Hypnotherapy Derby - Help With Phobias

Help With Your Phobia

Hypnotherapy Derby

What is A Phobia?
If you are more than scared, you have to avoid certain things or certain things fill you with dread then it is fair to say you may have a phobic response. This is typically classified as a reaction to a given stimulus which is outside normal parameters of behaviour- that is to say the reaction may be out of all proportion to the stimulus and with no real basis. To be properly diagnosed as a phobia the fear must be consistent (every time you think of or see ‘X’) and  intense ( ‘X’  must actually cause you to have a certain degree of fear). When these symptoms are present and they can interfere with daily life then a diagnosis according to DSM IV can be made. A phobia is actually part of an anxiety disorder and they are one of the most common forms of anxiety seen by a therapist.

It is important to know that a proper diagnosis must be made, as ‘phobia’ is a term which is used a lot by people when that is not their problem. I have had clients who thought they had a phobia but they have had PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder). Some people may not agree with this, but PTSD does not mean you actually have had to experience the trauma first hand, just seeing the terrorist attacks (ie 9/11) on TV can leave a lasting blueprint on peoples minds, to the point that it can make them terrified of flying. This is not a phobia.

How Do We Come To Have Them?
In my experience phobias can be ‘passed on’ by our peers, if we see someone we look up to being scared of sheep, then we too may grow up with this fear. They can be learned at ANY age, in fact a phobic response just goes to show how instantaneously we can learn. The actual moment of fear can last literally half a second but the effects can, if not treated, last a lifetime. We learn pretty much everything in our lives by association, if we are given sour milk as a small child then it makes sense that we might not go drink milk anymore. Of course this is an evolutionary tale, nature has provided us with this gift to learn quickly what is good and bad. However, our bodies and minds are not as superior as we think because this can cause us problems, how can anyone have a fear of paper? Yet they do and it is called papyrophobia. You can understand a fear of snakes or spiders but the enormous amount of other less well known phobias just goes to show we do not always learn in a useful way.

The amygdala is known as the fear centre of the brain and it is thought this plays a key role in the development of phobic responses. The amygdala is the part of us responsible for setting off our flight or fight response. This creates the feelings of panic and other symptoms when the chemicals released into our bloodstream are not used up (for fight or flight). This mechanism can cause what is felt as anxiety or panic attacks. Typically these are - feeling like a heart attack is imminent, loss of control over oneself, dizziness and so on. These symptoms all have an effect where one can make the other seem worse until the victim is locked into a vicious cycle where panic is caused, the symptoms make the panic worsen, more panic is caused etc.

How Can You Be Free From This Condition
Well to be blunt, if you can create it then it follows that you can destroy it! If it were that simple then hypnotherapists around the world would never see a client with a phobia. It is not that my clients are unresourceful, no it is more a case of them being in an unresourceful state. Hypnosis on the other hand or being in a hypnotic state, is a state where just like being in a dream anything can happen. Have you ever dreamed you were flying or that you were somewhere where it all felt actually real. In the trance state anything can become possible. It is the opening up of all your resources which you may never have known you had. As humans we are all born the same, our brains work pretty much the same for most of us. So why are some people able to deal with things better than other? Because they choose to do so, or they are more able to use the resources inside of them to get what they want. Not everybody is able to get to use their resources so effectively, but with the help of hypnosis then you too can achieve so much more than you thought was possible.

For More Help
I have helped countless people conquer their phobias, I can help you conquer yours. If you want to know more I offer a FREE consultation to all clients to answer any questions they may have or to allay any fears they may have about using hypnosis or how it works. See here for more information on hypnosis for phobias . Send me an e mail at gw@ripleyhypnotherapy.co.uk and let me know what you think. My practice is based near Derby but I see clients from right across the East Midlands.


Best wishes



Garry Webster CHP(NC) PNLP MNCH