You do NOT have to suffer Anxiety

More info about Anxiety Disorders & Fears & Phobias

The 1997 Australian National Survey of Mental Health and Wellbeing revealed

that 9.7%, or nearly 1.3 million, of adult Australians suffer from an anxiety disorder

in any 12-month period.

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We are fully committed to providing  individualised treatment that is short term,

cost effective and scientifically validated.

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Specific Phobia :

Where there is a significant and lasting fear related to the presence of a specific object or situation that often poses little or no actual danger.

Exposure tends to bring about an immediate fear reaction, causing intense anxiety &/or avoidance entirely.  (People with a specific phobia may recognise that the fear is excessive or unreasonable yet feel unable to overcome it.)

At a basic level there is a common belief in experiencing any form of :
Pain, Physical/bodily harm,  Mental harm,  Illness/Disease

with another fear relating to impending death

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FYI - Different types of specific phobias, may include:

• Animal phobias: ie. fear of dogs, spiders, snakes, insects, or mice.

• Situational phobias: Specific situations, i.e.  flying, driving, riding in a car or on public transport, going in tunnels/over bridges, or of being in a closed-in place, (e.g. elevators)

• Natural environment phobias: E.g. he fear of storms, heights or water & bodies of water.

• Blood-injection-injury phobias:  Inc fear of being injured, of seeing blood or invasive medical procedures (inc Dental) , e.g.  blood tests or injections. It is quite common for people to experience a fainting response with this phobia.

• Other phobias: These include a fear of choking, vomiting, contracting an illness, falling down, loud sounds, and a fear of costumed characters, e.g. clowns.

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People with Specific Phobia will may experience intense symptoms of anxiety when confronted by their fear. Common symptoms may include:

• Excessive &/or irrational fear of a specific object or situation

• Avoiding the object &/or situation or enduring it with high levels of distress

• Physical symptoms of high anxiety or a panic attack, such as:

  • • Sweating

    • Rapid heart, heart palpitations, pounding heart

    • Shaking or Trembling

    • Chest discomfort or pain

    • Gastrointestinal upset:  Nausea, stomach distress

    • Hot flushes &/or Cold chills

    • Muscle tension or muscle weakness, twitching, "freezing'

    • ight-headedness, or faintness, dizziness, unsteady feelings, 

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• NB:  Anticipatory anxiety, a form of catastrophising,  which involves becoming nervous ahead of time - projecting into the future that being in certain situations &/or coming into contact with the object of your phobia leads to avoidant behaviour - putting off going to see a dentist or doctor, not going out due to a fear of seeing a person or an animal - i.e. where a fear of dogs may lead to not getting exercise as you may see a dog.

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Phobias are where a fear will start limiting your life, your options, your health,

your potential for a full health involved life

There is a way to be clear of your phobias!​

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• In Western countries up to 12.5% of the population may suffer from a Specific Phobia at sometime in their life. Phobias usually first appear in adolescence and adulthood but can occur in people of all ages. They are slightly more common in women than in men. Specific phobias in children are common and usually disappear over time. Specific phobias in adults generally start suddenly and are more lasting than childhood phobias. Only about 20% of specific phobias in adults go away on their own (without treatment). The good news is that specific phobias can be successfully treated.

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Social Phobia (aka Social Anxiety Discorder)

Social phobia refers to wories & fears around situations involving the potential

for 'judgement" ( evaluation or observation by others).

 

Social phobia presents as extreme form of shyness where tit may have reached

 a level that in is interfering with the person’s life.

 

Social phobia is not age specific and may occur from early childhood and into older age.

 

Social phobia leads many to avoid situations involving interactions with others e.g.:

Meeting new people
Talking to people in authority (e.g., boss, teacher, police)
Speaking on the telephone
Speaking in large groups (e.g., meetings, classroom)
Going on dates

 

Social phobia may lead to avoidance of things such as:

Speaking in public
Working while being watched
Eating or drinking in front of others
Using public restrooms

People with social phobia will also often try to blend in and never call  attention to themselves (e.g., calling out in a crowd, event flagging down a moving taxi or bus)
 

Common Beliefs in Social Phobia
If you have overwhelming thoughts such as:

Will people think I look odd
Will people think this sounds stupid
Will people think  I don’t know what I am talking about
I know people will not like me
I think people will think I have bad intentions

 

Physical symptoms of Social Phobia

If you have some of these physical symptoms of anxiety (e.g., increased heart rate and nausea). Plus also expereince any of these common symptoms that you are concerned about as perhaps others may noticed these:

Blushing
Sweating
Trembling
Having a “shaky” voice

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Social Anxiety will start limiting your life, your options for connection,

your health, your potential for a full integrated life

There is a way to get out of your Social Anxiety!​

In Western countries social phobia affects around 3-7% of the population in any one year, and up to 13% of the population may experience social anxiety disorder at sometime in their life. It occurs more often in women than men. However, men often seek help, perhaps because they see it as interfering more with their lives.

Social phobia can begin from a very early age (preschool), but it seems to become more common in early adolescence (around 12-13 years). Social phobia is a chronic condition that doesn’t easily change without treatment. Many adults with social phobia report being shy for as long as they can remember.

People with social phobia may also meet criteria for other anxiety disorders, as well as depression and alcohol abuse (in adults).

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