|
Let's
says, for example, someone is extremely fearful of spiders, and
provided there is no objective danger (i.e., the spider couldn't harm
them), and their distress is sufficient to disrupt their life, they
would be classified as having arachnophobia i.e., a phobia of spiders.
Phobias
are common in the general population (around 6%). They are more common
in women (8%) than men (3.4%) (Myers et al., 1984). Many specific fears
do not cause the person enough disruption in their life to seek
treatment for it, for example a person may have a fear of flying but
never intends, or has any need, to get on a plane.
Most
people, especially children have fears and worries that are part of
normal development which do not meet the criteria for it to be
classified as a disorder. In-fact, most childhood phobias usually
dissipate over time. The child is usually gradually exposed to the
source of the fear by their parents and significant others, and manages
to overcome their own anxieties.
Many
people who suffer from phobias fail to seek treatment. The motivation
to seek treatment often develops when there’s a change in the sufferer's
circumstances (e.g. promotion which requires the individual to fly more
frequently), which prevents them from being able to avoid or minimise
their contact with the feared object (e.g. aeroplanes).
Phobias
are generally recognised by the sufferer as irrational beliefs which
they feel they have no control over. However, there is a general
consensus that eliminating irrational beliefs alone, without exposure to
the actual feared thing or situation, does not solve the
problem (Turner et al., 1992).
During hypnotherapy, suggestions are offered to the client's
subconscious mind while they are in a suggestible altered state of
consciousness. The subconscious mind is hidden beyond our everyday
awareness. In addition to its more positive aspects, it is where
impulses, habits, negative emotions, memories, and irrational thoughts
reside.
During
this altered state of consciousness, clients can be easily guided to
relearn new behaviours, e.g., becoming more assertive, confident and
calm in managing the phobic situation or object well.
In
most forms of psychotherapy, the therapist makes suggestions at a
conscious level. The conscious mind, whilst rational, can also be
defensive, overly critical, overcome with negative thinking, and not
always in the mood for change. When in a trance, the clients' conscious
mind relaxes, allowing the therapist to communicate with a more
receptive unconscious mind.
During
this deep state of relaxation, the hypnotherapist will also use
systematic desensitisation, where the trigger of the fear is gradually
introduced to the client whilst they are in a trance. Client's typically
are quickly able to do this exercise without experiencing fear during
trance, and will then be encouraged to try out these new ways of working
either inside, or outside of the therapy room, in the presence of the
real thing when they are out of trance.
With
some clients who have extreme fear reactions to even the mildest
thoughts the feared object or situation, and where it is too
anxiety-provoking for them to imagine themselves performing differently
in the face of a phobic situation, they may choose to observe someone
else instead. This can be a very effective way for sufferers to
desensitise themselves to the feared object, and by imagining someone
else performing a behaviour they will feel much more confident.
Hypnotherapists
might also use a technique called age regression which helps to to find
the source of the problem i.e., when the problem first started. By
exploring these earlier memories, the hypnotherapist will help the
client to store them in a much more useful way. These memories then fail
to continue to have the same negative effect on the person in the
present.
| 
No comments:
Post a Comment