phobia therapy in London - fear of flying, fear of spiders, claustrophobia

*What is a phobia?*
The definition of a phobia is an irrational fear. A phobia is something a person fears to the point that they feel they have to change how they behave. Phobias are sometimes specific phobias e.g. fear of spiders or fear of tube trains or sometimes the fear of a particular situation such as fear of public speaking. Social phobias involve fear of being embarrassed in social or work situations. With both of these phobias, the fear is extreme and hard to control. Without treatment, phobias can last many years and affect a person's career, relationships, and daily life activities. Both specific and social phobias are types of anxiety disorders. Whether a person has a specific or social phobia, it's not his or her fault. And, it's not something a person can just "snap out of."

*What types of phobia are there?*
Phobias can be roughly divided into three categories. Some are known as specific phobias where the sufferer has a fear of a particular situation such as fear of closed-in places, injections, heights, lifts, flying, spiders etc. Agoraphobia is a fear of leaving your house or a 'safe' place leading to panic attacks if an attempt is made to leave the place of safety. Agoraphobia is the only phobia regularly treated as a medical condition. Other phobias are known as social phobias which leave the phobic feeling very self-conscious in everyday social situations leading to extreme anxiety. Examples of social phobias include performance anxiety or fears of embarrassment by scrutiny of others, eg. eating in public. The list of phobias is almost endless. Click here for a list that I update on a regular basis.
*What causes phobias?*
It is thought that phobias can be 'caught' in one of the following ways: - Learning - ie from an authority figure when the person was young (typically up until the person is around 6 years old) e.g. a mother screaming when she saw an spider - Trauma - ie locked in a toilet when young - Culture - certain races have specific issues e.g. fear of dogs
The Phobic Commandments
- "I am the only person that has this phobia" - "I am crazy of going to go crazy" - "My case is so severe, so unique - I am incurable!"
*What are specific phobias and what are the symptoms?*
Specific phobias are common - they strike 10% of people. Women are twice as likely as men to suffer from this illness. Starting in the teenage and adult years, they may run in families. They begin suddenly and tend to last longer than childhood phobias (like being afraid of the dark). Phobics tend to be worriers, always looking for problems in the future. They also tend to be highly intelligent and visual people. When a person has a specific phobia, they have an intense fear of something that poses little or no real danger. Because there is no or little danger, a person's fear is not based on reality (called irrational fear). Some of the more common specific phobias involve fear of closed-in places, heights, escalators, lifts, tunnels, motorway driving, bridges, water, flying, dogs, and injuries involving blood. And, a specific phobia often makes no sense. For instance, you may be able to parachute out of planes with ease but not be able to go above the 4th floor of an office building. Most people with these phobias know that they don't make sense. But, facing their fear, or even thinking about it, can bring on a panic attack or severe anxiety. Specific phobias can be treated, helping a person have a full and healthy life. But, when the object of the fear is easy to avoid, a person may decide to do so rather than get treatment. Not getting treatment, though, can cause a person to make decisions that will affect their personal life and limit their career.
*What are social phobias and what are the symptoms?*
Social phobia involves feeling very self-conscious in everyday social situations. It is more than just being shy or nervous, and can cause extreme anxiety. A person can feel afraid and uncomfortable when around other people. It may be hard to be at work or school, when you have to interact with others. While many people with these phobias know that their fear may be extreme, they are unable to control it. They often worry for days or weeks in advance of a situation they are dreading. This illness most often starts in childhood or the teenage years, and may run in families. Women are just as likely as men to develop social phobia. Other anxiety disorders or depression often go hand-in-hand with this phobia. Some people also turn to alcohol or drugs for relief. Symptoms of social phobia include an intense fear that you will do or say something and embarrass yourself in front of other people. Sufferers are afraid of making a mistake and being watched and judged by other people. They avoid doing things such as speaking to people because of the fear of being embarrassed. They worry for days or weeks before meeting new people. Physical symptoms include blushing, sweating, trembling, nausea, or feeling sick before and during an event when with new people. Social phobics tend to stay away from social situations such as school events and making speeches. Some sufferers drink alcohol to make their fears go away. People who have social phobias most often know that their fears don't make sense. But, even if they manage to face what they fear, they can still feel anxious and uncomfortable. Social phobias can be treated, helping a person have a full and healthy life. Not getting treatment can cause a person to make decisions that will affect their personal life.
*How can hypnotherapy help overcome phobias?*
Some emotional event or trauma when young, normally before the age of 6 years old, causes phobias to develop and they can be regarded as childhood fears that were never outgrown. The particular event may on the surface to be very minor but to a young child is most significant. The memory of that event remains sealed in their subconscious mind, even if their conscious mind has forgotten it. A course of regression hypnotherapy will allow the person to remember the incident and review it through the eyes of a mature adult rather than a child. This will help to assist in removing fearful thoughts that tend to perpetuate the specific phobia and subsequently allow them to change their patterns of behaviour which have developed over the lifespan of the phobia.
*How* *do I arrange my free consultation?*
Call 020 8201 0618 or Click here to email

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phobia therapy in London for fear of flying, fear of spiders, claustrophobia, fear of heights, agoraphobia, fear of needles, social phobia, fear of water, fear of snakes, fear of lifts, fear of failure, fear of pain

phobia therapy in London for fear of flying, fear of spiders, claustrophobia, fear of heights, agoraphobia,
fear of needles, social phobia, fear of water, fear of snakes, fear of lifts, fear of failure, fear of pain