Facing Your Phobias: Know Your Enemy
Your excessive fear of something or a situation is not something to ignore for the rest of your life, particularly when it can paralyze your body and mind so that you can’t do what you are supposed to do. Not knowing your enemy – rodents, snakes, height, enclosed space, etc. – can make you helpless to overcome it. Overcoming your phobia will not be easy, but you can if you will seek help and receive the right treatment from a professional counselor.
Getting to Know Your Enemy
A phobia is an irrational fear, and you know that, but you have no power over your intense reactions, which can be simply infuriating to severely disabling. It is maddening because despite the knowledge that the fear is baseless, you can’t condition your mind or body to face the source of fear. If you have a relative with an anxiety disorder, you are probably genetically predisposed. So, when you observe some manifestations, and they are affecting your daily life in a serious way, it is best to act on your excessive fear with urgency.
What Are You Afraid Of
According to the American Psychiatric Association (APA), there are over a hundred types – agoraphobia, social phobia and specific phobias. Agoraphobia is the excessive fear for large crowds or open spaces. Social phobia, also known as “social anxiety disorder,” can cause one to avoid interactions with other people and will do everything to avoid being thrown into such situations. A specific phobia is the fear for some of the common things you encounter on a day-to-day basis – acrophobia (heights), claustrophobia (tight/enclosed spaces), etc.
The Signs and Symptoms to Observe
Panic attack can be the most disabling group of symptoms that you may experience when the phobia hits you. Panic is characterized by manifestations, such as pounding or racing heart caused by elevated blood pressure. Consequently, you may also hyperventilate, tremble and feel tightness in your chest as you sweat profusely or experience hot/cold flushes. Other phobic reactions during panic include nausea and upset stomach, dry mouth, choking sensation, and dizziness or lightheadedness.
Don’t Feel Helpless
People struggling with an excessive fear are likely to feel helpless as they realize they can’t control their phobia. By simply ignoring it, you’ll be a witness to how the best things in life will slip through your fingers. It may even make you feel ashamed as you miserably fail in controlling your fear.
When your fear has gripped you this way, know that you can receive assistance from an experienced therapist. Call Carolina Counseling Services – Fayetteville, NC. CCS contracts with independent and licensed therapists who are ready to help. Why let phobia take you on a downward spiral leading to a string of disappointments when the right help is available? Call now to schedule your appointment!
PO BOX 9909 Fayetteville, NC 28311