2 minute read
Sorting Phobias
Don’t let a phobia rule your life…
Phobias can be resolved in as little as an hour! How long have you lived with yours?
Advertisement
Irena-Marie Makowska explains that around 15-20% of us experience specific phobias at least once in our life. These phobias typically emerge during childhood or adolescence and continue into adulthood. They also impact twice as many women as they do men.
THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A FEAR AND A PHOBIA
A phobia is activated in the reptilian part of our brain, the oldest part where there is no value judgement, and our brain simply follows pre-setup neural pathways. It triggers the fight, flight or freeze subconscious reaction. There is no rationality when we have a phobic reaction. Our brain believes we are in danger and is in full alert mode. We can feel nauseous, dizzy and breathless, our heart rate increases and, sometimes, we can go into a fullblown panic attack.
PHOBIA TYPES
There are three different categories of phobias: social phobias, agoraphobia, and specific phobias – such as fear of snakes, spiders or needles etc. The most common phobias are: Arachnophobia - fear of spiders and other arachnids Ophidiophobia - fear of snakes Acrophobia - fear of heights Aerophobia – fear of flying Cynophobia - fear of dogs Astraphobia - fear of thunder and lightning Trypanophobia - fear of injections Social Phobia (Social Anxiety Disorder) – being in a social situation that creates intense discomfort Agoraphobia - fear of being alone, in a situation or place where escape may be difficult Mysophobia – fear of germs and dirt
OVERCOMING PHOBIAS
How can we resolve a phobia? There are a number of different therapies or techniques such as BWRT® (BrainWorking Recursive Therapy), cognitive behavioural therapy and psychotherapy. Here are a couple of examples. Vicky J had a debilitating phobia of needles and blood. She decided on the BWRT route. She had no idea where her phobia originated and with BWRT you do not need to find the original event, only how you want to feel instead. Vicky and her partner wanted to start planning for a baby but that was impossible until she resolved her phobia. She attempted a couple of times but fear overtook and then, finally, after 20 minutes it was resolved. A year later their beautiful baby boy was born. Pam B, a very rational and practical person, lives in the countryside and with that came spiders, loads of them. She was terrified of them and if one was in the house, she would remain outside, even at night, until a friend came round and removed the spider! Pam also used BWRT and after her session went and bought a spider catcher! A totally inconceivable idea before. Four years later she is still phobia free. One of the most amazing tools we have is that our brain does not know the difference between past, present and future. So, we can create a future memory of how we would like to feel instead, thus creating a new template of beliefs, behaviours and habits. Another way of explaining it is like ‘updating our out-of-date software’. It really is as simple as that!
