Think you have a phobia?
Newstimes
Article Last Updated: 11/08/2008 09:52:41 PM EST
Here are some tips on what to do if you think you have a phobia:
Make sure you work out what exactly about a thing or situation is frightening. For example, if you are afraid of getting blood drawn, do you have a blood phobia or a needle phobia?
Often, anxious thoughts people have due to a phobia are unrealistic, or very unlikely. Examine your thoughts, and decide whether the worries are unrealistic.
Facing fears in a gradual and consistent manner is the most effective way to overcome fears and phobias. The process involves GRADUALLY and REPEATEDLY exposing yourself to the feared object or situation in a safe and controlled way. You learn to "ride out" the anxiety and distress until it passes.
Through repeated experiences of facing your fears, you begin to realize that the situation, while perhaps unpleasant, is not harmful. With more exposure, you'll feel more control over your phobia, which is the most important benefit of exposure. As anxiety gradually decreases, you'll no longer react with panic.
Source: www.anxietybc.com
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The reason I felt compelled to respond to this article is this: the idea that exposure is the most effective way to overcome fears & phobias is nothing more than a belief. The mere idea that a phobia can be conquered through logic and conscious understanding is itself highly questionable, given the fact that the phobic response is illogical and unconscious.
Most phobics understand the irrationality of their problem -- that's why they're trying to get rid of it. Of course, someone with a fear of flying understands that it's statistically safer than driving, but the thought of the airplane crashing or experiencing turbulence overrides that logic and causes physical feelings of panic or anxiety.
If the problem is with an unconscious, automatic thought-feeling response (i.e. the response is occurring independent of conscious, "logical" interference), it is highly questionable that conscious intervention will have an impact.
Why? By the time the conscious mind has its say, it's too late. The feelings have already taken hold, and the panic has already set it. At that point, you're fighting a losing battle, as your logical conscious thoughts ("I am safe") are in stark opposition with your physical experience (terror).
I know this because I've seen it with my own eyes. I've known people who've tried this exposure approach - unsuccessfully - and have thereby become frustrated and discouraged. Then, after an hour or two of hypnosis and NLP (neuro-linguistic programming), their phobia is gone.
Again, this is not to say that every single phobia is cured with an hour of hypnosis. The purpose of this blog is not to convince anyone that one method of therapy is always the best for everyone.
Rather, I'm here to challenge the assumptions of the psychological and psychiatric establishment, because these assumptions lead individuals with phobias to endure unnecessary suffering (mentally, physically, emotionally and financially).
I can only point to my direct experience as a hypnotherapist. I've worked with people who had paralyzing fears for 25-30 years, and "cured" them after an hour or two.
It works by changing the automatic thought associated with the phobic response. People who are afraid of flying experience the uncomfortable feelings because of how they're thinking about flying. Typically, they think about crashing or dying. It's also fairly common for parents to worry about what will happen to their children if something happens and they are unable to take care of them.
People who enjoy flying don't think about these things in the same way. We all know an accident is a possibility, but just as we know that car accidents are possible (and far more common), we just don't dwell on the thought or give it as much time or energy.
Phobics have trained themselves to think the same terrifying thoughts each and every time they think about or encounter the feared situation. Helping them to re-train their unconscious thought response (typically through hypnosis) causes the terrifying thoughts to be replaced by more comfortable thoughts.
Think about that before you decide what to believe about your phobia. Even when you go to experienced, well-intentioned professionals like those at AnxietyBC, you're bound to find information that is questionable and presumptive.
Here is an excerpt from their resources about specific phobias and how to treat a phobia of dogs:
...if Karen wanted to be able to remain in a room with a dog without panicking, she may take the following steps:
Step 1: Draw a dog on a piece of paper.
Step 2: Read about dogs.
Step 3: Look at photos of dogs.
Step 4: Look at videos of dogs.
Step 5: Look at dogs through a closed window.
Step 6: Then through a partly-opened window, then open it more and more.
Step 7: Look at them from a doorway.
Step 8: Move further out from the doorway; then further etc.
Step 9: Have a helper bring a dog into a nearby room (on a leash).
Step 10: Have the helper bring the dog into the same room, still on a leash.
If you view this previous blog entry about my client who had a 30+ year fear of cats, you'll find that the above steps are completely unnecessary. How much time do you think you could waste drawing pictures, looking at photos, videos, going to the pet store, etc., only to continually subject yourself to the same uncomfortable feelings?
With one session of hypnosis and NLP, this woman learned to think about cats in a new way... a way that didn't cause the same terrifying feelings to overcome her.
That's it!
What's more is that I didn't invent these techniques. They've been around for decades. I cured this woman's phobia after reading a book on NLP - Frogs into Princes, by John Grinder and Richard Bandler - that was originally published in June of 1979. I wasn't even a certified hypnotherapist at that point... I was still in training.
It's not that complicated. You don't have to consciously understand when the fear began, what caused it or why it continued in order to get rid of it and respond in a new way.
It works like this:
Think vivid thoughts about a terrifying experience = feel terrified.
Think vivid thoughts about a relaxing or comfortable experience = feel relaxed and comfortable.
Best of luck to you in your search for relief.
Be optimistic - the answer may be closer than you think.
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