Print

Phobias and Fears

What is a phobia?

A phobia is an irrational fear of an animal, object or situation that would not normally trouble most people. Phobias are very common and wide-ranging, affecting approximately 10% of the population. Some common phobias:

An estimated 10 million in this country have a phobia - they are the most common type of anxiety disorder in the UK.

What causes phobias?

No one is born with a phobia. The individual has learned to do something that is dysfunctional, in response to an external stimulus. A phobia is normally a good example of one-trial learning. You get stuck in a lift or bitten by a dog, and the mind in order to protect itself, sets up a massive fear response in relation to anything that reminds you of the original incident. It's known as an over-generalisation, and assumes that all dogs, lifts etc are the same.

What is the difference between a fear and a phobia?

Fear in itself isn’t a bad thing - our natural survival mechanism protects us. Fears are logical and sensible, helping us to avoid doing foolish or harmful things. When the normal fear response becomes something that is persistent and difficult or impossible to control, we may be said to have developed a phobia.

Eliminating phobias

Phobias are something that you learn. They can therefore be unlearned. Hypnosis can be used to deal with the root cause of the presenting problem and reprogramme your mind. There are also a number of other techniques that can be used separately or in conjunction with hypnosis in order to bring about a positive result. Most phobias are relatively straight forward and can be dealt with within two sessions. There’s no good reason for anyone to be phobic - the tools to deal with them are extremely effective. So, let me help you to face your fear and eliminate your phobia for good!