DEFINITION AND SYMPTOMS OF PHOBIAS:
A phobia can be defined as a fear not based in reality. When a person has a panic attack, they get panicky feelings; their breathing and heart rates increase; they may feel choked up like their heart is in their throat; the palms of their hands may get sweaty; they may experience a sound of ringing in their ears; and they may find that they are unable to partake in an activity. These feelings cause the individual to avoid the activities and places that cause them.
SPECIFIC EXAMPLES OF PHOBIAS:
For example, if a person has an irrational fear of driving, they would display these symptoms when they try to drive, or probably even when they just think about driving. Or a phobic attack may perhaps come about just when driving in certain places like over bridges.
The irrational fear of talking in front of a group of people is a fairly common phobia. The panicky feelings appear when the person starts to talk in front of a person that they are intimidated by, or they may perhaps have fearful feelings only when in front of an assembly of other people. The size of the crowd of people can vary. This phobia can be triggered by fears of inadequacy, or a lack of self-assurance.
Those who suffer from social anxiety disorder can get very panicky just being around other folks, even people that they are familiar with. It's a fear of being criticized or evaluated by other people. This fear can be set off by almost any type of social relations. A person could be standing on line at a supermarket and get phobic feelings as they think about having to talk to the cashier while they checkout.
The fear of test taking (which is universally known as test anxiety) is a very common phobia. Phobias to taking tests are rooted in comparing yourself to other folks, and is deeply rooted in a fear of failing.
People have experienced irrational fears to every type of situation under the sun. For example: High places; animals; small enclosed places; relationships; flying; bugs; snakes; and even the great outdoors.
Agoraphobia is generally considered to be a fear of open spaces. However, this definition is very misleading because Agoraphobics are really afraid of having a panic attack, wherever and whenever. Agoraphobia develops when a person begins to avoid places or situations they have associated with anxiety. For example, they could have a panic attack at home, church, or in a supermarket.
For many, once the panic attacks have begun, they start to anticipate them to happen. And this expectation in reality triggers them with increasing frequency. Other folks experience fearful feelings on a continuous basis. These feelings cause an overall sense of discomfort, rather than panic.
AVAILABLE FORMS OF TREATMENT
DRUGS:
Some physicians care for their patients using sedatives, which can make the phobia worse over protracted treatment. Sedatives do not take care of the core root of a phobia; they only camouflage some of the symptoms.
TALK THERAPY:
Some therapists recommend "Talk Therapy." Talk therapy is just talking about what is bothering you. Unfortunately, thinking about or talking about a situation or environment that causes a phobic attach can trigger one!
HYPNOSIS CDS:
Traditional hypnotherapy has been used to treat phobias, but with only meager success. Traditional hypnosis is accomplished when the hypnotist places the client in a relaxed state of hypnosis and gives him post-hypnotic suggestions or commands. Since most people of our generation question and resist direct suggestions, they also reject the notion that they will be more relaxed and at ease when they encounter the environment or situation that sets off their panic attacks.
SYSTEMATIC DESENSITIZATION:
Systematic Desensitization is the process of progressively desensitizing a phobic person to the environment or situation that causes a panic attack. For example, if a woman wants to dive from a high diving board but fears it, she is asked to first dive from a height that she feels confident about. She dives in and realizes that she didn't get hurt and that she is secure.
Next she is asked to dive from the lowest step of the ladder going up to the high diving board. Again, she dives in and realizes that nothing bad happened and that she is again safe and secure.
Over a period of time the person is asked to dive in from gradually higher steps on the ladder. Each time she dives in and realizes that nothing bad happened and that she is safe and sound, she is able to move up to the next rung on the ladder. If she experiences fear, then she is asked to step back down one rung on the ladder and dive from there until she feels complete comfort and security. Sooner or later she makes it to the top of the ladder and is able to dive in from the high board.
SYSTEMATIC DESENSITIZATION WHILE IN THE STATE OF HYPNOSIS:
Systematic Desensitization can be done literally while in a hypnotic state with as good as or even better results. While in a relaxed hypnotized state, the woman would be asked to picture herself diving in from each step on the ladder. She would be asked to visualize herself feeling confident as she dives in. Since she is in a disassociated state while seeing herself, she is not able to experience a panic attack.
Next she is asked to associate, in other words to put the camera inside of her head so she would see what she would see through her eyes if she was actually diving in from each step of the ladder. She is asked to imagine feeling safe and relaxed as she dives in.
Just as in a live (in vivo) systematic desensitization, if she feels any anxiety she is told to go back to the previous lower step on the ladder and imagine diving in from there. The phobic might be taught to generate a kinesthetic (feeling or touch) "anchor" for feelings of security and safety. She could then set off that anchor while imagining that she is diving, and the feelings of security and safety could be subjectively transferred to the act of diving.
Systematic Desensitization while in self hypnosis can be exceptionally useful and successful, but is can also be slow and take several hypnotic sessions to bring about a cure.
NLP V/K DISASSOCIATION:
Neuro-Linguistic Programming is the study and practice of how we create our reality. The V/K stands for visual / kinesthetic. The V/K Disassociation is a technique that enables a trained NLP Practitioner to guide a subject through specific imagery that quickly and in many cases instantly disconnects or disassociates the feelings of dread from the irrational fear that causes them. The V/K Disassociation is known as the "One session phobia cure" in Neuro-Linguistic Programming circles, and with good cause.
CONCLUSION:
Phobias are common in our civilization. They are fears that aren't based in reality. There are many methods for treating phobias, but thus far in my opinion, the best treatments available are Systematic Desensitization while hypnotized, and the Neuro-Linguistic Programming V/K Disassociation technique.
Article Source: http://www.orbitaloc.com/
Alan B. Densky, CH is a trained hypnotist and NLP Practitioner who has been in professional practice since 1978. He can be contacted through his Neuro-VISION Hypnosis website where he offers hypnosis CDs for phobias. Visit his hypnosis article library, or download a free MP3.
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