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| Photo by Rick Hustead |
Fears and
phobias/anxiety may reflect similar feelings, but they are actually separate
conditions that require different treatments. According to Hypnosis Motivation Institute founder John Kappas, Ph.D., when you have a fear
of something, you can attribute the reaction to the memory of a specific
incident—usually one that occurred during childhood. Conversely, a phobia is typically associated with a sudden drop in blood-sugar that
triggers physiological symptoms including shaking, weakness, confusion, anxiety
and even paranoia that have nothing to do with what a specific environmental
trigger. However, the resulting subconscious fear of loss of control or even
death becomes attributed to that trigger (e.g., fear of flying, insects)
because that is the only explicable source of anxiety, according to the
conscious mind.
Both therapies entail educating the
individual about the role of nutrition in exacerbating or even triggering the
initial fear/phobic response during the cognitive/alert portion of the session.
Most important, the hypnotherapist must help the client realize and believe that the person is able to
control this reaction. Having said that, each response (fear versus phobia)
requires a different hypnotherapeutic approach to achieve this outcome.
Circle therapy enables the person to
progressively experience more intense fear reactions during hypnosis and then
“pass” through it (relax) to a deeper state of hypnosis. Post-hypnotic
suggestions reinforce that the individual is able to control this fear in this
way and that the fear response is no longer a necessary part of his or her
life. The best way to face a fear is to face it down, Dr. Kappas advised. “Face
it by realizing you yourself can create it. You’re not facing the fear, you’re
facing the feeling,” he explained.
Conversely, phobias
start from physiological feelings that the person fears will result in loss of control or even death. While this
reaction can be triggered by dreams or stress, it’s generally an illogical fear
response and not based on personal experience. The best way to treat a phobia
is by using systematic
desensitization and double-bind
techniques that work together to gradually reduce the negative
association/response while making the response increasingly difficult to
experience. Circle therapy is not
used to work through a phobia because the technique can reinforce or even
exacerbate the negative response.
However, a
long-held fear can also morph into agoraphobia,
or a fear of open spaces, Dr. Kappas warned. It is possible to manage agoraphobia
through diet/nutrition, a therapeutic approach that is recommended and
effective to control other phobias. It is important to deal with any relapse of
the original fear right away and then start dealing with anticipatory anxiety about
experiencing that fear, which has likely developed through the agoraphobic
response.
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/.
© 2016
