If we controlled ar abigdola, the treatment for any kind of fear, panic or anxiety would be, well, don't be scared anybo. But as involuntary as these fears are, people can actually get much better at responding to them. Almost half of americans have some fear of flying; one and four are afraid of public speaking. The instinctive response is to act as if you were being threatened,. Like peter's talking about, hyper alert, hyper vigilant, looking for the cockroach, jumping at shadows.
Every year, around the same time, Peter’s apartment comes alive. The shadows begin to scuttle and the pipes creak with creepy crawlies. At least that’s how it feels. Peter is freaked out by Israel’s large flying cockroaches. Logically, he knows they don’t pose a threat. But he can’t control his visceral disgust at encountering one and his panicked vigilance in the days that follow. On this episode of How To!, we bring on Dr. Elizabeth McMahon, a clinical psychologist who has been treating phobias like these for the last 30 years. She has some very practical advice for Peter, and anyone else with an irrational fear they’d like to overcome. Elizabeth often uses virtual reality therapy with her clients, most recently to treat needle phobias. She’s made this needle phobia training available for licensed therapists or supervised trainees.
If you liked this episode, check out “How To Not Be Scared.”
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