Phobias and the people that love them (well, not really)

[Shoat]

Is there a way to completely destroy a person's phobias through hypnosis?

If so, I have a paralysing fear of spiders. 8O The patterns on them, way they seem to stalk when they walk, that totally unneccessary number of legs :roll: -- everything about them causes me to either flee or loose the ability to flee in total panic.

Could hypnosis at least lower the level of unbridled horror I have for these little monsters? :wink:

[getpumped87]

I hate spiders!!!

and yes you can

[Shoat]

Oh wow...

Now that's something I'd pay money for...

[cardigan]

Yes, hypnosis is actually very effective to use when curing phobias. Actually it's one of the main 'vanilla' uses of hypnosis. I think no. 1 is helping people to stop smoking (drinking, drug-abusing) and no. 2 could easily be curing phobias.

In fact I might be talked into producing a file to that effect.

[whatthe75]

If you use hypnosis and combine the Dissasociation technique from NLP it is extremely effective.

I have cured my wifes phobia using just the NLP techniques.Under hypnosis will make the effects even more effective for the stronger phobias.

[boomsmee]

Ive added an "Arachnophobia cure" file to the voting.

[gornyhuy]

Yes, hypnosis is actually very effective to use when curing phobias. Actually it's one of the main 'vanilla' uses of hypnosis. I think no. 1 is helping people to stop smoking (drinking, drug-abusing) and no. 2 could easily be curing phobias.

In fact I might be talked into producing a file to that effect.

My wife has asked me to make one about fear of snakes...
Would love to see that.

[whatthe75]

Surely though a fear of snakes would be quite a sensible phobia to have.

[willingsub]

It depends. Not if you freak out every time you see a wildlife documentary or trip over a garden hose.

Phobias are often in the core sensible fears. It's sensible not to get too close to a wild dog. It's probably very sensible to have a healthy respect for big hairy poisonous spiders if you live in the rainforest. Even a touch of agoraphobia is healthy if walking across an open plain is likely to atract the attention of large predators. It is only when those fears get irrationally out of control in our modern, much safer environment that these primal fears become a problem.

The difference between a phobia and a healthy respect for snakes (or anything else) is the impact on your life: is the impact positive (actually making you less likely to be bitten by a dangerous snake) or negative (making you unable to go out and mow your own lawn)?

[gornyhuy]

It depends. Not if you freak out every time you see a wildlife documentary or trip over a garden hose.

Phobias are often in the core sensible fears. It's sensible not to get too close to a wild dog. It's probably very sensible to have a healthy respect for big hairy poisonous spiders if you live in the rainforest. Even a touch of agoraphobia is healthy if walking across an open plain is likely to atract the attention of large predators. It is only when those fears get irrationally out of control in our modern, much safer environment that these primal fears become a problem.

The difference between a phobia and a healthy respect for snakes (or anything else) is the impact on your life: is the impact positive (actually making you less likely to be bitten by a dangerous snake) or negative (making you unable to go out and mow your own lawn)?

Well said - thats just the problem. She starts to get irrational fears that our suburban lawn is crawling with snakes and she gets to imagining intense physical sensations of wriggling crawling beasties... Not a healthy thing.

[boomsmee]

its a good thng im not afaid of snakes. Had to ride in a car for 5 hours once with 4 snakes in the car. Quite a fun trip actually.