Friday, April 13, 2012

Fear of Snakes Hypnosis

By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Eli_Bliliuos]Eli Bliliuos
If you have a fear of snakes, you are not alone. Millions of people all over the world have the same fear. Seeing or even thinking about a snake may make you start to cry, shake, or have trouble breathing. You may physically need to run away. Your fear may even extend to pictures of snakes or seeing snakes on TV. If your fear is severe enough, you may be afraid to go outside!
If this sounds like you, eliminating your fear may be as simple as taking advantage of hypnosis.
Unlike other phobia treatments, hypnotherapy will not require you to physically get up close and personal with snakes. That can actually be too traumatic for someone with a serious fear. Instead, hypnosis will focus on changing the way that your brain perceives snakes. If you can teach your brain that snakes are not a major threat to you and that they do not require such an extreme reaction, you will be able to eliminate your fear.
Your fear is rooted deep in your subconscious mind. In fact, your subconscious is responsible for most of the things that you do, feel, and say. In order to change your perception of snakes, you have to do it at the subconscious level.
During a fear of snakes hypnotherapy session, your consulting hypnotist may do one of several things:
Focus on a past event that has led to your fear
If, for example, a snake startled you when you went to play outside as a 5-year-old, it could explain your current fear. Hypnosis can tap into your subconscious and train it to understand that a scenario like that wasn't so bad - and that it certainly doesn't justify a serious phobia now. While in hypnosis, a consulting hypnotist can change the subconscious minds perception of an event from the past. Once that is accomplished, the fear will often times disappear.
Focus on the good that snakes can do
A hypnotherapy session may look at the positives - like the fact that snakes can kill rodents, insects, and other pests. The fear can be minimized by simply by learning about the good that snakes can do.
Focus on visualization
Your hypnosis session may include imagining yourself near snakes without being afraid. This can eventually lead to being able to respond in the same way in real life. You may also be told to visualize good things - like hiking through the woods or taking your kids to the zoo - without being terrified that you'll run into a snake.
No matter what techniques your consulting hypnotist uses, overcoming your fear of snakes can be empowering. Once it's gone, you won't have to worry about what may be lurking on TV or what you may see at the park.
Eli Bliliuos is the founder of The New York Hypnosis Institute. He specializes in helping clients overcome the fear of snakes.
To learn more about fear of snakes hypnosis, click here [http://www.tryhypnosisnow.com/]Fear of Snakes Hypnosis New York
New York Hypnosis Institute LLC
241 West 30 street
New York, NY 10001
877-800-6443
To learn about hypnosis training, click here [http://www.tryhypnosisnow.com/hypnosistraining.php]Hypnosis Training New York
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?Fear-of-Snakes-Hypnosis&id=6366648] Fear of Snakes Hypnosis

Wednesday, April 11, 2012

Relaxation Techniques to Get Through a Panic Attack

By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Manohar_K_Kaul]Manohar K Kaul
Panic attack is a period when a person gets temporarily disabled with a sense of extreme fear and or psychological distress. Such attacks are often abrupt and the onset is usually without any warning. This can be result of any phobia and even the fear of future attack is another reason to trigger the attack. Women are more prone to such an attack which is normally twice as compared to men. It has been seen that such  attacks can occur even with simple imagination of some fear. People who have phobia of height, water or even travelling by air can also get such  attacks.
Though it is simply a temporary feeling but panic attacks make situation worst for the sufferer as he/she feels embarrassed after the panic attack is over. Such attacks normally last for ten minutes to half an hour and the person feels entangled in a fight and flight response. Such a situation stimulates body to secrete the adrenaline which reaches its peak in about three minutes; the result is choking, palpitation, chest pain, sweating, nausea, dizziness, trembling and tingling sensation.
Many people who suffer from panic attacks for the first time, think the death is imminent, such a situation makes situation even worse. People temporarily withdraw themselves from the surroundings and feel change in their attitude. They become even more irritable and do not listen to any body. It is the feeling which probably cannot be described. Many people who have suffered from  attacks feel it to be the frightening experience of their lives.
Many people who get repeated attacks suffer from panic disorder and even this can be associated with anxiety disorder.There are instances where a sign of panic disorder can lead to a  attacks upon exposure to some triggers. Such people need help of an expert psychiatric who puts such patients on anti anxiety therapy, with some anti depression medication. Some therapists also teach the patients, the technique of overcoming such attacks with simple practice. In such a situation the will power of the sufferer plays an important role. If the person has complete mind control, he/she can reduce the flow of adrenaline in the blood circulation.
Phobia is a strong and continuous fear about situations, objects, activities and or person. Some people also suffer through night terror, which is a part of sleep disturbances. Another typical term is psychological trauma which could be result of some childhood happenings. Fear is also one of the causes of panic attack which could be simple imagination of any risk or danger. In most of the cases it has been seen these attacks are triggered with imaginary thoughts, some bad dreams, but in some cases it can be real also. The reason could be any, an accident taking place in front of them or any other violent happenings.
People who suffer from such attacks should visit a therapist, who will help them to know the real cause of panic attacks. Regular counseling by a therapist can also prove to be of great help. But basically the sufferer has to believe in self help by gaining control on the mind and come out of this situation.
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?Relaxation-Techniques-to-Get-Through-a-Panic-Attack&id=6376895] Relaxation Techniques to Get Through a Panic Attack

Monday, April 9, 2012

Are Women Genetically Programmed to Be Afraid of Spiders?

By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Rich_Richardson]Rich Richardson
Maybe men, who are forever being called into the kitchen to rid the room of spiders, may need to be a little more understanding with their female partners and should learn not to be too hard on them for their fear and phobia.
Researchers have recently discovered that women may actually be genetically pre-pre-programmed to instinctively be more afraid of our cute little arachnids than men.
Almost from birth, girls younger than a year old learn to associate images and illustrations of spiders as depicted with scary faces. A lot sooner, it would seem according to research, than boys of the same age.
According to these same researchers, during the course of human evolution women have become instinctively more aware and cautious about potentially dangerous or harmful animals. During further research into this theory the scientists showed ten boys and ten girls a colour picture of a spider paired with a scary cartoon character, whilst they sat on the lap of their parent. This test was designed to try and teach the children to be afraid of spiders. They also then showed them two alternative pairings. One was a spider alongside a smiley face and the other a flower next to a frightened face.
The results were surprising. The girls actually spent more time looking at the picture of the happy face than they did the frightened face, which researchers concluded is due to the fact that they 'expected' spiders to be associated with fear.
The girls were actually more distrustful of the smiley face as they instinctively associating the spider with the frightened face.
When the boys were tested in the exact same way, they were found to have looked at both sets of images for exactly the same length of time. Showing that the   rel=nofollow [http://www.panicandanxietyselfhelp.com/Children_with_Anxiety_Disorder.html]anxiety symptoms in children of both sexes did in fact differ.
The prognosis then was that the boys had no pre-conditioned response which would cause them to associate the spider with fear.
In conclusion the researchers summed up these experiments as showing that girls as young as 11 months have already learnt the relationship between a negative facial expression and a relevant frightening trigger (such as a spider or a snake), where as boys of the same age have not.
Based on these reactions it was summarised that because woman can only procreate a limited number of times when compared to men and that they are also in nature the primary carers for their offspring during their childhood, that evolution had provided a built in wariness, where venomous spiders or snakes etc are concerned. These may have been dangers that were faced millions of years ago, when searching for food and as the threat not only to themselves but also their offspring would have been immense, this sense of fear has been developed through evolution
In addition, where the men were concerned, there would have been less pressure on them to avoid these smaller threats. One because the women were the primary carers for the children, and two because of the risks they took every day when hunting for larger prey.
Statistics suggest that around six percent of the human population are afraid of snakes and that four percent have a phobia about spiders (arachnophobia). Researchers believe that based on those included in these figures that women are four times more likely to have a fear of phobia than men.
The theory above seems viable to me, and a great deal of research has gone into the behavioural studies of what seems to be an inherent fear based on very real factors that we as human beings would have had to deal with throughout evolution.
Some however disagree. They are much happier believing that the behaviour is simply copied and handed down through the generations and that young girls learn to be afraid by watching their mothers and sisters. Which is a theory that could be a more than reasonable explanation for the differences in behaviour between men and women.
To read more on phobias and anxiety related disorders, their parent conditions, how to recognise the symptoms and how to start on the road to recovery - come and visit http://www.panicandanxietyselfhelp.com and start learning more on self help methods that will get you up and out of the anxiety pit.
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?Are-Women-Genetically-Programmed-to-Be-Afraid-of-Spiders?&id=6383874] Are Women Genetically Programmed to Be Afraid of Spiders?

Saturday, April 7, 2012

Recognizing and Defeating Agoraphobia

By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Jesse_L_Moore]Jesse L Moore
The term "agora" in agoraphobia" is a Greek word and translates as "marketplace". Now the term is more commonly used to describe a specific type of anxiety disorder that causes a person to avoid any situation that may cause a panic attack. Frequently, this means that an agoraphobic experiences extreme anxiety or fear if required to leave their home. It can also happen in any situation that may cause the sufferer to feel helpless or embarrassed if a panic attack does occur.
Many agoraphobics experience a great deal of anxiety, to the point of panic, in any public setting. This is especially true of any place where there is a crowd, such as a sporting event. The levels of anxiety can be so pronounced that they, literally, trap the individual in their own home.
As with many other types of phobias, treating agoraphobia means facing your fear and that is always very hard. But, there are specific medications and therapies available to help you get past your fears and live a better life.
SYMPTOMS
If you suspect you suffer from agoraphobia, or know someone who might, these are the symptoms most commonly found:
• Afraid of crowded places
• Feeling of helplessness
• Fear of being alone anywhere
• Afraid of being "trapped" somewhere you can't "escape" such as an airplane, train, or elevator
• Being overly dependent on others
• Not being able to leave your house
• Afraid you may "lose control" in a public place
• Feeling that your physical body is somehow disconnected, or not real
CAUSES
Agoraphobia rarely happens without a panic disorder as well. Most commonly it is a complication of a panic disorder which is a disorder that brings about episodes of fear so intense that they cause equally intense physical symptoms. At their worst, panic attacks are terrifying. So much so that the physical symptoms can easily convince you that you are experiencing a heart attack or are dying.
Some research suggests that agoraphobia can be developed if you mentally begin to make a connection between your panic attack and the situations where those attacks have taken place. Naturally, you will probably want to avoid those situations in the future to prevent more panic attacks. Those who suffer from agoraphobia are most likely to steer clear of any circumstance where it would be embarrassing or hard to leave if a panic attack does happen.
Occasionally, this fear becomes so overwhelming that the sufferer is not capable of leaving the perceived safety of their home. But, in most cases, agoraphobics can beat their fears in most circumstances if they are in the company of a trusted family member or companion.
COPING
Regardless of the severity of the agoraphobia, having to live with the symptoms makes life more difficult. While professional treatment will help to get past the fears or, at least, successfully manage them you can also do some things on your own to help the problem.
Avoid Drugs and Alcohol-abusing either illegal drugs or alcohol won't help. In fact, they will make your panic attack symptoms much worse.
Relax-There are many techniques you can learn and practice at home to help. Some suggestions are yoga or meditation.
Don't Avoid Your Fear-This is very hard but practicing going to more places where you are not comfortable will render them less frightening. Take small steps at first and ask family or friends for help.
Take Your Medications-Your therapist undoubtedly told you it can take a week or two to begin to see the effects when you start on a specific drug so stick with it and continue to take your medications exactly as your doctor specifies.

Also, don't stop taking a prescribed medication without consulting your doctor. Suddenly stopping some medications can cause withdrawal symptoms.
Be Healthy-Eat a balanced diet, exercise at least a bit every day, and allow enough time for a good night's sleep.
Find out more about the stress points in our lives and how to manage them effectively by visiting [http://www.controlstress.net]Control Stress
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?Recognizing-and-Defeating-Agoraphobia&id=6391526] Recognizing and Defeating Agoraphobia

Thursday, April 5, 2012

The Top 3 Things Most People Are Afraid Of

By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Trevor_Johnson]Trevor Johnson
Deep down, most of us are afraid of something. Whether it's a reasonably rational fear or one that we'd rather not admit we have. But - collectively - what are our top fears?
1. Fear of Public Speaking
This is usually quoted as the biggest phobia on the planet. Even higher than fear of death (number two on this list).
Why should this be?
Public speaking brings up lots of different issues.
For a start, there's a chance that you'll embarrass yourself or somehow make yourself look stupid. Never mind that most people in the audience will just be glad that it's not them on the stage and will probably be secretly Tweeting or texting rather than listening to you. It's the thought that they could be paying attention and that you might - just might - mess up that worries public speakers the most.
There's also the worry of "drying up". You've probably cringed when this happens on shows like Dragon's Den or television talent shows. And the worry of it happening to you kicks in, maybe even causing the issue that you were worried about.
The trick with public speaking is to pretend that you're addressing just one or maybe two people. That. And practice. The more practiced and confident you are, the more likely you are to overcome your fear of public speaking.
2. Fear of Death
Sorry to tell you this but - at least with our current technology - death is inevitable. Religion promises us an afterlife but that's not been proven. Some people believe in reincarnation and use instances of deja vu to show that this is true. But we haven't really got a clue whether these are right, so it's probably best to assume that once we die, that's it.
So, why are we scared of death?
After all, once our heart stops beating we will have no conscious feeling.
It's probably the lead-up to death that scares people. The thought of maybe a prolonged and possibly painful illness. Leaving stuff undone or uncompleted. No longer being with loved ones.
All those feelings and more contribute to our fear of death, causing it to be high up on most people's list of fears.
3. Fear of Spiders
There are evolutionary reasons for the phobia of spiders. Some of them can bite and poison us. But a lot of people have taken that deep rooted fear and translated it into the much more common - and harmless - spiders that we are much more likely to encounter.
Of course, that knowledge doesn't exactly help when we're in a face-off with an inch long creature that realizes we're not its next meal but we don't.
Which, in a nutshell, is why so many people are afraid of spiders and will run a mile rather than humanely help them on to pastures new.
Of course, there are lots more fears that people have - some are also common like a fear of needles or a phobia of flying that causes us to take a long road trip rather than a short hop on a plane. Others are less common, such as a fear of fish or a worry that aliens are already taking over the planet.
So if your phobia isn't in the top 3 list, fear not, it's still real enough for you.
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Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?The-Top-3-Things-Most-People-Are-Afraid-Of&id=6393489] The Top 3 Things Most People Are Afraid Of

Tuesday, April 3, 2012

Fighting the Fear of Flying

By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Marilyn_Wedge]Marilyn Wedge
Summer has finally arrived, and many of us are looking forward to sunshiny days at the beach, hiking in the mountains, or sightseeing in a foreign country. For some of us, however, a looming summer vacation is not a happy prospect. It means an airplane flight, and these people inwardly quake at the very thought of getting on an airplane. They may fear losing control and panicking during the flight, or suffocating, or dying when the plane unexpectedly takes a nose dive.
Fear or anxiety comes in many forms. Some people have social anxiety, which is a fear of speaking in front of groups or of going into new social situations. Some people experience panic attacks during stressful situations such as taking an exam. A fear of one specific place or thing such as heights, spiders, or plane flights, is called a phobia, a word that comes from the Greek word phobos, or fear. A phobia arises when a person has a bad experience involving the feared thing or place. With the fear of flying, perhaps the person was on an airplane flight where there was an equipment failure and the plane had to turn back. This scared all the passengers. Perhaps the person lost a loved one in an airplane accident. Or perhaps they were on a plane when another passenger had a heart attack. This one scary experience becomes generalized in their mind and feelings, with the result that for them any plane trip is associated with fear.
For me, as a family therapist, summer brings clients who want help overcoming their fear of flying. Of all the strategies in my therapy toolbox, I have found one particular strategy most helpful to combat the fear of flying. This strategy is paradoxical, because I prescribe to the client the very symptom for which she is seeking help. I ask the client to devote fifteen minutes a day to conquering her fear. She has to be alone, in a comfortable place such as her bedroom. She then sets her cell phone or other timer for fifteen minutes. Then she conjures up the most fearful airplane journey she can imagine and starts having the worst fears possible. After fifteen minutes, she can stop having the fear and go about her usual activities.
Most clients come back after a single session and tell me that they feel more in control of their fear. One young client, a seventeen-year-old boy named Mitchell, came up with his own unique variation on the strategy. He did the fifteen minute exercise while he was mountain biking. When he reached the summit of a hill, he set his cell phone timer and brought on his worst fears for fifteen minutes. At the next session two weeks later, Mitchell told me that now he could control his fear by using the power of his own mind. That is exactly the point of the exercise. The mind conjures up the fear and then stops the fear. Like other paradoxical strategies of prescribing the symptom, prescribing fear to combat fear is a powerful intervention.
Marilyn Wedge, Ph.D. Family Therapist and author of recent book: Suffer the Children: The Case Against Labeling and Medicating and an Effective Alternative
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?Fighting-the-Fear-of-Flying&id=6389090] Fighting the Fear of Flying

Sunday, April 1, 2012

Overcoming Driving Phobia in Four Steps

By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Jonathan_C._Smith]Jonathan C. Smith
Individuals can develop a driving phobia for many different reasons. When they do so, a mere thought of a car can lead to symptoms such as dry throats, headaches, nausea, sweaty hands, and panic attacks, Due to this reason individuals who suffer from phobia usually can not drive a car, those who can often need to stop in mid-drive. Thus, individuals suffering from this incapacitating disorder often suffer problems in their social life, work life, and in their self-esteem. However, this does not mean that individuals suffering from phobia are without help or support. In the contrary, there are various methods available to individuals that suffer from driving phobia. Some of these methods include self-help methods, therapy, and medication. The fallowing steps are self-help methods that can help individuals overcome their driving fear.
Due to the fact that you will be trying to overcome your driving phobia by yourself you need to start with simple and small steps. The fist step is for you to just sit in your car and turn the engine on. The second step is to actually drive your car. Go around the block a couple of times and then go back home. The third step involves getting out of your safety drive zone. As soon as you feel that you can drive beyond your block do so, but try to take a driving buddy. Someone that will keep you company and provide support. The fourth and final step involves you getting back on the road by yourself. Remember, the key to overcoming your driving phobia is to start slow; after all, slow and steady win the race.
Understanding and Overcoming Your Driving Phobia
Feeling fear is a part of life; in fact fear is a survival mechanism that kicks in when we are in danger. Being afraid is normal, however, when does being afraid turn into a phobia? Phobia is being afraid without a justified cause. For example, driving fear occurs when an individual witnesses or is in an accident and afterward is affected just by thinking negative thought about driving. Thus the fear becomes reinforced and the driving phobia begins. Phobia is a disability that can affect people of all rounds of life and when it does it can have negative effects in the individuals social life, career, health, and even their self esteem. Therefore, it is vital that people suffering from driving phobia understand their problem and seek professional help.
Driving phobia is an endless cycle of fear that repeats itself over and over again until you decide to put a stop to it. When you realize that you have a problem driving your car, do not ignore it. Ignoring the problem only makes the problem worse because it reinforces the problem. Although facing your fears is not an easy task it can be done, all you need is the appropriate method that will work for you, some positive reinforcing in your part, and time. Since this phobia is a mental problem the best method to overcome it is therapy. However, you can also try to overcome driving phobia by your self by fallowing easy tips and taking baby steps, this method is called self-help. Regardless of what method you choose, you need to keep in mind that overcoming your driving phobia will take time.
Read more about [http://www.driving-fear.com/driving_phobia.html]driving phobia on http://www.driving-fear.com
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?Overcoming-Driving-Phobia-in-Four-Steps&id=6404206] Overcoming Driving Phobia in Four Steps

Friday, March 30, 2012

How to Overcome Phobias

By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Sandra_Ruth_Nambasa]Sandra Ruth Nambasa
A phobia, from a Greek word "ph�bos means "fear", is an irrational, intense and persistent fear of certain situations, activities, things, animals, or people. The main symptom is the excessive and unreasonable desire to avoid the feared stimulus. Generally, when the fear is beyond one's control and is interfering with daily life, we call it a phobia.
How a phobia works.
It is possible that phobias are locked into brain 1(Primitive) and operate from there at a core level. This part of the brain is pretty crude and basic in its responses to the world. It is concerned with such things as survival, flight or fight, self preservation and territorial/spacial boundaries.
Phobias work the same way for us as Pavlov's dogs. Some biological response has been tied to some "trigger" or stimulus (usually a result of some emotionally charged incident.) This stimulus can be just thinking about something. For example the way a person thinks about being in closed space can have profound effects on his biology. These feelings can cause the triggering of a variety of feelings-including fear and panic.
Facts about removing phobias
� Removing a phobia is about dis-abling fear associated with a situation, activity, things animals or people. The aim of
� A phobia is a Nominalisation of behaviour. It is the behaviour associated with the phobia that you want to get rid of.
� Remember that Fear is an essential emotion designed to keep us safe because a bit of healthy fear is all that is needed most of the time.
� When you focus on your phobia, you lose control of your life, rather your phobias will. Remember that what you focus on gets bigger.
� If we talk to someone about our phobias, we will be able to get rid of it. Do not do it alone.
� Pre verbal reaction- children learn to fear when they are young/babies from their parents.
� Our brains associate phobias with something else. Such as fear of conflict can be associated with growing up within a violent home.
� People get phobic reactions because they do not have enough information- how do you generate information?
Questions to help you dig up the root the origin of the phobia you have.
� How old were you when you decided that?
� What is it about your phobia that you want to change?
� What is associated with that behaviour?
Remember that phobic reactions are experiences that can be reframed.
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?How-to-Overcome-Phobias&id=6397606] How to Overcome Phobias

Wednesday, March 28, 2012

Overcoming The Fear Of Vomiting - 3 Quick Tips

By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Paul_Trammell]Paul Trammell
1 - Reading of a medical book on the fear of vomiting will give you an understanding on how beneficial to the body actually vomiting really is. This can help you in overcoming the fear of vomiting by easing your anxiety when you realize vomiting does not harm the body in most cases. A good example medical book to read would be the long winded titled book: Vomiting: Cyclic Vomiting Syndrome, Emetophobia, Mr. Creosote, Postoperative Nausea and Vomiting, Hematemesis, Emetophilia - [paperback]
If the above medical book is too scientific and/or is too graphic in nature for you then I would recommend: Living With Emetophobia: Coping With Extreme Fear Of Vomiting by Nicolette Heaton-Harris and Linda Dean - [paperback]. This book is written by a lifelong emetophobe and gives help and advice on dealing with emetophobia from an actual sufferers point of view. Both books can be picked up online at Amazon or a Barnes & Noble store.
2 - A more proactive way to overcome your fear of vomiting is to use self-hypnosis. Now this will mean that you have to confront your fears by concentrating your thoughts on someone else being sick and yourself. The best option to try this would be in a darkened room and if it helps you to relax play some soothing favorite music that is put on low in the background. You need to close your eyes and relax as much as possible, then you should visualize someone vomiting in your mind. Try and keep calm through the visualization process. Once you have gained control of visualizing another person vomiting, it is time to train your hypnosis thoughts on yourself actually vomiting in your minds eye. This will probably take longer to master with it being yourself in the visualization technique. As long as you stay relaxed and keep practicing, it will become easier over time. Your anxiety will then begin to fade away with ongoing practice.
3 - Online forums and support groups are a good way to make contact with others who suffer from emetophobia. You can post details about what you are going through plus read others stories on how they deal with this illness. They can relate to what you are going through on a daily basis in battling your vomit phobia.
Keep in mind that your vomit phobia is a treatable condition and you do not have to keep this illness to yourself. Hopefully the above tips will give you some help in overcoming your fear of vomiting.
For an in depth and personal review of the Emetophobia Recovery System and if this program will work for you in curing your emetophobia, you can read the review here: http://www.vomitphobia.org/emetophobia-treatment-emetophobia-recovery-system/
For more information on emetophobia and the various treatments available to you today please visit my website at: http://www.vomitphobia.org/
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?Overcoming-The-Fear-Of-Vomiting---3-Quick-Tips&id=6411032] Overcoming The Fear Of Vomiting - 3 Quick Tips

Monday, March 26, 2012

Vomit Phobia - What Is It And Where To Get Help!

By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Paul_Trammell]Paul Trammell
Vomit phobia or emetophobia as it is medically known is an acute and irrational fear of vomiting, or seeing someone else vomiting. Also, the fear of vomiting sufferer will often have the same symptoms when they feel nauseated or even if another person is feeling sick. The symptoms of vomit phobia will also often occur when the person is watching television or at the cinema and the actor is being sick or feeling sick. To the emetophobic it makes no difference that it is on screen and not real. The phobia will still arise whether it is for real or not.
The sight of someone vomiting in public places or on a movie screen can severely impact on the social lives of a vomit phobia sufferer. They will often avoid places and situations were there is the potential for the sight of vomit. Bars, clubs, going to fairgrounds, airplane and boat travel can all be off limits to an emetophobic. Many emetophobia sufferers will not attend doctors, hospitals or even dental surgeries as the possibility of vomiting rises in the emetophobics mind.
Emetophobia Symptoms - Impact on life of a sufferer
Many people have a fear of vomiting, however they are not classed as an emetophobia sufferer unless the fear of vomiting has progressed to the stage of disrupting the persons life.
As well as avoiding public places like the ones discussed, a vomit phobia sufferer will often show signs of high levels of stress and anxiety with any situation, real or imagined that could possibly induce vomiting. This can impact on job prospects and personal goals and ambitions can be restricted also if not treated. In extreme cases, women who are emetophobic can put off having children due to the morning sickness associated with childbirth.
Usually an emetophobia sufferer will develop some form of food rituals whereby they will only eat specific foods, and usually only small portions that they consider safe from any side affects. This can manifest into the sufferer constantly checking food for freshness and incessant washing of food to remove dirt or germs. This could lead to Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) in extreme cases.
Emetophobia Treatment
Although to date there is not a vast amount of research done on emetophobia, there are several options available to a sufferer to help overcome fear of vomiting.
The first option is to consult your own doctor. They can provide advice and possible avenues for treatment. They can provide anti-nausea drugs which can relieve symptoms in the short term. They can also provide anti-depressants if the phobia has caused depression in the sufferer, which can easily happen to a vomit phobia person. This is obviously not a long term solution to the illness as it does not get to the root of the problem that the emetophobic has. Drugs of any kind will not cure the condition at this time, only relieve the symptoms temporarily.
Many sufferers avoid visiting their physician as they believe that they will not understand or take their condition seriously. Thankfully, this attitude in the medical profession is very rare these days as more evidence into this illness is uncovered. Sadly though, for the emetophobic they will believe that nobody can help them and avoid making contact, keeping their condition to themselves. This will often make the situation they find themselves in worse as they try to avoid confronting their emetophobia illness.
Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT)
This therapy is a structured form of self help that the emetophobia sufferer will undertake. There is evidence to suggest that this form of therapy is helpful to many people with emetophobia. It must be understood though that for this emetophobia treatment to be successful there will be hard work involved for the person with this illness. Also, this form of treatment can be expensive.
Overcoming Health Anxiety by David Veale and Rob Willson. This book explains in detail what CBT is all about. It also has a section on using CBT in treating emetophobia. Highly recommended reading if you are at all considering using Cognitive Behaviour Therapy as part of your emetophobia treatment.
Hypnotherapy
Hypnotherapy is another possible emetophobia treatment that a sufferer can explore. But again this form of treatment can be expensive and there is no conclusive evidence at this time to confirm if this will provide a permanent solution to emetophobia.
Self Help - Online and offline
Self help can involve talking to friends and, or family members, but often this is impossible to a lot of emetophobics due to the reasons already discussed. So forums online can be a good place for a sufferer of this condition to get involved with as they understand and can relate to the sufferers condition and way of life with this illness. There is a link on my website to the best emetophobia and anxiety forums for you to check out.
Emetophobia Recovery System
The Emetophobia Recovery System is the only online program that I know of that is solely for the treatment of emetophobia. There are of course many anxiety related self help courses on the market that could help. They are however not targeted to this condition and are in most cases much more expensive than the Emetophobia Recovery System.
In this course you will be given a step-by-step program to tackle the condition head on and help you to overcome your fear of vomiting permanently. Mental health professionals have tested this program and recommend its use in emetophobia treatment.
For an in depth and personal review of the Emetophobia Recovery System and if this program will work for you in curing your emetophobia, you can read the review here: http://www.vomitphobia.org/emetophobia-treatment-emetophobia-recovery-system/
For more information on emetophobia and the various treatments available to you today please visit my website at: http://www.vomitphobia.org/
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Saturday, March 24, 2012

10 Strange And Weird Phobias

By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Roger_Clinton]Roger Clinton
It is not unusual for people to have a fear or two, like a fear of flying, height, open spaces, driving, but for some, this fear can become excessive and irrational. At this level, the fear becomes a phobia. People will have different trigger thresholds, the point at which the phobia condition takes over.
A phobia can be defined as an intense, irrational and perpetual fear of situations, people or activities, which if not treated and overcome has the potential to ruin personal, work and social life.
To have some fear is necessary to avoid dangerous situations and in most cases is reasonable and rational. However, what most people would consider mundane, harmless and ordinary, to some would be frightening and develop into full blown phobias.
The following are just some examples of weird phobias:
Ablutophobia
This is a phobia of cleaning, bathing and washing, more prevalent in emotionally unstable women and children.
Chorophobia
Very difficult to believe, but this is a phobia of dancing, generally felt to be a joyful and enjoyable pastime.
Consecotaleophobia
Fear of chopsticks! Probably arising from a previous traumatic experience.
Arachibutyrophobia
The fear of peanut butter sticking to the roof of the mouth, so swallowing rather than chewing is the order of the day amongst sufferers.
Anablephobia
The fear of looking up. Just think what sufferers miss out on. The sky, sunsets, rainbows.....
Estiophobia
The fear of clothes, or more specifically, a particular type or material. Usually, this condition is found in those that are overweight and middle-aged, who think that clothes make them look worse.
Genuphobia
This is the fear of knees, which could be your own or those of someone else.
Scopophobia
The fear of being looked at, which has obvious adverse implications on social activities.
Euphobia
Some people have a fear of hearing good news, believing that bad news is sure to follow!
Allodoxaphobia
This is the fear of the opinions of other people, particularly about personality, clothes, appearance, home, in fact just about everything!
This phobias list could go on and on, with endless examples of what many people believe to be strange and weird phobias. To those that suffer however, these phobias are far from strange, but are debilitating and life affecting to say the least.
If you are unfortunate enough to have fears, anxieties or phobias, you will need some sort of support to prevent them from taking over your life. Fortunately, there are several different approaches that you can use to lead you to successful outcomes.
A so-called weird phobia is something that is considered to be treatable nowadays, either by using therapy options or medication, both of which will help in finding solutions to your fears.
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Thursday, March 22, 2012

Pteromerhanophobia - What Causes a Fear of Flying?

By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Roger_Clinton]Roger Clinton
Pteromerhanophobia or a fear of flying has the potential to seriously affect your life in more ways than you would think. For those that suffer, the results have included stopping flying altogether, causing job opportunities to be missed, family gatherings and holidays cancelled or avoided. A totally debilitating phobia.
What causes a fear of flying will vary from person to person. A previous bad event such as severe turbulence may be enough, whereas others may just feel anxious through feeling trapped at altitude. It could also involve a mistrust of the flight crew or a total lack of confidence in the aircraft to remain airborne.
What is important to remember however, is that there is really nothing to fear, whatever the underlying individual cause of the anxiety. Even those that have flown through turbulence have never been in real danger, because the aircraft of today are manufactured to such a high standard that they can easily cope with the sort of turbulence that may typically be encountered. Even danger from engine failure is drastically minimized due to the sophisticated level of the safety systems installed.
That is not to say that anxiety and panic attacks that occur during a flight are not uncomfortable, far from it.The physical and emotional reactions of someone with a fear of flying are just real as if something dangerous actually were happening.
Some of the more common symptoms that may be present include:
- Breathing difficulties
- Chest pains and heart palpitations
- Sweating and dizziness
- Vomiting
- Muscle tension
- Dry mouth
- Abdominal pains
The feeling of loss of control can be overpowering and convince sufferers that they are in extreme danger. Although frightening, this perception of danger is just that, and not real. Easy to say, but true nevertheless.
A really good way of overcoming this fear of flying is to follow a systematic approach to treatment, which covers how safe flying is, as well as teaching how to modify reactions to flying, so enabling an end to anxiety and panic whilst flying.
One such system is The Takeoff Today Program, which teaches all this and more. It makes use of written, audio and video material, as well as free information and reports to download. All this instructional material helps sufferers answer their most common questions, by using interviews with pilots, flight crews and other experts within the aviation industry, all aimed to help you overcome your fear of flying. [http://www.fear-of-flying-phobia.blogspot.com]Fear of flying can be a totally debilitating condition that forces sufferers to miss out on so much of life. If you are suffering, you can beat it and start living life to the full again. Visit http://www.strange-phobias.blogspot.com to find out how to overcome your fear of flying, as well as other phobias and fears.
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Tuesday, March 20, 2012

How to Start To Overcome Your Fear of Flying

By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Kari_Farmer]Kari Farmer
Terrified of flying? Many people are. One study done by Opinion Research Corporation asked 2117 adults about their level of fear of flying. It was reported that 18.1% answered that they were afraid of flying while an additional 12.6% reported anxiety in regards to flying. That means that about 650 of those questioned have some level of anxiety or fear of flying. That's a large portion of people!
The best thing you can do when it comes to fear of flying is to take action to get over the fear. If you sit around and let it control you then you may start to cancel important flights or let it cause havoc on your health as intense fear causes stress on the body and stress affects the body's health.
Here are some ways to help you to start to take action to overcome your fear of flying.
Pinpoint Your Exact Fear
Maybe you are scared of the plane crashing or maybe you are scared of the plane running out of gas. There are many fears that you can have about flying and you need to figure out what your exact fear is before you can do anything about it. If you are fearful of more than one thing than admit it!
Once you have figured out what you are scared of write down all of your fears and the reasons you are scared. Decide whether any of those fears are irrational fears. These would most likely be fears of the plane roof flying off or something similar seen in a movie or TV show.
Knowledge is Power
In the case of fear of flying, ignorance is NOT bliss. Many fears can be alleviated through knowledge. The more you know the less you have to be afraid of, especially if your fear is an irrational fear.
Take the time to learn about planes and flying and focus on the areas you are scared of. If you are worried about the gas running out before you get to your destination than research how planes fuel up and the precautions they take to ensure the proper amount of fuel. Also, research what would happen in case of an empty fuel tank so you can see that procedures would be set in place.
Planes haven't just started taking to the sky. There are set procedures in place and emergency procedures as well. They got it covered so to speak. Get out there and find out how they operate and you will find that your fear of flying will start to alleviate a bit.
Relax Yourself Before Takeoff
If you have a fear of flying then the last thing you want to do is get hyped up on caffeine or sugar before you flight. And while it may be tempting to order a drink before your flight you may find yourself even more anxious after your drink has been downed.
The best thing you can do is bring some calming music, some natural relaxants, and your best frame of mind. Once you sit in your seat on the plane get all of your calming things out and focus on them. If you have chosen music to relax with then get your earphones in your ears and start to drift into a happy place that you have set out for yourself.
You may want to read the fact sheet that is in the pocket in front of your seat. This will give you even further knowledge about the plane that you are on. Remember that knowledge is power.
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Sunday, March 18, 2012

The Fear of Old People

By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Jeremy_Nir]Jeremy Nir
So you don't like old people, I get it. They smell like medicine, they have tubes connecting their splotchy tissue-paper arms to all sorts of machines, and they always have white gobs in the corners of their mouths. You may suffer from Gerontophobia. To those with an old person phobia, the elderly may well be a constant reminder of the decaying existence that lies just beyond the river bend, and of course - death.
I get that you love your grandma, and so do I (love mine that is). So why is it that she grosses you out so much?
It is said that the fear of the elderly is caused by young people not believing that they share any common ground with old folks. If young is beautiful then old is a saggy sack. If young is tomorrow then old is so last year. On the flip-flop side, old people can resent youngsters for everything they no longer have and in turn fear their own aging process. The thought of getting put out on the ice floe with the best years behind you would probably suck.
It is this fear that fuels the ever-growing Anti-Aging Market which is estimated at over 500 Billion dollars worldwide. With so much to gain many companies spend a lot of money getting the message out there that young = good and old = bad. It is a concept very much integrated with our culture where celebrities look younger every year and natural aging is the way of the past.
How can I get over my fear of old people and getting old?
1. Become aware that your fear of the elderly and aging is not yours. It was likely put there large corporations so you will buy buy buy!
2. A recent article in The Economist found that the average person is happy in their youth, sinks deeper and deeper into depression as they age until they hit that "mid-life crisis" age around 50 years old. As a we age beyond 50, people tend to get more and more happy!
3. Get to know the elderly in your life as real people. Hear their stories and have some empathy. These people had a first kiss, had big dreams, made sacrifices, had families, loved, lost, and all the rest of what makes up a life.
4. Remember that it is a lucky person who lives long enough to gross young people out!
Read hundreds of funny articles at http://thingsifear.com
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?The-Fear-of-Old-People&id=6468874] The Fear of Old People

Friday, March 16, 2012

Fear Vs Phobia - What's The Difference?

By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Trevor_Johnson]Trevor Johnson
A lot of the time, the words fear and phobia are used interchangeably. But the English language has a lot of subtleties and the distinction between the two words - whilst subtle - is real. So, what's the difference between a fear of something and a phobia of something?
What is fear?
The dictionary definition of fear is "an unpleasant emotion caused by the belief that someone or something is dangerous, likely to cause pain, or a threat."
Which doesn't sound too ominous at first glance.
After all, an unpleasant emotion could be almost anything from a tear coming to your eye right the way through to out and out revulsion. And all points in between.
Fear can be a good thing. It's the kind of emotion that causes us to flee from situations and events that could be harmful to us. So that cliff edge that you were about to step over causes a feeling of fear that's powerful enough for you to take a step back and save yourself from plunging into the abyss.
Likewise the confrontation with an angry wolf or bear or automobile (to use a more likely occurrence) can induce enough fear to give your survival instincts enough time to kick in and save you from an unpleasant experience.
So, strictly speaking, a fear is based on a reasonably rational assumption about something that could cause you harm in some way, shape or form.
What is a phobia?
Again, to quote the dictionary definition, a phobia is "an extreme or irrational fear of or aversion to something."
So, at its most basic, a phobia is a fear that's on steroids. The normal fear you have of something has taken a step up and is now bigger and bolder than a regular fear or worry about something. Chances are that you've broken out in a cold sweat or are already running for the hills rather than facing whatever it is that you have a phobia of.
But delving deeper into that dictionary definition, you can see that a phobia doesn't have to be based on anything that's actually rational.
A fear of a grizzly bear that turned extreme would still be based on the fact that the creature is likely to be more powerful than you and isn't really Yogi Bear in disguise.
An irrational fear is something different completely, which is where it turns into a phobia.
Phobias can cover all sorts of topics. They can be an extreme version of a fear of heights where, for instance, you won't go within half a mile of a cliff edge.
Or they can get you to panic about something that near enough everyone else treats as normal - crossing a bridge, being part of a crowd, that kind of thing.
Do fears and phobias ever meet?
There's sometimes a crossover involved between fears and phobias.
Something like a fear of public speaking is quite common. But if you take it to an extreme then it can turn itself into a phobia and mean that you will do everything you can to avoid the problem.
So there's not always a clear cut difference between fears and phobias.
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Wednesday, March 14, 2012

How to Get Over a Fear of Dogs

By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Trevor_Johnson]Trevor Johnson
Dogs are supposed to be man's best friend. But that doesn't stop them from being scary at times -- after all, one of their functions as our best friend is to protect us from things. So they can bare their teeth, bark like a four legged burglar alarm and generally be aggressive if they need to be. What can you do if you have a fear of dogs?
Find a friendly dog to train yourself with
In much the same way as Caspar is a friendly ghost, there are friendly dogs who you can practice your skills on and start ot wean yourself off the fear you have of our canine friends.
Generally speaking, dogs don't have the canine equivalent of small man syndrome, so the smaller dogs are often the best place to start this.
Find one of your friends who has a dog that's generally friendly - one that is good with children is an excellent start - and see how you get on.
Start by being in the same house as the dog. Maybe with the doors closed so that there's no immediate risk of an encounter with your four legged foe.
Then move up to the dog being in the same room as you, but on a lead that's firmly held by their owner. So long as you've chosen the "correct" dog, there should be no bared teeth or growls. Just a tentative wag of a tail which will show you that the furry creature isn't all bad.
After that, see whether you can bring yourself to actually touch the dog. Bring your hand slowly up to it, so that the dog can sniff you (that's what dogs do on a regular basis - their sense of smell is acute).
There's a chance that at this stage the dog will try to lick your hand - that's fine. Allow this to happen, rather than instinctively recoiling from this friendly advance.
Finally, see whether you can bring yourself to stroke the dog you've met. If it helps, think of it as a live, warm, cuddly toy that will interact with you. There's a good chance that the dog you used to be scared of will react well to this - a lack of growling is a good indication, tail wagging is another one (although some dogs can confuse you by growling or barking and wagging their tail at the same time!)
Think about hypnosis
Helping you to conquer your fear of dogs is one of the things that hypnosis does well.
If you've tried the first approach but still can't stand to be in the same room as a dog, let along pet one, then it's time to get your rational mind out of the equation and that's the kind of thing that hypnosis does naturally.
Listening to a hypnosis download is discrete - there's no need to tell anyone what you're doing - and the track will work with your subconscious mind to change how you react to an encounter with a dog. This is a simple process and doesn't need anything more from you than listening to the hypnosis MP3 and letting it work its magic.
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Monday, March 12, 2012

Intense Phobias

By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Trevor_Johnson]Trevor Johnson
Phobias are bad enough at the best of times. But when they turn from a "regular" phobia into an intense phobia, they're really bad news. So what - if anything - can you do to overcome an intense phobia and get back to normality or at least something close to normality?
Break up your phobia
Chances are that if your intense phobia is really big then it's made up of a lot of smaller component fears. In much the same way as a car or a cell phone isn't just one amorphous mass but is made up of lots of smaller bits.
Pretend that you're back in school in a biology lesson and lay your problem out on the desk or table in front of you. This is probably best done on a piece of paper or a computer screen.
Then split it out into minute detail.
So if you have a fear of public speaking that might break down into things like: standing up in front of a group of people; reading your speech without tripping over things too often; dealing with computer glitches when the slides don't move as they id when you rehearsed; dealing with unexpected (or even expected) questions from your audience; and so on.
There's an outside chance that even this small exercise will dissipate your fear. But that's not the most likely outcome.
It's more likely that you will look at the individual parts that are ganging up on you and think "they're not too bad on their own, but when they're all in the same place that's different".
Which is a perfectly normal reaction.
Bully the weakest parts of your intense phobia
In normal life, bullying obviously isn't a good choice.
But we're dealing with an intense situation here and that calls for intense measures.
Fears are - by their very nature - quite fragile things once you get under their skin.
So bullying - or working on - your fears away is quite acceptable and actually works a treat.
Just like happened in the playground, pick on the weakest link first. Then chip away at its edges until it begins to dissolve.
Do the same with the next weakest component of your phobia.
And keep doing this for the next few days or weeks.
You'll be pleasantly surprised how well this works.
If you're currently at the top end of the scale - a ten on a 1 to 10 measure for instance - then chipping away at the edges may only nudge it down slightly. Maybe imperceptibly at first.
But keep working on it and you'll gradually knock it back to "only" a 9 rating.
And keep working on it some more.
Because once you get your intense fear down to a fairly regular score of around 5 out of 10, it will do the rest of the work itself. Which sounds weird at first but works brilliantly near enough all the time.
If you're still skeptical, try it on a nervous fear to start with - one that's only part way up the scale - and see how it melts into the background with very little help from you.
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Saturday, March 10, 2012

Agoraphobia Help - Causes, Symptoms and Treatment

By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Bobby_Watford]Bobby Watford
Are you searching for Agoraphobia help? First things first, the extremely extensive definition of agoraphobia is 'fear of being outdoors, or in a scenario that's difficult to get away from'. Lots of people suffer from this sort of fear, but the occurrence of the anxiousness episodes is under-reported due to the proven fact that individuals study the way to avoid the circumstances which set off an anxiety assault. Numerous patients do not even get diagnosed for his or her specific issue which tends to make another severe problem and a hurdle to therapy.
Agoraphobia Help - The Causes Of Agoraphobia
Scientific research have come up with a number of ideas concerning the reasons of agoraphobia, however the checklist is far from being exhaustive:
-frequent recurrence of anxiety-producing events;
-genetic predisposition;
-powerful inner conflicts;
-mental health issues and so on.
There's usually a combination of elements which lead to the appearance of agoraphobia. Every clinical situation has its personal uniqueness, and statistical reviews turn out to be all the more difficult to make under the circumstances.
Agoraphobia Help - The Signs And Symptoms Of Agoraphobia
The PANIC Attack is the most common manifestation of agoraphobia, plus it usually signifies most fear cases. The physiological reactions right here include:
-accelerated heartbeat;
-intense fear;
-dizziness;
-nausea and diarrhea.
Agoraphobia Help - Risks!
Individuals who are beneath much more mental or emotional tension have a greater likelihood of creating agoraphobia. The issue gets manifest between teenage years and early adulthood, however it is not unusual to impact middle-aged people either.
The risks are greater for individuals who are divorced, emotionally out of balance, that earn a low income and suffer from all kinds of insecurities. However, Caucasians are more exposed to agoraphobia compared to African-Americans, Hispanics or Asians.
Agoraphobia Help - Diagnosis And Treatment
Even if there's no particular test for agoraphobia, you ought to look for medical assistance with a professional to be able to have your medical background evaluated. The Gp will initially try to determine if there's not a hidden physical reason underlying the problem and causing difficulty, and if they are not found, you will be referred to a mental health specialist or medical psychologist for diagnosis and treatment.
Psychotherapy and cognitive-behavioral treatment are utilized for your treatment of agoraphobia along with medicines such as serotonin inhibitors like Prozac or Zoloft and small tranquilizers through the bezodiazepine groups. Beta-blockers are another kind of drugs utilized for your therapy of agoraphobia along with other fears in general. However, these medications merely keep symptoms beneath control with out becoming a remedy.
The therapy ought to be carefully monitored by a specialist that might suggest adjustments in drug doses if necessary. Psychiatric therapy however is always a must when it comes to agoraphobia help and it actually assists one beat the fear for good.
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Thursday, March 8, 2012

How to Overcome a Fear of Doctors

By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Trevor_Johnson]Trevor Johnson
Doctors have a wide ranging remit. They can examine near enough any part of your body - they'll likely leave your teeth to the care of your dentist, but that's about the only thing that's off limits to a doctor. So it's not exactly unnatural to be worried about a visit to your doctor. Here are some tips to help you overcome your fear of doctors.
Pinpoint your fear
There are likely to be lots of component parts making up your fear of doctors.
It could be a fear of the unknown because you don't know what they're going to diagnose. Or it could white coat syndrome, where you're worried about the power exerted by a stranger over the next part of your life. A fear of doctors could also be related to a fear of needles, even though it's more likely to be a nurse who is wielding that sharp object than the doctor themselves.
If you can split your fear up into these component parts, it's easier to tackle each one individually, chipping away at the edges of your phobia until it vanishes.
Decide whether visiting your doctor is worse than not visiting them
If you've just got a tickle in your throat or something else that could be cured or lessened by a visit to a your local pharmacy, there's not likely to be much need to visit your doctor. Although the usual caveat of "if symptoms persist" applies here just as much as it does elsewhere.
But if your symptoms aren't something that your friendly neighborhood pharmacist can deal with then you will have to pluck up the courage and book an appointment with your family doctor.
If that's the case, try to book the appointment sooner rather than later. That will give you less chance of developing cold feet and canceling the visit. It will also give you less time to wind yourself up about the inevitable meeting.
Bring a friend
Unless your visit to your doctor is about something that is very embarrassing (and there could well be a clinic you can visit for that!) then bring a friend to the appointment with you. You can chat with them on the journey and pass the time of day in the waiting room when the booked appointment time comes and goes without your name being called.
Your friend should be understanding - ideally you don't want to bring someone who is going to make your fear of doctors even worse - but strict enough not to let you back out of the appointment at the last minute. Hopefully they won't need to frog march you from reception to the actual doctors' room. But if that's likely to be your reaction then a couple of strong armed friends may be a way to overcome your fear, at least for a short time.
Use hypnosis
Fear tends to lurk in our minds in the most unlikely places. And using a hypnotist or a downloadable hypnosis MP3 to sort out your fear of doctors could at least take the edge off your nervousness enough to allow you to make the visit happen.
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Tuesday, March 6, 2012

Afraid of That Little Thing Called a 'Phone?'

By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Elizabeth_Hagen]Elizabeth Hagen
There are a lot of fears in running your own business and one is the fear of the phone.
It's not really a fear of the physical phone. That can't hurt us, unless yours has a really loud, annoying ring. It's just a black box sitting on our desk. It's not going to kill us if we pick it up. The real fear is the fear of rejection.
Back when I started my business, I had a booth at a trade show. I had a little form the attendees could fill out and they could check if they were interested in my organizing services and/or my speaking to a group. I came home with about 20 of the forms filled out.
I sat down one day to follow-up by phone with these people and I felt physically ill. It was like I was making cold calls but they were not cold - they were warm calls since they had already expressed interest in my services. I was so afraid of calling them because of the fear of rejection. I would make a call and I'd go do a load of laundry. I'd make a call and I'd make lunch. During the entire day I probably called 5 people total and every time I called I prayed that I'd get their answering machine! It was a horrible, horrible day.
Phone Fear Cure:
The issue was that I was calling to sell. The cure for the phone fear is to not call to sell; call to find out information and if they'd be a right fit for you. Call with the attitude of being curious.
"I'm just calling to see if my services are a right fit for you and if we'd work well together."That's all you're calling for. That takes away all the fear because there's no rejection in that. If they're not interested, that's fine. If they're not a right fit, that's fine. There's no rejection.
Another cure is a strategy we call the Storm Starter Strategy or SSS. The SSS is making one business development phone call a day.
When my coach first told me this, I started to feel ill because of what I just told you about my fear of the phone. I like getting calls, I like giving teleclasses or, if you email me about having me speak to your group about my coaching program, I'll gladly call you back. But I have this thing about just calling up people. But he told me I had to do it and I always listen to my coach. So I started regularly implementing the SSS and my business has exploded because I pick up the phone.
When someone e-mails me about my speaking engagements or my coaching program, I don't e-mail back. I pick up the phone and call them. They are shocked that someone actually called them. We always have a very nice conversation. Whether or not it works out, it's still a very nice conversation. I love Facebook, e-mail, all the social media avenues as much as the next person but we are losing personal connections, and that is hurting our business. Pick up the phone! Look in your database for people who've expressed in an interest in your service before, look for a group you could speak for or call someone you met at a networking event, etc.
Get a small spiral notebook and label it "SSS" for Storm Starter Strategy and start keeping track of these calls every day; one business development phone call a day.
Elizabeth Hagen is a dynamic and inspiring female motivational speaker, the author of Organize with Confidence and offers business coaching services to motivate women to stand out and accelerate their success. You can become more focused and have more momentum, more confidence, and more success. Elizabeth's book "Organize with Confidence!" will change your life and her "Speak Now and Forever Get New Clients Home Study Program" will change your business! Visit http://www.ElizabethHagen.com and receive her eBook "10 Fearless Lessons Every Woman Must Know" as her gift to you.
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?Afraid-of-That-Little-Thing-Called-a-Phone?&id=6505317] Afraid of That Little Thing Called a 'Phone?'

Sunday, March 4, 2012

Panic and Children

By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Tara_Mae_Flannigan]Tara Mae Flannigan
When people talk about panic disorder, they often think of adults suffering from panic attacks. This is a common misconception. The truth is that panic attacks children quite often. Children's feelings and personalities can be very fragile and impressionable, which makes them susceptible to panic attacks. In fact, the most common age for acquiring panic disorder is between the ages of 15 and 19.
Before the teen years, children who suffer from panic attacks or develop panic disorder normally have a stressor in their environment. This stressor causes anxiety. If it isn't addressed, the anxiety can turn into panic attacks. Like adults, the experience of a panic attack can truly scare a child. Being afraid of having another panic attack and having this fear and/or anxiety trigger the attack can develop panic disorder in a child. Stressors can be major life changes, such as moving home or switching schools, instability in the home or a violent environment.
During the teen years, the major life changes that can affect teens and can trigger panic attacks are often connected to the pressure felt by teens. Many of today's teens have to go through major changes between the ages of 15 and 19. Sometimes these are hormonal and physical changes that they can't deal with, other times it has to do with moving away to college and being away from home and feelings of safety for the first time. Also, some teens develop mood problems during the teen years. Mood problems are highly comorbid with panic disorders, and sometimes panic disorder develops as a secondary disorder to a mood disorder.
If parents are attentive enough, they should be able to notice if their child or teen has panic disorder. Commonly, children who are suffering from psychological problems will exhibit changes in behavior. A child may no longer want to play with friends or go to certain places, while a teen may be less willing to socialize. Parents should also be on the look out for other signs of anxiety, such as insomnia (younger children tend to cry at night or have nightmares), or showing signs of worry.
Panic disorder in children and teens should be addressed as soon as possible to keep it from becoming a bigger problem and to prevent the possible development of other psychological disorders. Since panic in children is quite common, it is definitely something parents should be aware of. Protecting children from panic attacks and panic disorder, as well as addressing their problems while young will ensure that they will be able to cope better in life.
Finally, it is also quite common that events that happen in childhood do not affect the person right away. Rather, they affect the person in adulthood, and not necessarily in a way that is easy to connect to the original trauma. This is in fact the premise behind panic-focused psychodynamic therapy. It is the job of the therapist to find the original underlying problem and address it. For example, the divorce or rocky relationship of a person's parents can affect their personal relationships in the future. When a future relationship falls apart, it can stir up the suppressed feelings from childhood, causing a panic attack. It is the therapists job to reveal this insight and help the patient come to terms with the issue.
Most children and teens will be terrified by their first [http://www.panicdisorderattacks.com/]panic attack, but not all of them will tell their parents about it. If you are a parent and anxiety runs in your family, try to observe your child carefully, especially if your family is going through emotionally stressful times. Learn more about what symptoms you should watch out for when you read [http://www.panicdisorderattacks.com/]Perfectly Panic Free.
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?Panic-and-Children&id=6530739] Panic and Children

Friday, March 2, 2012

How Panic and Stress Are Connected

By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Tara_Mae_Flannigan]Tara Mae Flannigan
Panic and stress are rather closely connected. Stress can trigger panic, and at the same time panic can cause stress. This may lead to a vicious cycle, which contributes to the development of panic disorder in some people. Most of the time, when stress or a stressor triggers panic, the stress taps into underlying issues that the person has. This means the stress itself may not be the direct cause of the panic. It was a catalyst of sorts. However, there are some circumstances when stress seemingly causes panic. This is most easily seen in people with a panic personality.
The panic personality or a personality that makes a person more likely to suffer from panic attacks and/or panic disorder has not been proven or officially recognized by science and psychology. However, some studies done on those who suffer from panic attacks and panic disorder have shown a trend in the personality traits of the patients. Because of this trend, the theory of a panic personality was formed.
A person who has a "panic personality" exhibits or has several or all the following traits:
highly responsible
workaholic
overly cautious
often attempt to avoid stressful situations
low self-esteem or lack of confidence
depend on others for approval
highly sensitive to criticism
hardly or has difficulty expressing feelings (especially anger)
introverted

The personality itself does not lead to panic attacks or panic disorder. Instead, these personality traits can create situations in which the person will develop many unresolved interpersonal conflicts and anxious feelings. This type of personality is also very susceptible to stress, which can add to the build up of anxious feelings within the person.
For example, a teenage girl with low self-esteem and a lack of confidence who has always depended on others for approval and has always been highly sensitive to criticism now has to move away to college. Her college is in a faraway state. Being away from her family and her comfort zone is a big stressor for her. She never tells her parents of her fears and anxiety. She pretends everything is okay.
Since she has always tried avoiding stressful situations, her being an introvert became more pronounced during her first two weeks of college. This was because she was afraid of what they would think of her, and she was anxious about how she would act. Now, college classes are in full swing and the girl finds that the simple act of stepping out the door of her dorm room triggers panic attacks.
In this situation, the girl's personality helped develop her panic attacks. Perhaps there was a lot of pent up anxiety and frustration (aside from not discussing her fears of college) that she kept throughout her teen years, and it was finally triggered by this major life change. The line between panic and stress is rather easily seen.
Remember, it doesn't mean that a person with this personality will end up with panic attacks or panic disorder. It simply makes them more susceptible to it. Apart from the personality traits, other factors need to be present in order to develop the disorder.
Panic and stress almost always go hand in hand. Even if a person does not have the panic personality, stress is very good at triggering panic or unlocking underlying interpersonal issues. When the body is stressed and its tipping point, it needs to release tension. If this isn't done in a healthy manner, panic attacks and panic disorder can develop.
Given that [http://www.panicdisorderattacks.com/]panic and stress are so connected, with one practically causing the other each time, it is no wonder that reducing stress can reduce panic attack frequency. There are plenty of natural and healthy ways to reduce stress, ways that are specially targeted towards reducing panic. Learn more about these techniques at [http://www.panicdisorderattacks.com/]Perfectly Panic Free.
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?How-Panic-and-Stress-Are-Connected&id=6530749] How Panic and Stress Are Connected

Wednesday, February 29, 2012

Stop Living in Constant Fear - Get Rid of Your Anxiety Disorder

By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Thesie_L_Cortez]Thesie L Cortez
Fear is a basic human emotion that serves as a warning for us to be careful and to be alert in the face of danger. Fear motivates us to be prepared to survive dangers or fearful situations and it should not paralyze us. If fear is paralyzing you and making your life miserable, it is not normal. If you are suffering from irrational fears and you are unable to function normally in your daily life, you might be suffering from anxiety disorder. You should find the best ways to stop living in constant fear to improve the quality of your life.
We all get scared from time to time but it is a different situation if you are ruled by irrational fears. Irrational fears are also known as phobias and they come in different forms. Some of the common fears are fear of heights, fear of enclosed places, fear of blood, social phobia, fear of being alone, fear on marketplaces, fear of animals, etc. These specific phobias if not controlled can paralyze and enslave you because their physical and psychological symptoms can cripple you and prevent you from doing the things that you should be doing in your everyday life. Imagine experiencing a sudden unreasonable terror while shopping and your fear is accompanied by trembling, sweating, pounding heartbeat and it feels like you are going crazy and losing control. Living like this can be very depressing.
If your life is ruled by fears, there are things that you can do to free yourself from constant fears. There is help available for you to stop living in constant fear.
Of course it is important to get the proper diagnosis and consult a mental health professional if you are experiencing irrational fears and anxiety disorder. It is easier to stop living in fear if you know what you are dealing with and your doctor can give you the facts and proper diagnosis. Your doctor may recommend the use of anti-anxiety and anti-depressant medications. Drug dependence may become a problem that is why medications are usually prescribed for only days or weeks. In severe cases, sufferers may need to take medications for an extended period of time but it is important to always take medications under the supervision of a mental health doctor to minimize the side effects.
There are treatments and medications available to help you deal with your disorder but to stop living in constant fear, your determination to overcome your fears is the most important thing. It is important to recognize that you have the power to overcome your fears. You are in charge of your life and you have a choice. No one can rescue you from your fears but yourself and your determination to overcome your fears.
Taking small steps to face yours fear and eventually gain confidence to beat your fears is important. As your confidence builds up, you are taking the steps to totally free yourself from your fears. There are exercises and therapies to help you with you disorder and your mental health doctor can help you on this. Psychotherapy like CBT or cognitive behavioral therapy can help you change the way you think and behave on feared situations. There are designed exercises to help you replace your irrational thoughts with rational and positive thoughts. With constant practice and exercise under the supervision of your mental health doctor, you will eventually learn how to face your fears and stop living in constant fear.
The first step maybe hard but it is not impossible to conquer your fears and stop living in constant fear. You can reclaim your life. You just have to take the first step to stop your irrational fear from controlling your life. You are not alone because millions of people are suffering from different types of anxiety disorders. Do you want to learn how other sufferers conquered their fears and anxiety problems? Visit   rel=nofollow [http://panicdisorderfreedom.com/]Stop Living in Constant Fear.
Copyright � 2011 Thesie Cortez All Rights Reserved.
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?Stop-Living-in-Constant-Fear---Get-Rid-of-Your-Anxiety-Disorder&id=6535736] Stop Living in Constant Fear - Get Rid of Your Anxiety Disorder

Monday, February 27, 2012

What Can You Do If You've Got A Fear Of Violence?

By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Trevor_Johnson]Trevor Johnson
This article doesn't deal with domestic violence - that can be a very real fear and if you're unfortunate enough to be in that situation, you should seek professional help. What I'll deal with hear is a general fear of violence - whether that's on television or the news or anywhere else that affects you. Dealt with properly you can reduce or even overcome your fear of violence and reduce the amount that it affects your life.
Remember the news wants to shock you
Bad news sells, good news doesn't. So the newspapers, television and (increasingly) internet news channels will major on bad news. And violence is part and parcel of that.
The problem is that this causes you to become more worried than you should be.
The news reports things from elsewhere in the country or the world. Often isolated incidents are literally blown up out all proportion until even the most confident person would be affected.
The simplest way of dealing with this is to cut yourself off from as much news as possible. Become a recluse from the media. The news will happen anyway, whether you follow it or not, in much the same way as the weather happens regardless of if you've read the forecast.
If anything important happens, other people will let you know soon enough. But if you carry out this exercise for even a week you'll be surprised at how little of the bad news about violence (or anything else) is actually important. Most of the time it's a space filler.
The past doesn't always repeat itself
Just because someone was unlucky enough to get mugged in an area the other week doesn't mean that area is now a no-go zone.
Chances are that the very precise circumstances that created the problem are unlikely to happen again.
OK, this might not be the case for certain less than desirable zones in your town or city, where you'd be foolish to walk at night unless you were a member of a specific gang, but those are the exception not the rule. And simply following your common sense can keep you well out of the way of any possible violence.
Learn to chill out more
If certain images of violence don't get on with you, the simple answer is to switch them off or change channel. Don't sit there starting to panic!
Then find a way that will allow you to relax. Because there will be occasions when you're exposed to violence even if you were planning to avoid it. Trailers for shows on television or at the cinema often sneak up on you like that. Closing your eyes and muting the volume at home (or, better yet, using the fast forward button on your TIVO) can help reduce the effect.
But it also helps if you know a way to relax and generally chill out. Deep breathing is a quick and easy way to do this or using a hypnosis track to help reduce your fear of violence is another option to consider.
Get more help to [http://hypnosisabc.com/overcoming-fear-of-violence/]overcome fear of violence and start to [http://hypnosisabc.com/overcoming-fear-of-violence/]reduce your fear of violence.
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?What-Can-You-Do-If-Youve-Got-A-Fear-Of-Violence?&id=6538329] What Can You Do If You've Got A Fear Of Violence?

Saturday, February 25, 2012

Can You Deal With a Phobia of Thunderstorms?

By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Trevor_Johnson]Trevor Johnson
Stormy skies, dark clouds, torrents of rain, bolts of lightning and the loud bangs that follow a few seconds later. Some people enjoy these different aspects of thunderstorms. Others want to join the dog cowering under the stairs at the first inkling of a thunderstorm approaching. So is it possible to deal with a phobia of thunderstorms and reduce (or even eliminate) your fear of these powerful forces of nature?
Split the storm up into its component parts
Just as I split the thunder storm up at the start of this article, do the same in your mind.
This may not be as easy as it first sounds, so start with the least worrying part of the storm first. This could well be the rain that accompanies a thunderstorm. Unless you've got a phobia of rain as well, you should be able to relate the water that falls from the sky during normal rainy weather to the heavier rain that's likely falling during a nasty storm.
Then figure out what the next scariest part of the thunderstorm is and try to split that into smaller, more manageable, parts next. If your phobia is fairly mild, there's a good chance that doing this will reduce the fear you experience to a slightly more manageable level.
Do some research
The simple fact that you're reading this article proves that you've survived thunderstorms before now.
Dig out the appropriate Wikipedia page and take a look at the science behind these massive demonstrations of the power of Nature.
This gives your rational mind a bit more ammunition to fight the part of your mind that's gone into the primitive "fight or flight" mode and wants to run away from these events.
Be sensible
Lightning will aim for tall objects. If they've got some metal on them - like a lightning conductor - then its aim is pretty good. If there aren't any suitable ones close enough, a tree is one of its next favorite objects.
What this means is that if you're caught up in the middle of a thunderstorm, you need to ignore the part of you that's saying to take shelter below a tree. Better to get wet than partially fried!
Build up your immunity
Just like we get vaccinations against common diseases, we can innoculate ourselves against thunder storms by facing our fear. Ideally with an understanding friend and possibly with the companionship of a stiff drink as well.
Watch the next few storms that pass your location.
Yes, that means actually staring out of the window of your house or apartment, watching the clouds move past, noticing the momentary flickers of lightning as they make their path from the depths of the thunder clouds down to earth. And, of course, listening for the loud noise of thunder that inevitably follows the flash.
Go back to your childhood and count the number of miles away the lightning is by counting away the seconds. If nothing else, this will distract you slightly and hopefully it will be a good number of miles between you and the heart of the storm as well.
Get more help to [http://hypnosisabc.com/how-to-overcome-your-fear-of-thunderstorms/]deal with fear of thunderstorms with this easy to use, effective, [http://hypnosisabc.com/how-to-overcome-your-fear-of-thunderstorms/]hypnosis download for fear of thunderstorms.
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?Can-You-Deal-With-a-Phobia-of-Thunderstorms?&id=6539395] Can You Deal With a Phobia of Thunderstorms?

Thursday, February 23, 2012

Phobias, Fears and Confidence Building - A Very Quick Solution

By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Phillip_J_Holt]Phillip J Holt
All of a sudden, my telephone has not stopped ringing from people wanting help with their phobias, fears and confidence building, and I have to be careful how I answer the calls, as these are not unwanted calls I wrote about.
So, today saw me in Central London, working with a client who would not travel on the tube (metro). She also had a fear of escalators.
A phobia is an irrational fear that has got out of hand.
A phobia is a learned reaction to a stimulus or situation that creates an internal response or feeling which is inappropriate to what is happening.
Symptoms can be very varied, from panic attacks, extreme sweating, blushing, fainting, the list goes on.
If something can be learned leading to an irrational phobia or fear, then an alternative better response can be learned, and that better response run to the stimulus or situation.
This learning of a new response can be installed in a very short time, I usually only work with a client once, and for as long it takes for the new response to be installed, two minutes or ten hours.
I do not use an office, I do not have a consulting room with a couch, and I do not usually have clients visit me. I go to my clients, or I meet the client wherever the fear or phobia takes place, a departure lounge of an airport, a swimming pool, open spaces, in a dogs kennel, a hospital or dentists waiting room, wherever is suitable.
I have worked in a swimming pool in Sri Lanka with a lady who I had just met with a fear of spiders, and within minutes we were searching the bushes in the surrounding gardens for spiders.
So there I was in a crowded London street near a London Underground Tube station entrance, surrounded by shoppers, tourists, families and groups of friends unknown to me, with a client who just wanted to be like other people racing about us, getting on with their life.
Unseen by others around us I went to work, we were just two people talking, with me being a little more animated than normal. It was as if we did not exist to people.
After a few minutes, with a smile on her face and happiness in her heart, we entered the tube station, walking down the steps into the ticket hall to buy a ticket, through the barriers to ride the escalator down to the platform.
She tried to get those unwanted feelings of what had been, but they were just not there anymore as we stood waiting for the train along with many more passengers.
We chatted, and watched others not even noticing us, passing through many stations until I got to Waterloo, my stop, when I bid her farewell, never to see her again, as she can now move on in life, do the things she had wanted to do.
Phillip Holt usually travels to the clients own home or office, no matter how far and in any country, and will only see the client once for as long as required.
Phillip Holt, travels to many countries to give talks, training and coaching as a guest of individuals and organisations, and you can follow Phillip on his journal on the web [http://www.nlpnow.com]http://www.nlpnow.com.
Phillip Holt offers a whole range of courses which can be viewed on the web pages. If you run a training company or would like a speaker to your event, then no matter where you are, whichever country you are in, Phillip is waiting for you call or email.
Phillip Holt's work has been published in many magazines and papers and he has written many articles for others. Also Phillip Holt has appeared on TV in a number of countries, and has often been on radio, some recording can be heard over the internet by going to [http://www.c4nlp.com]http://www.c4nlp.com.
Again, Phillip is waiting for your call, now.
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?Phobias,-Fears-and-Confidence-Building---A-Very-Quick-Solution&id=6534896] Phobias, Fears and Confidence Building - A Very Quick Solution

Tuesday, February 21, 2012

Who's Afraid of the Big, Bad Needle?

By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Stella_E_M_Hutson]Stella E M Hutson
One of the most interesting clients I worked with recently is a man in his thirties who has had an acute phobia of injections from a very early age. We explored the history of his phobia, tracing it back to the incident when he was 6 years.
As a small child, struggling against the injection being administered, he became so distressed at being informed that an operation might be required to remove a broken needle form his leg if he continued to struggle - not surprisingly, he was violently sick and "passed out" with fear! - ideal phobia inducing situation. Instantly the phobia was created - a powerful one off learning experience.
He has been afraid of injections for nearly as long as he can remember and has even had root canal dental work recently completed without anaesthetic such was his fear of needles. He had adapted to his phobia so much that the root canal work without a local anaesthetic was preferable to the injection. His fear of the needle was totally beyond the normal range. Now however he was faced with a problem. He and his wife were seeking IVF and an upcoming blood test that ( a pre requisite for his partner's IVF treatment) had spurred him on to contact me for a hypnotherapy session
This was an extreme phobia of almost 30 years!
However, I firmly believed that if he learned the fear quickly then he could unlearn it just as quickly!
During the therapy session we used a powerful combination of hypnotherapy and NLP to tackle his phobic response and prepare for the upcoming blood test.
I began with an initial consultation of about an hour - essential in order to calibrate each client and give them an opportunity to really tell me what they want help with. He had also left it really late as the blood test was only a week away - I arranged to see him the morning of the test.
I began with progressive relaxation in order to give him a lifeline and enable him to access when ready the distressing context very precisely and safely - he described a particular shape and movement to his feelings of anxiety which seemed to grow and grow. Focusing on this I used that brilliant technique Richard Bandler uses of creative visualisation of the sensation - moving it around and spinning it out of his body - so he knew he would not be troubled by the anxiety. Next we worked on the original event using a mixture of timeline seeing the incident from old eyes and comforting his younger self and then a classic double dissociation fast phobia cure.
Following this he set off for the hospital.
He messaged me 2 hours later, having taken the test. I will let his message speak for itself! Suffice to say, it warmed my heart and reminded me why I choose to do what I do!:
" Hi Stella, just to let you know I'm back from my blood test and it all went very well. Practically no anxiety. Went in, and did it. For the first time ever, no sickness or sweaty palms so thank you very much. I'm sure I can hold this experience in my memory and replace the fear. Thanks again, this is going to have a massive impact on my life."
Stella is a fully qualified and accredited hypnotherapist. Prior to this she had an extensive career in special education and developed a huge range of approaches working with challenging young people. Latterly she worked as an advisory teacher for children with Autism. She is qualified and practices in CBT, NLP and Hypnotherapy. To learn more about her practice and the services she offers visit http://simplychanged.me
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?Whos-Afraid-of-the-Big,-Bad-Needle?&id=6556365] Who's Afraid of the Big, Bad Needle?

Sunday, February 19, 2012

Telephone Anxiety - Are You Afraid of the Phone?

By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Jennifer_Buah]Jennifer Buah
I don't know what it is, but picking up that phone and calling sends my heart racing.  Yesterday, I held the number for the local Chinese place in my hand and I stood over the phone, picked it up, and listened for the dial tone. I slammed it back down.
"What's wrong?" my husband asked, walking into my computer room after hearing that loud noise. I was so frustrated.
"I am scared of calling," I said. "I am afraid they won't help me. I am afraid to talk to another person."
"Do you want me to call?"
"No, I just want to get over these fears of the phone!" was my aggravated reply.
If this scene seems familiar, you may be experiencing some sort of telephone phobia. Telephone phobia (alternate keywords: telephonophobia, telephobia), is considered to be a type of social phobia or social anxiety problem in which one experiences fear or avoidance of using the telephone.  The first step to overcoming your fear is to find out the root cause, then work on that. A therapist who specializes in cognitive therapy might help.
Here are some starter questions to consider as you start discovering the root of your fear:
� Are you afraid of confrontation?
� Are you afraid of ridicule?
� Are you afraid of rejection?
� Are you afraid you won't be interesting enough for your friends or business prospects to talk to?
� Are you afraid of what they are thinking of you or doing while you talk?
� Are you afraid you will run out of things to say?
� Are you afraid of miscommunication (of being misunderstood by them or misunderstanding what they say)?
� Are you afraid you won't be able to understand their accent or speech? Or that they won't understand yours?
� Are you afraid you will call at an inconvenient time?
� Are you afraid of silence?
Don't be scared of the phone - be prepared for the phone. Start by thinking, "What is the worst that can happen?" Remember that nobody can hurt you over the phone.
Below are some suggestions to help you confront your fear. Some may work for you and some may not. Experiment, be patient with yourself and keep in mind - the key is to PRACTICE. Make a call of some sort every day or maybe get a job/volunteer in a place where a telephone is involved. But start slowly. Maybe a call to a restaurant to ask them their hours. Or call a library to ask if they have a book. Gradually move your way to more challenging calls.
� Prepare a rough outline & script for the call. Don't write out the call word for word - you will sound scripted and become more nervous if/when you lose your place. Here are some key things to include in your script:
1) An opener - how you will introduce yourself,
2) Ask if this is a good time to talk - if not, don't forge ahead saying this will only take a couple minutes. Ask when a good time would be and get off the phone,
3) Have an outline for what you want to accomplish and stay on target, and
4) Have an exit strategy - how will you end the call.
� Keep a mirror in front of you and watch your face as you speak.
� Remember to smile - it will come through in your voice!
� Be the person who talks the least. Ask questions that can't be answered with a yes/no (questions that start with 'who', 'what', 'where', 'when', 'why', 'which', 'how' or 'if' are good starting points) and then stop talking and let them talk.
� Have a pen and paper with you while you are talking so you can take notes on the key items.
� Don't be in a hurry to hang up. Be the last person to hang up the phone.
� Look at calls as an acting exercise. You can pretend to be someone else if you want - which can sometimes take the pressure off.
� Use a headset or a handheld so you can walk around or occupy your hands.
I'd love to hear your thoughts and other suggestions. I wish you the best and good luck!
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?Telephone-Anxiety---Are-You-Afraid-of-the-Phone?&id=6543756] Telephone Anxiety - Are You Afraid of the Phone?