Phobias

It is estimated that one person in every ten has a particular phobia which causes them attacks of extreme panic that can occur at any time and in any place.

Anyone who has experienced the symptoms of a mild panic attack – whether because you nearly missed a flight or train, or because a spider scuttled out from behind the shower curtain – may begin to imagine how a phobia sufferer might feel, but it is hard to conceive just how widely a phobia can affect a person’s life.

According to one psychologist, phobias are characterized by four factors:

1. A persistent, irrational fear of an object or situation
2. A powerful desire to avoid the object or situation
3. Significant distress associated with the problem
4. Recognition

Depending on the cause of the phobia, some people are so badly affected that they cannot leave their own homes or lead a normal life. They often make excuses to avoid going out or joining in activities with family and friends. For many, the thought of travelling to work or going shopping, for example, is just petrifying. To someone who is not affected the fears may seem completely irrational and out of all proportion to the cause, but the terror is very real to the phobia sufferer. Anything from spiders to airplanes can trigger the symptoms, which include racing breath, pounding heart, dizziness, and sweating. Among the most common phobias are claustrophobia (the fear of being in confined or crowded places), agoraphobia (the fear of being in open places). Often a person who is prone to phobias may suffer from more than one fear. In extreme cases, phobias can drive people to suicide.

The Orthodox Approach

In some cases, a physician will prescribe tranquilizers. However, it is now widely accepted that these can give only short-term relief and they are known to be highly addictive, so many physicians are starting to recommend forms of psychotherapy instead.

The Hale Approach

Phobias, like other obsessive, compulsive or neurotic disorders, are best dealt with through psychotherapy, although psychiatric drugs may benefit in an acute phase. An initial assessment by a psychiatrist with referral on to psychological care is best supported by complementary treatments to speed up the process.

Something can almost always be done to help phobias and often considerable improvements can be gained in as little as eight to ten weeks. Patients do not have to suffer indefinitely from phobias.

E.M.D.R. hypnosis and psychotherapy can be very effective in treating this disorder and all have their own specific techniques, usually combined with a discussion with the patient which looks at the cause of the problem and the development of positive strategies to help cope with it in the future.

For patients who do not wish to go this route, there are some very effective homeopathic remedies for phobias. Sometimes the benefits can be felt very quickly, although other patients may find that the phobias take some time to disappear.

Art therapy and healing are very helpful supportive treatments.

E.M.D.R.

In the late 1980’s, Francine Shapiro did some research concentrating on rapid eye movement, using Vietnam War veterans. She obtained impressive results in alleviating and resolving traumas associated with war. Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (E.M.D.R.) therapy developed from these finding’s. A patient tracks the therapist’s finger backwards and forwards with their eyes to produce rapid eye movements. These stimulate the brain, allowing it to process information that may hitherto have been “frozen” if it were of a traumatic nature, and to reprocess it and draw a logical conclusion. In this way, a client can see a phobia for what it is and thereafter is able to encounter it again and again without re-stimulating the old fears.

One of the benefits of this process is the speed at which positive results can be achieved. On average, 8-10 sessions are required. The first few sessions involve confidence building and relaxation strategies. Successive sessions consist of gaining an understanding of the problem through E.M.D.R. and developing a new approach to it. Self-hypnosis techniques can be taught alongside E.M.D.R. to provide additional support.

Some people notice nothing more than an improvement in the control of their phobia, but most achieve a total resolution of the problem.

Hypnotherapy

Therapeutic hypnosis works on three levels when dealing with phobias. Firstly, on a conscious level by helping the patient to gain insight and perspective into the problem and realize that he or she has choices. Secondly, using regression under hypnosis to the time of the first incident, allowing the subconscious to treat the phobia as something that belongs in the past with no bearing on the future and, finally, positive suggestions made under hypnosis offer coping strategies and solutions.

Homeopathy

The homeopathic remedy varies depending on the case of the phobia and the form it takes. For example, Argentum nitricum is commonly used for claustrophobics who fear being trapped. However, if your claustrophobia takes the form of fearing crowded, closed places such as lifts or underground trains, then Pulsatilla may be recommended. When the phobia is accompanied by severe shock that leaves you feeling weak and faint after an attack, Arnica may be suitable. Aconite is good for agoraphobia.

Supportive Treatments

Healing

Yoga

Yoga helps us to relax the body and regularize our breathing patterns. We can have an effect on the autonomic function of breathing and this knowledge gives us confidence. Because we can have an effect on the body, it can also conquer that feeling of being out of control.

The principles of yoga promotes a holistic approach to healing and so, used in conjunction with other therapies, yoga can help you to deal with the psychological, emotional and physical aspects of phobias.