Tackling Phobias

Phobias are incredibly common and, while we can usually get by with them, they can sometimes be pretty debilitating.

Phobias are irrational elevated fear response to a particular situation or object. These can involve situations where there is some potential danger, like being high up or being in open water, or very little danger like speaking in public. Objects involving phobias can be theoretically dangerous like sharks, or perfectly benign like housecats or spiders. You might even feel this extreme anxiety just thinking about them.

One of the best ways of addressing phobias is through talking therapies like counselling. So how do we actually tackle it?

Perhaps the most popular method within counselling is exposure therapy. With your counsellor you would develop what we call a Ladder of Exposure.

At the bottom of the ladder is something about the phobia that causes a low level of anxiety with each step up the ladder being something hat would cause a higher level of anxiety until at the very top there is the thing (typically the end goal) that would cause the highest anxiety. You would progressively work up the ladder with the support of your counsellor.

For example if we were talking about a fear of spiders, you might start by reading about a spider, then perhaps being ok looking at a picture of a small cute spider like jumping spider, moving on to pictures of larger spiders and with perhaps the end goal of being able to calmly hold a spider on your hand.

The rationale to this is controlled exposure to the perceived danger but reassuring your brain that it is safe. The goal is ultimately that your brain eventually gets bored and recognises that there is no danger and doesn’t activate the fight or flight fear response. This is a very structured and well proven means of addressing phobias.

Phobias are very common but taking control of phobias can help us move forward

and get more out of life.

If you would like to work with me on tackling a phobia, you can complete the online submission form or contact me directly at: mckellarCBT@gmail.com