What is the difference between a fear and a phobia? Well personally I have a fear of my house catching fire so to avoid that fear becoming a reality I make sure that I have smoke alarms fitted and take care when I'm cooking or I have an open fire.... in other words the fear is realistic and avoidable. I don't, however, check my electric plugs every few minutes or have a panic attack every time I see a naked flame so my fear is a rational, controlled concern

What about when that fear is irrational and trying to avoid that fear becomes an obsession - then it becomes a Phobia - A persistent, irrational fear of a specific object, activity, or situation that leads to a compelling desire to avoid it.

Phobias are divided into two types - Simple Phobias and Complex Phobias

Simple Phobias

This type is about a single object, situation, or activity. Common examples are a fear of spiders, snakes, heights, enclosed spaces, dentists or flying. If you have a simple phobia you might react with mild anxiety or even with panic when confronted with the possibility of facing the source of your fear.

Complex Phobias

Agoraphobia is an example of a complex phobia. It involves several anxieties, including fear of entering shops, crowds, and public places, or of travelling in trains, buses, or planes. It also includes anxiety of being unable to immediately escape to a place of safety, usually home.

Social phobia is another complex phobia. Social phobia is a fear of social or performance situations, such as a wedding or public speaking. Those with a social phobia have a fear of embarrassing themselves or of being humiliated in public.

It is thought that 1-2% of men and women have a social phobia and it is usually linked to low self-esteem and fear of criticism. This is the most common reason for people consulting a Hypnotherapist and is very often a last resort which is a shame as Hypnotherapy is the most successful way of dealing with social phobia.

Phobias, whether simple or complex come from a fear of being out of control and that is a response that has been programmed into your subconscious from an early age. Usually your fears have no direct connection to the thing that you fear. For example, if you are terrified of speaking in public it is unlikely that you were once ridiculed or humiliated for messing up an important presentation, it is more likely down to a fear of being judged.... and how many people do you know who have had a life threatening experience with a spider.... not many I bet... it doesn't make the arachnophobe's fear any less real though!

Making the decision to deal with a phobia can be unnerving but you can be assured that I will never belittle your fears or make you feel silly.... Pure Hypnoanalysis is a fast, gentle and permanent way to be rid of your phobia.

I offer a free Initial Consultation so that you can come and have a chat about your symptoms. You can be reassured that I am a caring specialist with the skill and expertise to help you resolve your problem.