Phobias & Fears
When fear starts deciding what you can and can’t do.
Fear is a natural response to something your mind and body perceive as threatening. With a phobia or persistent fear, that response can become intense even when part of you knows the situation may not be as dangerous as it feels.
You might go out of your way to avoid certain places, situations, objects or experiences. Or you may still face them, but with considerable anxiety, preparation or a strong urge to escape.
For some people, the fear is very specific. For others, patterns of anticipation and avoidance can begin influencing where they go, what they do and the choices they make.
What Phobias & Fears Can Feel Like
Fear can involve strong emotional and physical responses that seem to happen quickly and automatically.
Your heart may race, your breathing may change or your body may become tense. You might feel shaky, sweaty, dizzy, nauseous or light-headed, with a strong urge to get away.
You may also:
feel anxious simply thinking about the feared situation
avoid particular places, situations, objects or activities
change plans or routines to reduce the chance of encountering what you fear
rely on another person or particular strategies to help you feel safer
stay close to exits or make sure you have a way to leave
worry about panicking, losing control or being unable to cope
mentally prepare for how you will manage or escape
find that fear and avoidance gradually begin limiting what you do
You don’t need to fit a particular label or have a formally diagnosed phobia to seek support. What matters is how the fear and the patterns around it are affecting you.
Phobias Can Take Many Forms
People may seek support for fears involving:
animals, insects or spiders
needles, blood or medical and dental procedures
flying
driving
heights
enclosed spaces, including lifts or tunnels
storms or other environmental situations
vomiting or becoming unwell
particular foods, choking or swallowing
other specific situations, objects or experiences associated with a strong fear response.
Sometimes a fear does not fit neatly into a category. What matters is less about the label and more about how the pattern works for you; what you anticipate, where your attention goes, what you experience and what you find yourself doing in response.
When Fear Starts Shaping Your Life
When something feels threatening, it makes sense to look for ways to feel safer, more prepared or more in control.
Avoiding the situation, leaving when the discomfort becomes intense or relying on particular ways of feeling safe may bring relief in the moment.
Over time, however, these responses can become part of the pattern itself. Avoidance can reduce opportunities to discover what you are able to handle, while anticipation and preparation can make the situation feel increasingly significant before it even occurs.
Eventually, fear may begin influencing where you go, how you travel, what you participate in or what situations you are willing to enter.
How Therapy May Help
Therapy can help you understand how your patterns of fear work, not simply what you are afraid of, but what you anticipate, where your attention goes and how you respond when fear appears.
Depending on your experience and goals, our work may involve:
recognising patterns of anticipation, avoidance and escape
responding differently to fearful thoughts and physical sensations
developing greater flexibility around uncertainty
reducing reliance on behaviours used primarily to feel safe
changing how you approach situations you have been avoiding
building confidence in your ability to handle situations as they arise
developing practical strategies you can use outside therapy.
Where appropriate, this may involve gradually approaching situations or experiences that have become associated with fear, at a pace that reflects your individual circumstances and therapeutic goals.
The aim is not to eliminate every fearful thought, feeling or physical sensation. It is to help fear have less influence over what you do and the choices you make.
Ready to Take the Next Step?
You don’t need to have everything figured out before you begin.
Book an initial therapy session, or arrange a complimentary 15-minute introductory call if you’d like to ask a few questions first.