Panic Attacks - A Tiny Fear Takes on Epic Proportions When You Suffer From a Phobia!

We all have scared, worried or anxious thoughts. These are normal occurrences and usually passing sensations.

We deal with our fear, confront, fail or succeed and move on. Some people are not able to go through this process and instead suffer extreme reactions to everyday occurrences.

Avoidance of the undesirable activity helps to further heighten the anxiety surrounding the particular problem and often leads to drastic measures. 

Phobias come in all shapes and sizes. Some people are afraid of elevators, some of dogs, some of driving, while others are scared of bridges, germs, public speaking or authority figures. The fearful feelings are overwhelming and cause the sufferer to avoid the activities which they fear. 

This avoidance also serves to further exaggerate the fear in the phobia sufferer´s mind.

Sufferers will go to tremendous lengths to avoid the feared activity. Climb 20 flights of stairs instead of riding an elevator. Only driving places where there are no bridges involved, avoiding promotions or opportunities to present information because of the fear of public speaking or interacting with authority figures.

The detrimental affect that a phobia can have on your life can be incalculable. Dealing with a phobia begins by dealing with the intensity of your fearful and anxious thoughts.

The fear usually begins as a passing thought but then builds as the anticipation of encountering your boss or going into an elevator becomes a closer reality. Your feet become lead weights and it has become increasingly difficult to deal with whatever it is you are doing. You are distracted, unfocused and now in fear!

Your nervous system has responded to your fear and now your body is not responding normally.  Your heart is racing, your breathing is becoming quicker, shallower, you´re losing feeling in your extremities and you probably feel sick to your stomach.

Controlling these responses is a key part of conquering your fear. You can overcome phobias; you can chase the worry away.
For many phobia sufferers the best way to overcome that which you fear is to expose yourself to it in gradual increments until the once feared activity or object is no longer a feared thing but a familiar thing. 

Exposure therapy is best done with the help of a trusted family member or friend who is there to support you as you try to gradually overcome your fear. This process will not be accomplished in minutes or hours but weeks or months.

The pace of exposure is not nearly as important as the progressive nature of the exposure. With each new degree of exposure, you should be closer to your goal of presenting in front of people, riding an elevator, petting a dog. 

While you are exposing yourself to your fear you will probably need to utilize some relaxation techniques to help you stay calm. Abdominal breathing, progressive muscle relaxation, and positive thought redirection are all techniques that can be used to help you deal with the anxiety.