A Phobia is an overwhelming feeling of anxiety and fear in a particular situation or around a specific object. It is very common and lots of people have something that they feel a bit 'funny' about and even though they know it is a bit irrational it still causes them problems.
It could be that you have a fear of spiders, perhaps you “need” to sleep with the light on, or perhaps you dread having to make a best man’s speech or presentation of some kind.
On the whole, people generally manage to deal with these “minor” issues and they tend not to be too damaging to a person’s life.
There are, however, many people who also find that their fear of phobia plays havoc with their lives preventing them from getting on with things, or perhaps “forcing” them to miss some great opportunity in life. For example, many people feel a bit “uncomfortable” about flying in a plane, but nevertheless, still fly and enjoy the benefits of whatever lies at the end of the plane journey, but for those who have developed a more “severe” phobia of flying they may be so phobic that they never take a foreign holiday, or turn down a promotion because it might entail inter-continental travel.
People suffering from severe Agoraphobia may never leave their homes becoming socially withdrawn and fearful.
So in all cases, it is important to recognise that Fears and Phobias may be mild or severe and that no two people suffer fears and phobias in the same way.
The most common Fears and Phobias that I am consulted for are:
Spiders
Flying
Being Judged – Social Anxiety
Public Speaking
Dentists
Needles
Being Sick –Emetophobia
Death or Dying
Urinating in public (toilets)
Intimacy
Birds
In fact, the list of Fears and Phobias is without end as people can actually have fears or phobias about ANYTHING. (There is even a Phobia of Phobias called “Phobophobia”).
The common factor behind phobias is that it usually represents a situation where the person feels 'on the spot' or out of control. This is why it feels so uncomfortable and people go out of their away to avoid the phobic trigger.
So, if you regard fears and phobias from this point of view, it is relatively easy to see how almost any object or experience could feel “phobic”.
My Hypnotherapy and Mindset techniques can help you cure your phobia, sometimes in as little as one session depending on the level of severity and the impact it is having on your life. Book your Free consultation and we can help you let go of that fear!