Phobias:

As I was writing up some notes on a session earlier this week, I couldn’t help but notice that many of my recent clients came to see me to seek help with debilitating phobias. In the space of just a few weeks, I have treated clients with all sorts of fears including: flying (well, it is almost holiday season!) spiders, moths and butterflies, driving, injections (again, a problem if far-flung holidays are being planned!), and emetophobia (a fear of vomit)

Many of my clients come from word-of-mouth referrals so we can see how, if one person is suddenly free of a phobia, they may tell their friends, who have similar issues , who will then in turn contact me for help. This accounts for some, but not all of the rise in clients who want to overcome their fears and get on with their lives.

So what is a phobia? According to the NHS website, a phobia is an overwhelming and debilitating fear of an object, place, situation, feeling or animal. We know that phobias are a type of anxiety disorder and for some, even thinking about the source of the phobia can cause panic. Symptoms of being exposed to a phobia include increased heart rate, shortness of breath, trembling or shaking, sweating, and lightheadedness and an upset stomach.

I regularly see how they can interfere with a person’s ability to live their life. From going on holiday, to getting potentially life-saving vaccinations, to living with acute pain to being to afraid to go to parties or festivals in case someone vomits. Phobias are irrational, but telling someone to ‘get over it’ is never going to help, as this will just increase their anxiety and reinforce the fear.

We have seen a rise in anxiety disorders across the board since the Covid pandemic. With the isolation of lockdown, the inability, for some, to work and fear of the virus itself taking a toll on women and children in particular.

There are a number of self-help strategies that you can use to manage your phobia, including deep breathing, meditation and visualisation. All of these strategies can lower general anxiety and in some instances, help you to overcome your phobia. Hypnotherapy can be particularly successful for phobias, with many of my clients free from their fears after just 3 sessions.

If you would like to find out more, please do get in touch for a free, no-obligation discovery call to find out more.