To a person who has Emetophobia, the idea of vomiting is absolutely terrifying. Similarly, a person with social phobia can think of nothing so horrible as appearing inadequate or unpleasant to others.
Anxiety-related conditions like phobias and panic attacks can affect every aspect of your life. They take control of your mind and your body, making you wonder if you will ever feel normal again.
For some people with anxiety disorders, sitting down and talking with a therapist may help. For others, a more hands-on approach is needed.
Learning to Master Anxiety
An article from the Washington Post focusing on phobic people was published in 2011. The piece describes a formerly emetophobic boy, age sixteen, who successfully learned to overcome his fear. Two years after going through a two-month long treatment, he was able to do things that he would never have considered doing as an emetophobic. What was previously his greatest fear became something he could smile and even laugh at with no problem.
The article also tells the story of an older woman who suffered from a fear of flying for twenty-three years. When someone has an anxiety disorder for that long, he or she begins to think recovery is impossible. For the woman who spent decades of her life being to afraid to travel by plane, it did not seem likely that she could ever change. Nevertheless, she was willing to give treatment a try after she found something to motivate herself.
The phobic woman decided to sign up for therapy at an anxiety treatment center. Like most people with a phobia, it was recommended for her to go through exposure therapy. This required her to gradually become acclimated to the idea of flying. She started off small with only mildly stressful activities related to flying. One month later, she was on a plane for the first time in years.
Treatment Drop-Out Rates
Because exposure therapy forces you to confront your fears, many people stop treatment before they are cured. Anxiety treatment centers like the one mentioned previously are specially geared to help you. The workers are trained to make sure you are safe and to show that your fear can be overcome. Treatment facilities are equipped with materials that can be used to teach you how to be healthy again. Rather like hospitals, these centers for anxiety are filled with people and objects that are designed to make you better.
Curing your phobia or anxiety disorder on your own can be very difficult if your problem is highly developed. It’s generally advisable to seek treatment in person from a licensed professional. Treatment centers for anxiety disorders are some of the best resources available. Remember that it isn’t healthy to try to ignore your phobia or cover it up; if anything, it usually leads to unhealthy behaviors.
