The Unintentional Trigger (of a Phobic Response)

Photo courtesy of Microsoft

 

                Did you see it?

On Saturday, the ScienceNow column of the Metro section in the Los Angeles Times featured a huge picture of a Dolomedes Triton spider. Okay, the photograph wasn’t huge; it was only four inches by seven inches—I measured it!—but it was in color and there were enough details to show aspects of spider anatomy I didn’t need or want to see. And it was no ordinary, fly-eating house spider, either: it looked like a tarantula, and this creature was photographed catching a small fish! While I am not a fan of arachnids in any situation, I can only imagine how this image might have affected someone who has a fear or phobia of spiders. For a moment, I fancifully wondered if there should have been a spoiler alert on the previous page to warn readers what they might see on page AA2.

Of course, life doesn’t come with a spoiler alert, either. It is up to each of us to learn and develop strategies to cope or “deal” with things that make us feel uncomfortable. But what do you do when there is no “known” reason to explain your extreme, negative reaction to a stimulus that doesn’t seem to bother anyone else? How do you “cope” with this fear or anxiety when just a picture or other representation of the stimulus can also trigger that strong negative reaction?

I often work with people to help overcome their fears and phobias, through hypnotherapy. A fear is distinguished from a phobia if the primary cause of the extreme reaction: 1) has an identifiable “cause”; and 2) the person can identify when the fear started (usually during childhood). Phobias, which typically begin during adulthood, do not have a known primary cause or specific date of onset. Also, the person is aware that his or her extreme reactions to the stimulus are irrational.

To help someone who experienced an extreme negative reaction to the photo I just described, I would need to determine whether this individual had a fear or phobia about what is depicted in this image. While the client is in hypnosis I would systematically desensitize the individual to specific aspects of the stimulus that the person finds distressing (e.g., anatomy of the spider, what it is doing in the picture, etc.). Next, I would desensitize the person to the entire or overall image/impression of the spider or spiders and give the person to “practice” controlling his or her reaction in guided imagery. Finally, I would teach the person relaxation techniques and create a subconscious anchor with which he or she can activate this sensation of feeling of calm and reinforce this ability to control the previous negative response. When the client is returned to a fully alert and aware state, I would discuss the role of nutrition—specifically, how blood-sugar levels can exacerbate anxiety and its physical symptoms. I would also coach him or her on how and when to use the Emotional Freedom Technique (www.eftuniverse.org) to work through this anxiety.

For more information about fears and phobias, go to my blog titled “Fears & Phobias” (April 2, 2014). For more information about the relationship between nutrition and anxiety, please read my blog titled “Nutrition and Hypnotherapy” (January 14, 2014).

 

 

Sara R. Fogan, C.Ht. is a certified hypnotherapist based in Southern California. She graduated with honors from the Hypnosis Motivation Institute in 2005. For more information about Calminsense Hypnotherapy® and to set up an appointment, please visit http://www.calminsensehypnotherapy.com/.