Does being Scared Knock your Confidence?

Are you scared of spiders, flying, heights …?

We know that it is not rational to be afraid, or in some cases to experience sheer panic, in the face of that teeny weenie spider. At the mere thought of the source of fear we can experience nausea, hyperventilation and palpitations, chills, blank mind and speech problems, the desire to run or feel rooted to the spot.

So, if it’s not a rational response it follows that it must be an irrational response. The part of the brain that is responsible for these flight/fight/freeze symptoms is the same part that exists to ensure we avoid situations that put us in mortal danger - our subconscious.

If a car is travelling towards us at speed when we’re crossing the road, we don’t have time to decide whether running out of the way is the appropriate response. Our subconscious reacts instinctively; it produces the flight response to ensure we flee the source of danger. This is the right response when we’re faced with speeding on-coming traffic. However, sometimes our subconscious gets it wrong - reacting this way at the thought of a plane journey; when we come across a humble spider or birds in our garden; walking along the coast path or even when we’re simply walking upstairs.

Phobias are generally created in either one of two ways; in both cases varying levels of anxiety are present.

A child whose parents are screaming at him because he has climbed onto a window ledge, may get a distorted impression of the dangers of high places. Alternatively, if he fails to see the significance of the drop, and is studying a spider at the time, a different 'survival pattern' may be formed. He could develop a fear of spiders or heights.

In later life, the response to the source of 'danger' is usually dependent on our level of underlying anxiety. Anxiety converts to fear, and fear needs a focus. Our subconscious will focus on something either pertinent to us, or even something seemingly ridiculous. The memory of the original event is often repressed by the subconscious in order to ensure the response pattern is continually repeated.

So, if you have a phobia you are not going mad as a lot of my clients had previously thought! A phobia is an irrational response pattern that can be explained rationally.

 Your confidence can be restored simply and relatively quickly. Hypnotherapy can help by promoting relaxation consequently lowering anxiety and stress, and help you to change those unwanted patterns of behaviour so you can do what you want to do!