Why do I feel so empty inside?

There are times in life when we lose ourselves; we look in the mirror and we don’t know the person looking back at us. It can feel like you’re empty inside, you have no drive or enthusiasm for anything, and the things that used to make you happy no longer do.

These are common symptoms of stress and anxiety and, if they manifest over a long period of time, can develop into depression.

Stress and anxiety are both part of the natural human reaction called ‘fight or flight’. This is a chemical reaction in our brains when we are faced with a potential threat. To help us either fight that threat or fly (although more likely run) away to safety, our brain releases chemicals and hormones into our body that help speed up our reactions so we can keep ourselves safe.

It’s important to be aware that it’s not just physical threats that cause this reaction - emotional threats will create the same reaction. So, whether you’re faced with a ferocious bear in the woods or a toxic family member, your brain will release the same chemicals.

Once our brain feels reassured the threat has passed and that we are safe again, it releases different chemicals and hormones to counterbalance us and bring us out of the ‘fight or flight’ state and we return to feeling ‘normal’.

However, for some of us, our brain doesn’t have time to release all the feel-good chemicals before the next potential threat arrives. Our bodies can then end up overloaded with the fight or flight chemicals and hormones and we find ourselves almost constantly on edge, nervous and worried. This is otherwise known as anxiety.

Being anxious, feeling stressed and being overwhelmed with the fight or flight chemicals/hormones is exhausting. Your body and mind are working so hard to try and keep you safe, making sure you are ready to react as quickly as possible to any bad situations that there’s not much energy left to do anything else. And this is why we can find that we start to feel empty inside - like we have nothing left in the tank, and everything can feel like a huge effort and burden.

I know this doesn’t sound too great right now, but there is good news. You can change this. You can adjust what situations, events, and people your brain thinks could be a threat and you can, therefore, reduce the anxiety and start to feel like you again.

How can hypnotherapy help?

By using hypnotherapy, you can create new habits, thoughts and behaviours that are going to help you feel whole again and find the joy in life.

Hypnotherapy works with your subconscious mind. This is the area of our brains where we hold reactions such as the fight or flight response. Your hypnotherapist then uses positive suggestions and visualisations to teach your subconscious new reactions, habits and thoughts which will support you in overcoming anxiety and learning a more positive mindset.

How many sessions of hypnotherapy you'll need will depend on your circumstances, but you could start to notice a difference within just a few weeks.