How can hypnotherapy help Fears and Phobias?

What is a phobia?

A phobia is an irrational fear, you can become phobic to just about anything, from balloons to tissues to spiders. The thing that you're afraid of is simply a trigger for an unconscious reaction that you have no, or very little, control of. It may feel as if an alarm is turned on in your brain.
Phobias are extremely common and range from the less well-known i.e. asymmetriphobia (fear of asymmetrical things) to the more commonly recognised acrophobia or fear of heights. There will usually be strong avoidance behaviour connected with the phobia, and feelings of anxiety, loss of control and panic. Sufferers usually know their fear is irrational, but they cannot control it.
Phobias often begin early in an individual’s life and may occur for a number of reasons. It seems phobias can run in families; however whether this is hereditary or simply learned behaviour is unclear. For example a child may learn a phobia by observing a family member’s reaction to an object or situation. Traumatic experiences and brain chemicals are also believed to influence the development of phobias.

Common phobias

  • Spiders
  • Snakes
  • Dogs
  • Water
  • Driving
  • Dentists
  • Balloons
  • Flying
  • Enclosed spaces
  • Open spaces
  • Social phobia
  • Public speaking
  • Heights
  • The dark

How can hypnotherapy help?

Hypnotherapy is particularly renowned for its effectiveness in assisting sufferers to overcome these distressing and inhibiting conditions. I also use other practical, modern and well researched techniques a long side hypnosis, such as acupressure, rapid eye movements and NLP to speed up the healing process and switch off the flight or fight response to your particular trigger  (spiders, dentists, flying etc), You will be taught techniques and visualisations to use at home as part of your treatment programme.
Hypnotherapy can also be helpful in identifying the root cause of the phobia (if not known) and enabling individuals to react normally (calm and relaxed) to the particular object or situation they once feared.

Signs you have a phobia

  • Trembling
  •  Sweating
  •  Nausea
  •  Headaches
  •  Racing heart
  •  Blushing
  •  Palpitations
  •  Difficulty talking
  • Anxiety and panic
  • Feelings of loss of control
Since our sessions I have felt much less anxious and can watch films and programmes without total fear that a snake might appear. My family are astounded by my relaxed attitude to images of snakes, as before our sessions, I could not even glimpse at a picture of a snake. Now I will voluntarily look for these.