Phobias

Phobia Treatment in Surrey

If you have clicked on this page then either you think you may be suffering from a phobia or you may be concerned about someone who is.

If you are suffering from a phobia please use the contact me form, book online, email me or telephone me on 01932 702 662

A phobia is defined as an extreme or irrational fear of or aversion to something. It is possible to have a phobia of a feeling, place, animal, object or situation.

For this reason phobias are seen as Anxiety disorders however the associated anxiety is specific to the particular fear. When you are exposed to that fear you may suffer from:

  • Increased breathing
  • Sweating
  • Nausea
  • Shortness of breath
  • Chest tightness
  • Dry mouth
  • Urge to pass urine/empty bowels
  • Tremors

Phobias are grouped into two main types. We call these Simple phobias and Complex phobias.

Simple phobias are more specific such as a fear of:

Animals, injections, heights, water, blood or germs.

Complex phobias relate to things like social phobia (also called social anxiety) or agoraphobia. These can be more disabling as are situational and are more difficult to avoid in daily life.

Fear is a very normal and protective feeling that all humans posses to look after themselves in times of trouble. It is quite normal to have the symptoms above if we fear something. Because most of us have an innate ability to avoid what we fear and find uncomfortable then it is thought that this avoidance  of the fear is what  strengthens the phobia.

So we naturally avoid the situation we don’t like in an attempt to protect and look after ourselves but actually the fear gets worse!

Some phobias are so severe that even reading about them here can be scary and cause a rise in anxiety symptoms.

Causes of Phobias

They can be learnt in childhood. eg Mothers and fathers who are frightened of spiders are more likely to bring up children who fear them as well.

They can be associated with a traumatic life event either as a child or adult.

There is some evidence to suggest some people have a tendency to be more anxious and susceptible due to genetics. It is worth noting that this doesn’t mean they can’t overcome a phobia.

Treatment for phobias

Years ago people were exposed to what they fear in a dramatic way using  behavioural exposure therapy with a technique called flooding. It certainly worked for some but was a very uncomfortable experience and quite unkind to those exposed to it.

These days we have much gentler techniques however no one particular type of therapy suits everybody or has been proven to work better for everyone. The techniques below are seen as the most affective.

When I see someone and treat them for a phobia you can expect the following:

A thorough understanding of your phobia and an attempt to understand when it began and how it has developed over the years.

Some education and self help techniques.

Relaxation techniques which may involve mindfulness if that suits you.

Cognitive behavioural therapy. Put simply this is work around changing the way you  think and behave in relation to the phobia.

Psychotherapy with how the phobia started.

Hypnotherapy and EMDR  if you feel comfortable with these types of therapy and  if you are suited to this.

We work at a pace you feel comfortable with. Most people can reduce a phobia or rid themselves of it completely so they no longer have to avoid situations and live in fear.

Please browse this website to see who I am and what I do. The first 15 minutes of the initial appointment is free to give you time to decide if I am the right person to help you with no obligation to continue.

If you wish to discuss anything before booking an appointment you can telephone me on 01932 702662 email me at kevin@kevinrymill.co.uk or use  contact me. Alternatively you can book directly through the booking system on the site at a time that is convenient for you.

Appointment

Book online to make an appointment for the treatment of your choice, or for an initial consultation.

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Click the link below to book online, or alternatively you can contact me directly.


Practice Location

Located in Ottershaw, Surrey, my practice is situated near to the M25, Woking and Weybridge, and is easily accesible to those in the surrounding areas.