By in Hypnotherapy

Tackling Fears & Phobias

Now that spring is officially here, I wonder what you are most looking forward to this summer. To most people, It feels so good to have the longer, lighter days and warmer weather but for others, summer seems like a dangerous time to be alive.

For those who suffer from fears and phobias, the world can seem full of potential perils. With picnics in the open air comes the threat of wasps. Exotic holidays could involve face to face encounters with terrifying creatures such as spiders and snakes. Not to mention the need to fly to these far-flung destinations. The views might be magnificent but if you’re afraid of heights you’re not going to see them. No cable car trips up the mountain for you!

And there are so many more situations that reduce people to hysterics or panic. The top 10 UK phobias are said to be:

  • Heights (Acrophobia) According to the most recent survey from market researchers YouGov, heights are Britain’s biggest fear.
  • Public speaking (Glossophobia)
  • Snakes (Ophidiophobia)
  • Flying (Aerophobia)
  • Spiders (Arachnophobia)
  • Crowds/Being outside (Agoraphobia)
  • Clowns (Coulrophobia)
  • Enclosed spaces (Claustrophobia)
  • Mice and rats (Musophobia)
  • The dark (Nyctophobia)

You could certainly add dentists, needles, storms, pigeons, even buttons and broccoli!

Where do these fears come from?

Sometimes they are inherited; if your mum had a terror of spiders or mice, there’s every chance you will too. Other times they start with an unpleasant experience which can often get magnified each time you remember it. Eventually, it becomes a programme in your mind that opens automatically as soon as a word or event triggers it, and each time you remember it gets more terrifying.

The surprising fact is that even longstanding fears and phobias can usually be dealt with quickly and without the need to meet your fear head-on. No tarantulas or dentists need be in the room with you while you’re getting over your fear. It can be done with hypnotherapy or NLP, requiring very little effort on your part.

One lady I helped recently was 85 years old and had been afraid of going to the dentist ever since she had a bad experience with having a tooth out at the age of 9. Recently she needed to have another extraction and was so scared when she went to her usual dentist that he refused to treat her, saying she was shaking so bad that he couldn’t do the work, and he was afraid she might have a heart attack in the chair! He referred her to a specialist dental unit and she then had to face a 3-week wait for her new appointment. With about 10 days to go, she came to see me. Within 40 minutes she was feeling much better and more confident about her dental treatment. Her anxiety had gone. She contacted me afterwards to let me know that she had had the tooth taken out, including injections, with little, if any, nervousness, and she no longer dreads her next appointments.

In severe cases phobias and fears can have an extremely negative impact on someone’s life and career. For example, it’s not hard to see how a fear of public speaking might harm someone’s career prospects, and life must be very limiting for those who can’t bring themselves to leave their house.

If you have a phobia that’s stopping you making the most of life, of if you know someone who is, please ask them to give me a contact Judy Hoskins at The Body Matters on 01702 714 968 or online here. Judy may well be able to help.

Louise
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