REWIRING fear

It's never too late to move from a place of complete anxiety to being cool, calm and collected, says expert Laura Alexander

- Laura Alexander

Phobias are often dismissed as irrational, but their impact can be profound. For those who experience them, fear isn't a matter of choice — it's an automatic, visceral response, often bypassing logic entirely. As a clinical hypnotherapist, I have seen first-hand how phobias can dictate behaviour, shaping everything from holiday choices to daily routines. But before I could help others, I had to face my own fear...

During my hypnotherapy training, our tutor posed a simple question: 'Does anyone have a phobia?' I hesitated before raising my hand. My fear? Spiders. Or, more accurately, my belief that the world wasn't nearly afraid enough of them. I was so frightened of spiders I didn't like to tell people because it made me feel vulnerable and paranoid. Spiders were too horrible and frightening to deal with in the room or my brain.

So, when offered the chance to undergo hypnotherapy myself, my instinct was to decline. Avoidance had always been my coping mechanism. But as the training went on, a nagging thought crept in: how could I help others conquer their fears if I wasn't willing to face mine?

Determined to test the process, I agreed to hypnotherapy — not to become indifferent to spiders, but to reduce the visceral panic that accompanied their presence. Arachnophobia — in common with other phobias such as snakes, insects and germs — is often a fusion of fear and disgust. I didn't find the disgust a problem, but I did want freedom from the fear.

The results were remarkable. From the very first session, imagining something that would have been a nightmare scenario before no longer set off the familiar panic. After two sessions, I knew I wasn't phobic anymore. My subconscious had recalibrated its response.