The most dangerous thing about phobia is we think there is no cure!
- Then comes the fear of being judged!
- The fear of being called out for not being mature enough!
- The fear of people not understanding!
After all, phobias are an irrational fear of something which is caused by a trauma or experience. Which automatically means that they might not fear the same thing. Sometimes it could be something as trivial as a balloon (Globophobia).
So, if you are dealing with someone with a phobia, especially if it is a kid, do not automatically jump to a judgemental conclusion. Now, if you are someone dealing with the phobia themselves, then we might have a solution for you.
In this excerpt below, we will be talking about some of the common lifestyle choices which can help you overcome your phobia.
Because, at the end of the day, it is our mind which is creating these fearful situations even before it has happened or if they will ever happen. With a little mindful control, you can get hold of your fear.
This Article Contains
Lifestyle Changes Helping Manage Your Phobia
According to experts, here are some of the lifestyle changes which can help you deal with your phobia.
Find Alternatives
Find a healthy alternative rather than completely escaping your fear because that will not be possible all the time. For example, if you deal with a kid with Phagophobia (fear of choking), which is pretty common. Because of this, many kids avoid taking antibiotics or other medicines.
Now, you can understand how difficult that can be for their lifestyle; they cannot live off of medicinal syrups as they grow. Therefore, a healthy alternative would be to coat it with pill swallowing gel as they are helping kids swallow pills everywhere.
Seek CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy)
Cognitive behavioral therapy is when you get to therapy regularly, and the therapist understands the root of the problem. Once they figure out the origin, the next part is to change it into something positive.
For example, if someone has a fear of snakes, they will try to portray the snake as a comical figure or get them used to the idea with the repetitive theory.
Avoid Stimulants
Stimulants like caffeine and energy drinks can make you more jittery and jumpy. You are unable to keep calm, and this can make you even more anxious when dealing with fear.
Too much caffeine can also lead to more overthinking, and with an active phobia, this can lead to more difficulty. So, try to avoid them as much as you can.
Practise Mindfulness
Practicing mindfulness will help you look at phobia from a third-person perspective. If you are feeling this sudden tinge of irrational fear, then how about you close your eyes and take a deep breath.
This will help you calm your obsessive thoughts and comprehend a rational reason for the fear.
Self-Help Groups
Knowing that there are others dealing with the same issue and they are trying their best to overcome it is a big motivation.
So, why not join a self-help group and speak about your phobia among people who genuinely understand your issue and can also give you advice from personal experience.
Why You Shouldn’t Give It Control!
Here is the reason why you should never give phobia control over you.
- It can make you overthink, inducing anxiety in situations that are all right from a third person’s perspective.
- It can increase avoidance in you. For example, if you are scared of something as common as dogs, there might be a point where you would not wish to leave your house because of all the stray dogs out there. You might let that fear change you and be unnecessarily rude to people with dogs.
- If you do not take control, it will take control over you. Keeping you away from important events is important events that could be beneficial for your overall growth. This essentially factories in terms of Glossophobia (extreme fear of public seeking).
- Not everyone has one phobia, which turns out to be their Achilles heels. You can have two or more phobias. Now, if you let them control you, you will have to deal with mental conditions like anxiety & depression.
Read more informative articles on loaded health.