Phobias - The best therapies.
The best therapy for overcoming phobias seems to be CBT. Again and again it is shown by peer reviewed research to help phobics face their problem, control their symptoms, and eventually move on with complete normality. There are some good books that you can buy to teach yourself CBT, and depending on severity it may also be advisable to seek the help of an expert. Your doctor should be able to refer you to a well-qualified Cognitive Behavioural Therapist. CBT helps to modify your morbid or catastrophic thinking. Then, bit by bit, you gradually expose yourself to the object of your phobia. As this exposure unfolds you start to see that your old beliefs were misguided and very soon your phobia can be made to pass. CBT is not a magic and cure and does demand commitment from the sufferer. That said, the techniques which demand no commitment from the sufferer seldom work!
People can often be put off by the notion of exposure. They shouldn’t be. Gradual exposure to a situation after your faulty cognition has been challenged does not have to be nasty, and at the end of it there is a real sense that you have achieved something for yourself. Challenging a phobia through CBT in this way leads to increased self-esteem and confidence.
