A phobia is characterised by extreme and irrational fears or aversions to something.
These things can include a fear of flying, animals, inanimate objects and visiting the Doctor or Dentist. In extreme cases these fears can interfere with work, personal relationships and school, and can have a major impact on being able to enjoy life.
Studies have found:
- 5% of children are affected by phobias
- 16% of 13 to 17-year olds are affected by phobias
- 3 to 5% of adults are affected by phobias
- women tend to have more phobias than men
Types of Phobia
- Animal phobias (for example, dogs, birds, snakes, spiders, rodents)
- Natural environment phobias (such as heights, storms, water)
- Blood-injection-injury phobias (such as fear of blood or getting a blood test)
- Situational phobia (such as aeroplanes, lifts, driving or enclosed places)
- Other phobias (such as clowns, avoiding loud noises)
Causes of Phobias
Most phobias are developed between the ages of 7 and 11, although they can develop at any age. They can be triggered by traumatic events, such as being bitten by a dog, but many people are unable to determine, or remember, what triggered their phobia.
Symptoms of Phobias include:
- A racing heart
- Difficulty breathing
- Trembling
- Dry mouth
- Sweating
- overwhelming feelings of anxiety or fear
- feeling powerless
- fear of losing control
- feeling an intense need to escape
I will work with you to identify whether your phobia is a Simple Phobia or a Complex Phobia. As an example a simple spider phobia may be seeing a spider, feeling nervous, and not wanting to touch it. A complex phobia may be seeing a spider, running from the room, not feeling able to return to the room, and searching through other rooms to make sure they are safe from spiders. A simple phobia can be treated with a Rewind and Reframe package of sessions, while a Complex phobia can be treated in the same way, but you would benefit from a few sessions for anxiety before addressing the phobia.
Take away Tip
Square breathing is very effective for dealing with anxiety. Breathe in for a count of 8… hold for a count of 8… breathe out for a count of 8… hold for a count of 8…