Phobias
WHAT IS A PHOBIA?
A phobia, which is a form of anxiety, is an irrational fear of something (place, situation, animal, object, etc.) that interferes with normal functioning and usually results in strong avoidance behaviours. Many people suffer from phobias - one in 10 Canadians, so it is more common than one might think.
They are acquired in a variety of ways, including a traumatic past experience, an installed phobia (from a hypnotic experience such as "Sharks" movie), or a learned phobia (installed by witnessing parents or family members phobias).
Phobias can show up in three categories such as fear of public spaces (agoraphobia), fear of social situations (social anxiety disorder), and fear of a particular animal, situation, object or environment (specific phobia). Some examples of specific phobia can include insects (entomophobia), snakes (ophidiophobia), large crowds (agoraphobia), driving (amaxophobia), flying (aerophobia), bridges (gephyrophobia) elevators or small spaces (claustrophobia), public washrooms (paruresis), and many more.
SYMPTOMS OF PHOBIAS
When a person with a phobia faces the situation, they may begin experiencing severe symptoms of anxiety or panic. This can present as sweating, elevated heart rate, hyperventilation, and an intense desire and attempt to escape the situation. Many people with phobias avoid it all together, or if they must be exposed to it, they may plan for it and take medication beforehand. Phobias can impact the quality of life for those suffering from them, and even impact people in their life around them.
HOW TO TREAT PHOBIAS
There are a variety of methods available to treat phobias such as medication, cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), exposure therapy, hypnosis, neurolinguistic programming (NLP), and rapid resolution therapy (RRT). FreeMind Therapy offers Rapid Resolution Therapy which is an emerging, brain-based modality, that utilizes components of NLP, hypnosis and other methods to create new neuro pathways relating to the feared subject and lessen or eliminate the phobia completely. To learn more, schedule a consultation by reaching out to us, or book a session here.