| FEAR & PHOBIAS A "phobia" is a strong, persistent and irrational fear elicited by a specific stimulus or situation. About one out of ten people suffer a severe fear of specific objects, activities or settings. The list of phobias is virtually endless. It includes  abnormal fear of death or dying, dentists, bridges, heights, closed spaces, open spaces, crowds, animals, public speaking, among many others.Other common phobias are fear of commitment, fear of intimacy, fear of success, as well as fear of failure, and fear of change. About 25 million Americans have a fear of flying. Some victims simply grit their teeth and cope as best they can. Others are so phobic they can't force themselves to get on an airplane. Many people experience a fear of public speaking, from feelings of anxiety and panic just prior to the event, to full anxiety throughout the speaking experience. |
We feel fearful when we believe we do not have the ability to cope with something. This fear may be grounded in reality, as when we fear being knocked down by a car when trying to cross a busy road. Or the fear may be irrational as when we fear a tiny harmless spider. Many of our fears are a mix of reality and misinterpretation of our ability to cope. When there is a large degree of of misinterpretation it is likely that it is a phobia rather than a fear. Pat has drawn upon her wide experience as a Master hypnotist having helped many clients overcome a wide range of common and obscure fears and phobias. |