Specific Phobias

Source: National Institute of Mental Health; NIMH Publication No. 06-3879 (extract)

"I'm scared to death of flying, and I never do it anymore. I used to start dreading a plane trip a month before I was due to leave. It was an awful feeling when that airplane door closed and I felt trapped. My heart would pound, and I would sweat bullets. When the airplane would start to ascend, it just reinforced the feeling that I couldn't get out. When I think about flying, I picture myself losing control, freaking out, and climbing the walls, but of course I never did that. I'm not afraid of crashing or hitting turbulence. It's just that feeling of being trapped. Whenever I've thought about changing jobs, I've had to think, "Would I be under pressure to fly?" These days I only go places where I can drive or take a train. My friends always point out that I couldn't get off a train traveling at high speeds either, so why don't trains bother me? I just tell them it isn't a rational fear."

A specific phobia is an intense fear of something that poses little or no actual danger. Some of the more common specific phobias are centered around closed-in places, heights, escalators, tunnels, highway driving, water, flying, dogs, and injuries involving blood.

Such phobias aren't just extreme fear; they are irrational fear of a particular thing. You may be able to ski the world's tallest mountains with ease but be unable to go above the 5th floor of an office building. While adults with phobias realize that these fears are irrational, they often find that facing, or even thinking about facing, the feared object or situation brings on a panic attack or severe anxiety.

Specific phobias affect an estimated 19.2 million adult Americans and are twice as common in women as men. They usually appear in childhood or adolescence and tend to persist into adulthood.The causes of specific phobias are not well understood, but there is some evidence that the tendency to develop them may run in families.

If the feared situation or feared object is easy to avoid, people with specific phobias may not seek help; but if avoidance interferes with their careers or their personal lives, it can become disabling and treatment is usually pursued.

Specific phobias respond very well to carefully targeted psychotherapy.

Source: National Institute of Mental Health; NIMH Publication No. 06-3879 (extract)
Added: 2nd of July 2007

Looking for help with a phobia?

It's important to remember, that if you suffer from a phobia, then help is available.

'Pure' Hypnoanalysis has helped countless people over the years with phobias. The aim of 'Pure' Hypnoanalysis is not to 'control', or 'manage' the phobia, the aim is to resolve it completely.

Pure Hypnoanalysis is a relatively quick form of therapy, that helps people with phobias to overcome their (for example) fear of 'being out of control' or 'fear of being judged'.

It is a form of therapy that is quite unique, in that it aims to resolve the root cause of the problem, rather than (as most therapies do), temporarily manage the symptoms.

If you are in the UK, and would like to look into Pure Hypnoanalysis as a possible therapy, there are therapists trained in this unique therapy all over the UK.

One of the easiest ways to find a therapist in your area who is trained in this therapy, is to use the free find-a-therapist service, by Avon Hypnotherapy.

The find-a-therapist service is very easy to use, simply tell them some basic details, including your name and location, and they will do their best to help you locate a trained therapist in your area.

Click here to visit Avon Hypnotherapy's FREE Find-a-Therapist service.

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