You also probably know what it feels like to not be taken seriously. You might even have been ridiculed for your fear. You might have been told to just ‘get over it.’ Or, expected to grin and bear it for the benefit of others. Yet, you know that the reality is very different. To have a phobia is to find yourself in the grip of pure terror. It is not always rational or logical, but it is real. And a targeted treatment like phobia treatment hypnosis is needed to execute a cure.
Our society still treats phobias in a strange way. On the one hand, there are lots of different cures available. On the other, reality TV shows capitalize on the fear. They drop celebrities in the jungle and surround them with snakes and spiders. They encourage members of the public to do extreme stunts for cash prizes. We know that phobias are debilitating. Yet, if we do not understand them, we turn them into entertainment.
A good example of this can be found in the endless array of potential phobias. Essentially, a person can have a phobia of anything at all. If it is common, like spiders, we empathize. If it is unusual, like balloons or cats, we are more likely to laugh. This is an important distinction. It often stops people with panic disorders from seeking a treatment like phobia treatment hypnosis. They become convinced that their fear is not valid.
This guide to phobia treatments will explain why phobia treatment hypnosis is now the best way to cure extreme fears and panic disorders. It is fast, easy to perform, and very effective. Also, it works on any kind of fear or phobia.
Getting to Grips with Your Phobia
This article will use ‘panic disorder’ and ‘phobia’ interchangeably. However, there is a slight difference between the two. A phobia is extreme fear linked to a specific trigger. So, it might be spiders, heights, or flying. The fear emerges around the presence or discussion of this trigger. A panic disorder evokes the same feelings of terror. But, it occurs unexpectedly in stressful situations. There does not have to be a specific trigger.
For both, a ‘panic’ attack or episode is the most extreme result. These conditions stem from similar thought patterns and behaviors. This means that the type of phobia treatment hypnosis used to cure them is the same. Many people seek hypnotherapy for phobias, because the fear is disrupting their life. Sometimes, the trigger is avoidable. A person with a fear of flying might simply choose to drive rather than fly on holiday, for example.
For most though, the triggers are all around. If you are scared of clowns, you can avoid the circus. If you are scared of spiders or snakes, you cannot avoid them forever. So, phobia treatment hypnosis is a necessary step for lots of people. The good news is that hypnosis therapy is very gentle and sensitive.
This is very different from conventional medical treatments and psychotherapy. Most doctors will prescribe medication for an extreme panic attack disorder. This only masks the symptoms. If the person stops taking the drugs, the fear will return. Psychotherapists also use desensitization, but without the support of a relaxed trance state. They simply expose the sufferer to the thing which triggers their terror.
Recognizing the Signs of a Panic Attack
So, what is panic disorder from the physical perspective? What happens to the body? Well, first there is a shortness of breath. You might find it difficult to take in air. Your chest will tighten. Your face may redden and your fingers tingle. You are likely to feel unsteady on your feet. You will be filled with an overwhelming desire to escape the situation. This is a manifestation of the ‘fight or flight’ response.
It is your body preparing you for a life or death situation. Essentially, a phobia is just a malfunction of this instinct. We all have it, but phobia sufferers have irrational and unnecessary responses to harmless triggers. With hypnosis for anxiety and panic disorders, these responses are changed. They are deconstructed and put back together in a healthier form. This phobia treatment hypnosis works because it identifies the root cause of the responses first.
The vast majority of phobias stem from past experience, even if we are not aware of it. It is common for a sufferer to have had a traumatic encounter with their trigger, and then bury it deep down in their subconscious to protect themselves. They forget about the encounter and only the phobia remains. So, they are left with an extreme fear and no idea how it got there.
This is why a phobia treatment hypnosis, which reroutes the fear responses is so effective. It does not simply paper over the symptoms, like drugs. It actually changes the negative thought patterns. It creates new associations. It creates positive links where there used to be fearful ones. With NLP (Neuro-Linguistic Programming) and Erickson hypnosis, the focus is on rebuilding. So, what are you waiting for? It is time to take back control of your life.
Demystifying the Traditional Phobia Treatment
The fastest way to treat a phobia is with drugs. They act instantly. However, as we know, this does not mean that they cure the symptoms. Also, they can come with some nasty side effects. The most common medications used to treat anxiety are called selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors. They include Zoloft, Prozac, Xanax and Praxil. These are the classic antidepressants.
It seems strange to treat anxiety with antidepressants drugs. The two conditions are very different. A panic disorder does not involve feelings of extreme negativity or worthlessness. It might be linked to low self-esteem, but it rarely involves depression. Yet, these drugs are prescribed. They alleviate the symptoms, but cause slurred speech and drowsiness. In some cases, they can actually lead to depression. They are not the best phobia treatment. Nor is traditional psychotherapy, which exposes subjects to intensely stressful situations.
Phobia Treatment Hypnosis
Self-hypnosis, however, can be a real solution. If you want to find a really effective phobia treatment, certain NLP techniques are the right way forward. They speak to the subconscious mind and disconnect the panicky feelings from the sights and sounds that are at the root of the phobia. Using mental imagery, they reframe responses to the trigger.
There is evidence to support this idea in the study conducted by Allen (1982). It worked with subjects suffering with a snake phobia. According to Allen, hypnotherapy can be more effective than both drugs and direct sensitization techniques (without hypnosis). The subjects in this study reported fewer fearful feelings about being treated with NLP techniques. It is a result which has been repeated by many times in academic studies.
The Power of Phobia Treatment Hypnosis and NLP
There are many different ways to use hypnosis and Neuro-Linguistic Programming as a phobia treatment. The first involves NLP techniques. It is the fastest way to eliminate a phobia and cure anxiety. Often called the “One Session Phobia Cure,” it’s not uncommon for patients to be fully cured of their disorder after just one session. With the NLP Visual/Kinesthetic Disassociation pattern (V/K), a person is talked through a hypothetical encounter.
Using the NLP V/K disassociation (greatly simplified example): The client is programmed to mentally step outside the situation that triggers the phobia / panic attack.
First the client is guided to imagine being in a place and time where she feels completely safe. As she re-experiences feeling safe, she establishes a physical ‘safety’ anchor. The anchor is usually created by pressing two fingers together. After the anchor is installed, she can bring back the ‘safe’ feeling, simply by pressing the two fingers together again.
Next, the client is told to imagine watching herself in the situation where she would normally have the panic attack. She is not inside the situation. She is outside, looking down on it. She imagines watching the reactions of her fearful self from a place of objectivity and safety. If she begins to experience fear, she triggers her anchor to reduce and eliminate it. This gives her the opportunity disassociate herself from panicked responses, and experience calm, rational responses instead. It is a powerful technique. But it is not the only one.
Systematic Desensitization can be combined with the hypnotic state. This allows a person to enter a more relaxed state. In this state, their panic responses are, essentially, put to ‘sleep.’ So, when put in the presence of a trigger (spiders, dogs, balloons, etc.), they have an opportunity to react differently. We all have the potential to respond to fear rationally. The problem is that our panic responses often get there first.
In the case of a fear of clowns, a technique like Systematic Desensitization uses hypnosis to place a person in a deeply relaxed state, before gradually exposing them to an imagined trigger, which is a clown.
To begin, during Systematic Desensitization, the client imagines a clown at a great distance, where she feels safe and free of fear. During each succeeding hypnosis session, the client gradually imagines moving closer to the clown, until she begins to feel fear, then she stops. The hypnotherapist then gives suggestions for relaxation and feelings of personal safety and security, and the fear subsides. With each session, she moves closer until she is able to imagine standing right next to the clown, as she simultaneously feels relaxed and confident. Once that point is reached during hypnotherapy, the client is able to easily walk up to a clown in reality, and stay calm and confident.
Making Phobia Treatment Hypnosis Work for You
The good news is that you do not even have to have a one-on-one session to cure your phobia. If professionally designed and put together correctly, audio recordings can be just as effective. This is because NLP techniques and Ericksonian hypnosis do not rely on intensely tailored verbalizations. At heart, all phobias are the same. The triggers may be different, but the fear comes from the same place.
So, old school hypnotists might claim that every phobia needs its own customized program, and they would try to sell you one. But this is not the truth. It just happens to make unscrupulous companies a lot of money. You can pick up an affordable NLP recording (CD or MP3) that will bypass the details and speak directly to the root of your fear. The techniques mentioned in this article are effective on all phobias. You just have to make sure that you order a program from a highly qualified and experienced practitioner.
This means doing some research on the best hypnotherapists. When you shop, you will then know which recordings to pick. The aim should be to find an audio program which offers great value for the money. It should be effective and repeatable. You should be able to listen to it wherever you want, whenever you want. Give the recording your full attention. Listen to it in a quiet space with no distractions.
Your progress will depend entirely on your choice of program and your commitment to success. As described, NLP techniques are some of the fastest acting processes. There are others which progress more slowly, but they are all effective. Be patient and you will soon notice positive changes. They may be subtle at first. They will happen naturally and the fear may even have vanished before you notice it. This is your chance to regain control.
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I no longer have the performance anxiety attacks
I was having a terrible time with performance anxiety, which is a major hindrance when one is a musician. I have battled it my whole life. I had the opportunity to play fiddle in a few local bands and was beginning to start my anxiety routine.
I sent a query to you (Mr. Densky) asking if you had a recommendation for performance anxiety, and since it was listed at a price that I could afford, I downloaded the program that you suggested, loaded the mp3 on my mini mp3 player and listened faithfully until my first musical performance.
I came through with flying colors and have not looked back. I had to use the hypnosis series a few times after that to reinforce the principles.
I no longer have the performance anxiety attacks and do not need alcohol to control my nerves, which seems to be the medication of choice of most band members.
I don’t use the hypnosis series any more, but I’m keeping it handy should I have a relapse. It is reassuring to know that help is at hand, should my situation change and I need to pull out the big guns!!
Your CD sessions have been so unbelievably helpful!
Your CD sessions have been so unbelievably helpful, that I stopped seeing my hypnotist. I wish I could refer people to your site, but am happy that I don’t know anyone else with this horrible phobic condition.
I really liked that there were several different techniques in the program.
By G Ringer
I really liked that there were several different techniques in the program, as I’ve used different ones for some specific phobias I have. The Flash Away stress works for me for my fear of heights. The one that gets you closer and closer to your issue worked well for my fear of going over bridges. Really liked the general hypnosis tracks also.
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