha level of consciousness. It is the daydream like temporary psychological mindset which we pass through as we are about to fall asleep in the evening. And we pass through it once more as we wake up in the morning. There are lots of different ways that we can guide ourselves into this condition of tranquility, from step-by-step relaxation to visual imagery to listening to hypnosis CD's.

When we get into a hypnotic state, we are able to communicate with our unconscious mind, which is the seat of our feelings. And it becomes easier to acknowledge new ideas and points of view which can help us to reduce anxiety, or even prevent anxiety from occurring in the first place.

Neuro-Linguistic Programming or NLP, which is a recent type of hypnotherapy, offers several outstanding techniques for dissipating stress. Perhaps the most effective technique is called the "swish" pattern - or the "flash" pattern. After using the "flash" pattern, your unconscious will automatically use negative, stress triggering mental images, to generate relaxing mental images. Put differently, your stressors will automatically trigger relaxation!

TO SUM THINGS UP Our thoughts can trigger depression, anxiety and tension. So by changing our attitude and the way we perceive our situation and what we have been through, we can reduce these feelings at the root. Hypnosis and NLP are natural tools that make it possible to change our attitude and point of view to swiftly reduce the source of these negative feelings.