According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America, specific phobia and social phobia are the most prevalent anxiety disorders in the United States, affecting the lives of over 19 million Americans, which is about 8.7 percent of the total population. Affected persons may begin to experience phobia symptoms in childhood, typically at the age of 7.

Being frightened of something dangerous is a natural response that enables us to avoid dire circumstances. However, phobias are far more intense, unrealistic, exaggerated, and persistent—so much so that they can hinder a person’s ability to lead a normal life and do what they want.

Understanding Phobias

Most people believe that phobia symptoms can only be experienced when the phobic person comes in contact with the source of the phobia; however, even thinking about it can make a phobic person anxious, scared, or nervous. If you have a phobia, you’re likely to experience the following physical symptoms upon coming across the trigger:

• Lightheadedness
• Palpitations and increased heart rate
• Excessive sweating
• An upset stomach
• Nausea
• Trembling

Types of Phobias

Phobias are broken down into two categories, i.e., complex phobias and specific phobias.

Specific Phobias

These phobias are typically associated with a specific activity, object, situation, or animal. The symptoms begin at a young age, and the severity may reduce as the person gets older. Here are some common examples of specific phobias:

• Animal phobias – dogs, spiders, lizards, snakes, etc.
• Situational phobias – going to the dentist, flying in an airplane, driving, traveling on a train, phobia of expressing feelings, etc.
• Sexual phobias – performance anxiety during sex, phobia of contracting sexually transmitted diseases, etc.
• Environmental phobias – water, heights, dirty surfaces, germs, etc.
• Bodily phobias – blood phobia, vomit phobia, phobia of getting injected
• Others – phobia of food-borne illnesses from specific food items, acid, chemicals, boiling water, and other objects.

Complex Phobias

Complex phobias tend to get triggered with daily routine activities and negatively impact people’s lives—far more significantly than specific phobias. Agoraphobia and social phobia are the two most commonly diagnosed complex phobias in the United States.

How Is Hypnotherapy Effective in Treating Phobias?

Hypnotherapy is one of the most effective treatments for specific and complex phobias because it awakens your positive subconscious mind by using subconscious mind healing techniques.

It allows you to identify your feelings and emotions, access the negative thoughts and anxious feelings associated with the phobia source in your subconscious mind, and cast out the conditional mental and emotional responses to the source.

It helps you rearrange your thinking patterns to enable your subconscious mind to contribute positively to your present reality. Hypnotherapy also involves exposing you to the phobia source physically or mentally in a safe manner, and conditioning you to respond positively and calmly to it in the future.

Dealing with a phobia can lead to uncontrollable anxiety attacks and even depression. It’s important to learn how to express your feelings to let out that anxiety and seek help.

Blossom Hypnosis is run by Rekha Shrivastava, a certified hypnotist and rehabilitation counselor who specializes in subconscious mind therapy. We offer hypnosis sessions to tackle depression, ADHD, anxiety, and phobia.

Our facility is based in Rochester, NY, and we offer a free consultation in person for local clients, and via Skype for out-of-city clients.