Specific Phobia

A specific phobia is a strong fear of something that you have to avoid even though you do not have panic attacks, the fear is more general.

About 1 in 10 of us have strong dislike for one of the more common phobias but they do not affect our lives.

If this is so strong that it begins to affect your life badly, then it has become a phobia and needs to be treated before avoidant behaviour can get out of hand.

The fear may be by the actual presence or the anticipation of the presence of that object or situation.  Even an image or other strong reminder can trigger a disproportionate fear.

Common Phobias

  • Animals (birds, spiders, snakes)
  • Acrophobia (open spaces, heights)
  • Flying
  • Dentists
  • Authority
  • Falling ill

Treatment

  1. Relaxation
  2. Exercise
  3. Hypnotherapy – cognitive behaviour techniques
  4. Deliberate changes in daily habits and lifestyle.
  5. Exposure or Flooding – recreating the symptoms to familiarize yourself with them. Beginning with imaginary situation, progressing to real images and representations, before finally dealing with real life situations.