A phobia can feel irrational from the outside, but to the person experiencing it, the fear is very real.
Whether it is a fear of flying, spiders, needles, driving, dogs, sickness, heights, lifts, enclosed spaces or public speaking, a phobia is not simply “being scared” and there are said to be 500 classified terms for specific phobias.
In this case, phobias are an automatic response from the mind and body, where fear takes over before logic has a chance to step in.
Phobias can begin in different ways.
Sometimes there is an obvious event: a frightening flight, a dog bite, a panic attack in a crowded place, or a childhood experience that left a lasting impression. At other times, the starting point is less clear.
A person may have learned the fear from someone else, absorbed it through repeated warnings, or developed it after a period of stress when the nervous system was already on high alert.
However it begins, the mind can create a powerful association. It links a specific object, place, situation or feeling with danger. From that point on, the body may respond as if the threat is happening now, even when the person logically knows they are safe.
Hypnotherapy can be so effective.
This is why people with phobias often say, “I know it doesn’t make sense, but I still can’t stop it.” That is exactly where hypnotherapy can be so effective. Hypnotherapy works with the subconscious patterns behind the fear response. Rather than simply talking about the phobia logically, it helps the mind update its automatic reaction.
The aim is to eradicate or to gradually reduce the fear, calm the nervous system, and allow the person to respond with greater control and confidence.
In many cases, phobias can be significantly reduced or even removed when the mind stops treating the trigger as a threat. Hypnotherapy can help separate the old fear from the present moment, so the person no longer has to live around the phobia.
The truth is, most people are not frightened of the thing itself. They are frightened of the feeling they expect to have.
When that feeling changes, freedom becomes possible.
Come and talk to me about your phobia, no matter what it is… book here…