Phobias are overwhelming sensations and fear of certain objects, events or even immaterial aspects which in reality, does not pose imminent effect to the person. Compared to anxiety that only lasts while the situation is present, phobias can be long term conditions and it could be debilitating to a person. It could lead to psychological and physical stress and could ultimately affect your quality of life.
How do you overcome phobia? It needs to be stated that there are some phobias that do not need extensive treatment. If it is something that you have an aversion to, such as snakes or maybe rats, they can be easily addressed. However, if the fear has gone to the point where it affects your life and causes you to be unproductive and antisocial, then having a therapist or undergoing treatment to overcome fear is necessary.
- One of the most effective ways to overcome phobia is to accept that fact that you have one. By accepting that you are fearful of something and that it affects your life is a great step in moving forward to the next step.
- Behavioral therapy is an effective way to overcome fear. One of the most popular forms of behavioral therapy is by exposure or desensitization. If done successfully, a person’s fear on a particular thing will be eliminated. It exposes the person to the fear and slowly but surely, they eliminate the fears effectively. A more comprehensive treatment is the cognitive behavioral therapy and here you will discuss the situation with a therapist and you learn different ways or approaches to address the fear. It has a focus on learning and awareness and allows one to be in control of his or her emotions when on the presence of the stimulus for phobic attacks.
- In some cases, when the person cannot overcome fear with these methods, medications are necessary. Sedatives, antidepressants and Beta blockers are prominent medications to help control the physical reactions when someone is experiencing phobias. Medications are not cures. They just help control the sensation. This is a great complement with behavioral therapy so that even after the session, the person can be in control of their emotions until the time that they can live life without the need for medicines.