Fears and Phobias
A phobia is defined as an intense, unrealistic fear of certain activities or situations. Individuals with this type of disorder experience an excessive and passionate desire to avoid these subjects. The longer the phobia remains untreated, the more likely it is to spread and become a ruling characteristic of their lives. Seemingly irrational fears and phobias can both usually b
e traced back to a specific traumatic event. These events often occurred during a client’s childhood. There are three classifications of phobias. Social phobias involve the fear of being in social situations where an individual may fear being embarrassed by others.
This may pertain to any situation where others are present, or certain types of situations, where circumstances not the event are the trigger. More common are fears and phobias that are triggered by a specific thing, such as a spider, flower or dog. There are several fears that are considered irrational. This occurs when an individual does not have any experience with the situation, such as heights, flying or large bodies of water. Symptoms vary in severity from one person to another. In some, they may be an inconvenience. The anxiety may affect the route that is driven to work. In others, the fear is debilitating.
A severe anxiety disorder will prevent the sufferer from living a normal healthy life. It may build in intensity until they are agoraphobic and unable to leave their home. A situation that paralyzes one person may seem like an irrational fear to another. There are many methods used to treat these categories of fears and phobias. Benefits vary from person to another. When using hypnosis, the counsellor will ask questions designed to discover the event that triggered the issue. Together they will review the circumstances of the event, discuss its effects and find an alternate way to see it, with better understanding,
Fears and phobias are learned. Hypnosis helps by relaxing the client, both mentally and physically. They desensitize client to the situation or circumstances that are the focus of the fear. Often, the counsellor will relate them to an amusing event, rather than one that causes fear. Clients who do not have access to a counsellor often download MP3’s or purchase CD’s that focus on alleviating specific fears, from fear of the dark, spiders and enclosed spaces to flying, swimming and public speaking. Most people are afraid of something. When the fear begins to interfere with the rest of life, hypnosis can help.
Tom Smith common name, uncommon therapy
