"Ultimately we know deeply that the other side of every fear is freedom" Marilyn Ferguson
One of the most common reasons people seek hypnotherapy is for a fear or phobia. Typically fears are rational, have their origin in childhood and are based on a real experience that you have had. A typical example might be a fear of dogs. Perhaps when you were a child you actually got bit by a dog and this fear would be a logical and realistic response. A fear can result in a fight/flight response and in physiological changes such as a change in breathing, trembling or shaking and perspiration. In contrast a phobia can have an unknown cause, be irrational, and most often start in adulthood. Some physical responses might be muscle tension, hyperventilation and tightening in the throat.
Fears and phobias can be life changing and cause people to alter how they live their lives. There is stress and anxiety around concealing these fears from others and can result in problems with friends and family, school situations and maintaining jobs.
Research by Web MD states, "Alcoholics can be up to 10 times more likely to suffer from a phobia than those who are not alcoholics. And phobic individuals can be twice as likely to be addicted to alcohol as those who have never been phobic."
Some common fears or phobias are:
Fear of flying, fear of public speaking, fear of animals, social phobias, fear of open spaces (agoraphobia) and fear of water.