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Five Ways To Conquer Your
Phobias
Nicole looks like your typical successful career woman. She is good-looking,
efficient and moves with ease inside her office. She can clinch important
deals and ink million dollar contracts with overseas clients. But that's
where the similarity ends.
Nicole has a problem. She holds office in her own bedroom. She rarely
leaves the house and goes only as far as the garden gate. Whenever the
supply for her basic needs run out, she troops to the nearest supermarket
garbed in an opaque turban, dark wrap around sunglasses and loose clothes
hanging freely over her entire body so she would be unrecognizable.
If possible, she also takes her pet dog with her.
But Nicole is not sick, not physically at least. She has what psychiatrists
call agoraphobia, or a fear of open spaces. For almost five years now,
her condition has greatly hampered her life. She has kept herself indoors
with the venetian blinds drawn to provide a sense of security.
Her maladaptive behavior was noticed when she had successive episodes
of nausea, trembling and occasional paralysis while on her way to the
office. Many well-meaning friends wanted to help her, but she refused
them all. Sadly, to this day, this is the way Nicole maintains her life.
You may not behave as extremely as Nicole did, but you are definitely
familiar with the sickening feeling of a phobia. Your source of fear
could be a snake, the sound thunder, an aggressive-looking dog or closed
spaces. However, unlike Nicole, you want to take charge of your life.
You want to be free from cumbersome and irrational fears. The key in
doing that is to follow these tried-and-tested tips for conquering phobias.
1. Accept it. Knowing that you fear something is the
first step in liberating yourself. Do not fight your weakness. Do whatever
you have to do to make yourself combat the ill-effects of your phobia.
If possible, jot it down to help set your plans in concrete form.
2. Realize it won't kill you. Sure, you may not avoid
quaking in fear or gnashing your teeth, but the worst case scenario
would not really result to your death. Being in this state of mind puts
you in control of the situation.
3. Use distractions to your advantage. Supposing you
fear snakes. You could go to a zoo and slowly desensitize yourself there.
You can first look at the sturdy plants in the cage, then slowly move
your gaze to the tail of the snake. Continue doing this until such time
that you are comfortable staring at the entire eight-foot long of the
cobra right in front of you.
4. Relax. Take a deep breath and relax your muscles.
Do not run the moment you see or hear the source of your phobia. Let
go of your friend's hand or stare at an imaginary tranquil scene, but
never panic.
5. Seek help. If all else fails, seek help from a reliable
psychiatrist. A well-trained person can help you a long way in disposing
of your fears, slowly but surely. They can construct an suitable clinical
management of your condition.
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