HOW DO I GET RID OF MY PHOBIA?

Over the years I’ve developed a phobia of doctors and needles. I think the reason is that my mother didn’t handle it well when I had to be examined by a doctor or get vaccinations. She didn’t prepare me well, with the result that the visit to the doctor and the injections came as a surprise. It always felt like she would spring it on me.

I’m in my twenties now and my phobia is so bad that I stop breathing and start shaking and then faint – it scares me that much.

I believe my mom did what she did because she thought it was for the best. The problem now is I keep thinking that something might happen that’s going to necessitate me going to a hospital and that I’ll need surgery or injections. How am I going to cope? Joyce, email Phobias often have an underlying reason as a result of a specific traumatic experience that was enforced by similar experiences later in life. Phobias can also be symbolic of something else.

There are various therapeutic techniques that can be used to resolve a phobia. One is systematic desensitisation of the phobic situation or incident. Another is flooding, where the patient is “flooded” with the traumatic incident which results in a decrease of the fear. The other option is hypnotherapy.

I prefer using hypnotherapy with phobic patients because it’s possible to work directly with the subconscious mind and to access the initial event that’s at the root of the phobic reaction.

There are also medications that can assist with the anxiety that’s caused by the phobia. A psychologist can refer you to a psychiatrist if you want to go this route.

‘IT’S BEEN MY EXPERIENCE THAT YOU CAN NEARLY ALWAYS ENJOY THINGS IF YOU MAKE UP YOUR MIND FIRMLY THAT YOU WILL’

– LUCY MAUD MONTGOMERY, ANNE OF GREEN GABLES