A Counselling Service provided by
Rebecca Wallace (RGN,DTC,DPS)
"This one makes a net, this one stands and wishes. Would you like to make a bet
which one gets the fishes?" - Chinese rhyme
Irrational fear
A phobia is an irrational fear - which is why someone who is phobic will often say I know it's silly, but... They are quite well aware that, while there may be some rational basis for their fear, it is largely irrational.
What is a phobia?
A phobia is a mainly irrational fear of something. It is not an illness. It is not a mental disorder. Nor is it a lack of will-power, or 'moral fibre', or determination. A phobia can make one's life miserable, cause embarrassment, and undermine self confidence and self esteem.
The types of phobias
Simple Phobias
Fear of a single stimulus such as fear of heights, ladders, frogs, enclosed places, etc.
Complex Phobias
A fear of a number of stimuli. In fear of flying, for example, the person may be afraid of crashing, being enclosed in the plane, losing self control etc.
Social Phobias
Simply put, this means you are afraid of what might occur when in the company of other people, for example, fear of blushing, losing self control, forgetting what you are about to say, fear of trembling, etc.
Agoraphobia
Literally 'fear of the market place' and, up to a decade or so ago, the term was used to describe people who were afraid of open spaces. 'Agoraphobia' is now used to describe those who experience increasing nervousness the further they travel from their own home. In severe cases they may not venture from home at all.
The difference between a fear and a phobia
The distinction generally made is to say that a fear is rational and when fear becomes irrational it is a phobia.
In reality the difference is mainly one of degree and the handiest way to distinguish them is by saying that a phobia is different from a fear by being more irrational. Because, having being fuelled by our imagination, every fear will have a degree of irrationality to it.
Take the example of a phobia of snakes. If you live in the United Kingdom there is a slight possibility that you may be out in the countryside on a warm summer's day and you may possibly come across one of our increasingly rare adders, and you just might not see it, and it might be so unaware of your very silent approach that it doesn't quietly slip away, and you might possibly be walking about without wearing shoes, and you might possibly step on it and get bitten.
All of this is not very likely, I agree, but it is just possible. And therefore a UK resident has some reason to be fearful of snakes.
Yet, while the likelihood of being bitten by an adder in the UK is very small, someone who is afraid of snakes can be so fearful that they cannot even pass a pet shop just in case there may be snakes on display in the window. They may even have to leave the room if snakes are featured on the television. Or be unable to look at picture of snakes in a magazine.
The Good News
Just as the original cause of the phobia is usually a one time event, so it is possible just as rapidly to remove it. In some cases this is achieved in one session.
