Hypnotherapy Birmingham, UK with

Ian Evans Hypnotist and Therapist.

Retrac Hypnotherapy Centre 23 Broad Rd, Acocks Green, Birmingham B27 7UX  Tel: 0121 707 3588

Dealing with Intense Fear and Phobias

We all experience phobias of one kind or another. Some are mild, whilst others are more severe and debilitating. We crystallise our fears and avoid contact with certain situations or objects. The very thought of coming into contact with the particular object is enough to send us running to the hills.

The experience of a severe phobia is a persistent, irrational fear of – and desire to avoid – a particular object or situation. Why such an overwhelming fear at the thought of a bird’s feather, crossing a bridge or even something as harmless as a frog? This is the nightmare world of the phobic – and yet it can be treated.

We all come into the world as a 'blank sheet'. We are not born with a phobia - it is a learned response. Common phobias include acrophobia (fear of heights), claustrophobia (fear of enclosed spaces) and agoraphobia, which literally translates as “fear of public places or open spaces”. The most prevalent of these conditions comes from being in places or situations from which escape might be difficult or embarrassing, or where help may not be available in the event of having an unexpected panic attack or panic-like symptoms. Typically, situations that are avoided include travelling alone, being outside home alone, in a queue at the supermarket, on a busy motorway, in traffic jams, in a tunnel, or in open spaces.

Social phobia means that some people are hypersensitive to criticism and rejection. Individuals with a social phobia have difficulty starting a conversation, asking questions, making friends or joining groups. The anxiety produced by a social phobia can be so intense that it provokes blushing, stammering, sweating, stomach upsets, a racing heart, trembling limbs or even a full scale panic attack. Social phobias are one of the most common problems, which may be associated with other conditions like depression or specific phobias (fear of spiders, heights, water, etc).

Emetophobia is a term used to describe the fear of vomiting/being sick, and is also used to describe those who fear seeing others being sick. Emetophobes often fear being sick in public, being near people who are ill with tummy bugs etc, eating out, or eating food known to carry a higher than average risk of food poisoning.

There are many altogether stranger phobias, such as selenophobia (fear of the moon), pogonophobia (fear of beards), and triskaidekaphobia (fear of the number 13).

Phobias can exist in the lives of people who may be otherwise reasonably well adjusted. Sufferers often recognise their fears to be unrealistic, but still feel unable to confront them. To complicate the situation further, people may have a phobia about one thing when the underlying fear relates to something entirely different. Typically, an anxiety builds up and the person attaches it to something in their environment.

Most phobias emerge in childhood and early adolescence, except for agoraphobia and claustrophobia, which often emerge after adolescence.

People with phobias can experience a fear so intense and debilitating that it begins to affect the way they live their lives. Confronted with the phobic situation, they experience the classic symptoms of panic attacks (shown below). The results include loss of confidence/feelings of self-worth, and increasing frustration as they feed energy into unwanted emotions. When phobias start to interfere with day-to-day functions in a person's emotional, social, or work life, they need treatment. 

Symptoms of Panic

·         Palpitation, pounding /accelerated heart rate

·         Sweating

·         Trembling/shaking

·         Feeling of choking

·         Sensation of shortness of breath/smothering

·         Chest pain/discomfort

·         Chills/hot flushes

·         Nausea/abdominal distress

·         An abnormal tingling, pricking, or burning sensation on the skin

·         Feeling dizzy, unsteady, light-headed, faint

·         Fear of losing control/going crazy

·         Fear of dying

For Hypnotherapy Birmingham and help with Phobias, ring me on 0121 707 3588.

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