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Click here to go back to the previous page about phobias, fears and panic attacks
So what exactly is a Phobia?
A phobia is an extreme reaction to a fear that we have developed based on a significant emotional event in the past.
Sometimes it is described as an irrational fear. This is especially true when the object of the fear is not even in
the same location as the person who is scared (For example having a panic attack whilst watching something on the tv is
often considered to be an irrational response, as there is no imminent danger).
People with phobias sometimes know that their reaction could be seen as being over the top, but they feel that they have
no control.
Phobias take many forms, from a mild fear, to a full blown panic attack and if you look hard enough on the internet, you can
find a label and a name for any phobia.
The thing that phobias all have in common though is that they tend to be LEARNT, that is that something happened
that caused the fear in the first place.
After receiving some sort of shock (emotional, mental or physical), the brain would have looked around to try and find a "reason" why it was feeling the way it was. Once it had this reason, it would flag it up for the future as something to be wary of, and it would then look for collaborating evidence to support the fear.
Let's try a similar process
Notice the colour red in your environment. Wherever you are, just start to notice evrything red. Then stop. Were the red things there before? Probably yes, was your brain filtering them out as non important? More than likely.
That is the same as a fear or a phobia, your attention is drawn to the things that you are scared of as your brain has flagged it as important. When it sees them, it triggers off those old scared feelings and your body then sets up a link equating the thing you are looking at with being scared.
A lot of the time the event took place years ago, mostly in childhood. Sometimes the person will have blanked out the
event itself, because it was so scary. Other times, people will remember the very first time that they were scared.
The other thing with phobias is that they can also be considered hereditary. Not in the true scientific sense of the
word (phobias aren’t anything to do with your genetic make up after all), but if one of your parents used to freak out every
time they saw a spider, there is a good chance that you are at least more wary of them than some others may be.
Think about the effect that you are having on your children right now, Is your phobia really something that you want
to pass on to future generations as part of your legacy to the world?
If you are ready to live your life without your fears, phobias or panic attacks then
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email enquiry and to arrange a FREE initial consultation.
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