But stigma and discrimination are still very common and myths such as saying that mental illness is a ‘personal weakness’ still exist.

And, according to the BBC and general opinion, a person who is considered ‘mentally healthy’ is someone who can cope with the normal stresses of life and carry out the usual activities they need to in order to look after themselves; can realise their potential; and make a contribution to their community.

However, mental health or a sense of ‘well-being’ does not always stay the same and can change in response to circumstances and stages of life.

The National Council for Hypnotherapy (NCH) says society makes great demands on people – whether at school or in adult life – and about one in seven people are suffering from stress or anxiety at any one time in the UK.

The council, which has more than 1,800 highly-trained and qualified clinical hypnotherapists across the UK on its register across, says it can help people who are ready to explore ways of freeing themselves from anxiety and ready to live a fulfilled and happy life.

The NCH says anxiety and stress can manifest itself differently for everyone but common physical signs of anxiety or stress include a racing heartbeat, shortness of breath, butterflies in stomach, nausea, sweating and insomnia.

Common psychological signs include inner tension and agitation, a fear of losing control, irritability, feelings of detachment and phobias and fears. It can even lead to an irrational dread that something catastrophic is going to happen (such as a blackout, seizure, heart attack or death).

While everyone will go through periods when they feel emotions such as stress, anxiety and grief, symptoms of mental illnesses last longer than normal and are often not a reaction to daily events. When these symptoms become severe enough to interfere with a person’s ability to function, they may be considered to have a significant psychological or mental illness.

So, how can clinical hypnotherapy help people cope with such issues? For starters, it is a non-invasive treatment and does not involve using drugs like anti-depressants.

The hypnotherapist can help assess the anxiety, identifying the root of stress or anxiety whether it is a situation, a physical issue, a past experience or a relationship. Anxiety, for instance, can also manifest itself in different worries; it may be fear of being around other people, it may be anxiety in specific social situations, anxiety in your relationships with particular people at home, at school or at work.

I would then set the person they are treating a goal asking how they wish to feel, how they would like to be, and things that they would chose to do if free of anxiety.

They will then work with the person to reach your goals using a range of different hypnotic techniques.

“After sessions with a hypnotherapist the person may feel more confident and more relaxed. Many people say that they are calmer and that they have more clarity of thought – able to make decisions more easily,” says the NCH.

If you find situations in life are getting you down and you feel unduly anxious or stressed, contact me for a consultation. It can make the world of difference to your world.