Last year, there were 11.7 million sick days taken by people suffering from stress, anxiety or depression, according to the Health & Safety Executive.

Tim Box, a remedial hypnotist, describes anxiety as the biggest issue his clients face and has written a book to help people tackle the fears caused by living in a “constant state of overwhelm”.

“It’s a growing problem,” he said from his clinic in a former social club in Lower Halstow, near Rainham.

“When I started out about eight years ago, no one said their issue was anxiety. Now we are very aware of anxiety as something we have to deal with.

“The pressures of every day living creates higher levels than we used to experience.

“Now there are groups with 100,000 people on Facebook which talk about the different medications people use.

“It is the biggest thing people are dealing with emotionally. The message of the book is that anxiety is not a condition or a disorder. It’s an emotion and the book teaches you how to get control.”

Mr Box, 44, is a member of the National Council for Hypnotherapy but admits anyone can become a hypnotist in the unregulated industry, which is often a source of scepticism.

“A lot of people sit down and say 'I don’t believe in this but I’m desperate and I’ll try anything'"... - Tim Box

He said: “A lot of people sit down and say ‘I don’t believe in this but I’m desperate and I’ll try anything’. I’m no one’s first choice.

“I know people are sceptical – I was as well – but it is not what you see on TV. What I do is put people back in control. I don’t control them.”

Born in Walderslade, Mr Box went to Rochester Maths School and studied philosophy at the University of Kent before joining his family plumbing business.

He got into the profession after doing a hypnosis course on a whim 10 years ago.

He had learned to juggle and do magic tricks in the same year so he could impress pals in the pub. He did not realise its potential until a friend asked him to help her stop biting her nails using his hypnosis skills.

“I had a go and had amazing success,” he said. “She stopped immediately, having done it for years, and I realised I could use this for more than entertainment.

“She was a nail biter and all I had done was hypnotise her and said ‘you don’t bite your nails any more’. It was the first time I realised the potential of talking to someone’s subconscious, rather than their conscience.

“That took me into the therapeutic side. It became an obsession and a passion.”

Seeing about 10 clients a week, Mr Box admits he makes more money now than he ever did as a plumber.

"Every day people come to me and say ‘I’m not expecting miracles’ but I see two or three miracles every week..." - Tim Box

He describes his new book, called Clear Your Head, as a “couple of hours read in one evening” and hopes it can transform people’s lives.

He said: “Every day people come to me and say ‘I’m not expecting miracles’ but I see two or three miracles every week. It still surprises me.

“I have had people who have lived with pain for 10 years from operations which have gone wrong and then got rid of their issues.

“When people tell me they feel normal again, I realise why I love my job. Everyday people have these massive breakthroughs which change their lives.

“I know my methods and I know how well it works.”

Clear Your Head is published by HypnoArts and is out now.