Tackling Phobias

29 Jan Tackling Phobias

Phobias encompass an elevated fear level around a single object, a certain situation or a specific place and the desire to avoid it at all costs. Examples include; public transportation, claustrophobia (closed spaces), public speaking and rats.

Phobias are fear based and largely associated with Anxiety. When a person thinks with fear, even though they are not actually in a real phobic situation, many bodily situations may occur. The person may develop sweaty palms, nausea, an increased heart beat and feelings of not being able to breathe. Along with physical reactions, there are psychological components too. The feeling of losing control is huge and the idea of having others see them in that situation is embarrassing and ultimately debilitating.

The job of the trained therapist who deals with client phobias is to find the root cause of the fear which can either be something that happened during their early years of life or an unfortunate traumatic event later in life that could trigger feelings of losing control. The key role of the therapist is to make the client comfortable and guide them to understand that the phobia, although real to them is in fact imagined and a reaction to an event or feeling. This is done without making them feel that they are being judged about their situation.

Hypnosis and Psychotherapy are used to source information regarding the triggers and phobic behaviours. One technique used to overcome the phobia is Systematic Desensitization. This is a process in which the client creates a step by step process through the phobia and goes from the least scary step to the most extreme step. The exercise is done by beginning with relaxation. Once relaxation is reached, each step is tackled to overcome the extreme fear. If the client is not able to make it past a certain step, relaxation is implored to calm them down and once they are more relaxed, the second attempt is taken to get them past that particular step or block.

"This is a highly effective technique and as the author of this article who had an extreme phobia to rats, I can attest to the success of this method as it helped me overcome avoiding rooms and places for days where rodents were spotted. Today I am able to cross paths with rats and not freeze up in my tracks."

The next technique that also works is using Guided Imagery through Hypnosis to take you either to the childhood event or triggering point that brought about the elevated fear and ultimately the phobia. This technique takes more patience and perseverance and requires you to speak while in the relaxed state of altered awareness. Both of the above processes are excellent at changing the beliefs that have been created.

Sanlyn Wellness has many years of experience working with Phobias and underlying Anxiety issues. If you are looking to set yourself free, Call or email today to book an appointment. It is worth the investment.