Fears and Phobias
Sometimes fear keeps us safe. But when fear is unreasonable, that is to say, when it interferes with our quality of life, or our ability to function, it is a problem that needs to be addressed.
So What Is Fear?
According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, fear is
an unpleasant often strong emotion caused by anticipation or awareness of danger.
Sometimes fear is a good thing. If we are about to step off a curb and see a speeding car coming we might be afraid we could be hit by the car if we continue off the curb. That is a “normal” fear and nothing for concern. It helps us stay safe, but what about the abnormal fears? What about the fear of a spider that is inside an enclosed terrarium, or the fear of flying on a commercial airliner despite the statistics which prove flying is safer than another form of transportation, or what about the fear of speaking in public?
How Did I Get This Fear?
A Phobia (or unreasonable fear), usually develops because of an initial initiating event and then a secondary activating event. These two events can happen simultaneously or years apart.
For example, a child who falls down the last three steps on a carpeted staircase may not have been hurt, but the event could have been scary enough that it is an initial initiating event. Then as a teenager, the youth could see someone falling from a height and getting hurt.
This observation does not even need to be in real-life, it could be in a movie. Suddenly this person becomes afraid of heights and not able to climb a ladder thereby limiting work possibilities. You can overcome unreasonable fear by releasing the false emotions that block rational thoughts about it. Hypnosis is perfect for this purpose.
There are more irrational fears than there are rational ones. You can overcome fear by realizing the one thing all fears have in common. They are “learned behavior.”
You didn’t instinctively fear the hot burner on the stove when you were a child until you were either burned by it or disciplined for exploring too close. The fear of the hot burner on the stove was an effort to help you be safe.
Many times there are illogical reasons causing a phobia or fear and even though you consciously are aware of how irrational the fear is, your subconscious still holds on to the irrational fear itself.
What hypnosis does is reprogram your subconscious mind so the learned irrationality disappears and the fear no longer needs to control your life. Often hypnosis releases an unreasonable fear in a single session and the result can sometimes be dramatic.
What Fears Can Hypnosis Help?
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- Hypnosis helps people who fear…
- Bugs, Spiders, or Snakes
- Crowds
- Darkness
- Death or Dying
- Dentists or Doctors
- Dogs or other animals
- Enclosed spaces
- Flying
- Heights
- Needles
- Public speaking
- Water
*There are many other fears that hypnosis can help you overcome.
