What is a Phobia? A phobia is an irrational fear of a person, thing or situation that most of us take in our stride. A person with a phobia will avoid the situation wherever possible. People can be afraid of ANYTHING! What is OCD? Obsessive Compulsive Disorder affects about one in every 50 men and women. This means that in the UK there are about 1 million people who have experienced OCD at some point. Getting Help
How Can I Seek Professional Help? People with phobias or OCD have high anxiety and often experience panics – palpitations, ‘jelly’ legs, queasiness and absolute terror. Sometimes depression is present too. The phobic sufferer tries to avoid the situation they fear, which may lead to them being unable to work or to have a social life. The OCD sufferer usually finds that the problem invades the whole of their life, whereas the phobic sufferer sometimes escapes the problem by avoiding the situation they fear. Eventually work and home-life suffers, leading to relationship breakdown in extreme cases. Phobia, OCD and associated panics can be helped by a structured self-treatment programme like that pioneered by Professor Isaac Marks and set out in his book Living with Fear (Contact us for more info). Sometimes professional help is necessary, especially where the problem is severe and chronic. It is agreed by most experts in this field that the most effective treatment currently available is behaviour therapy (BT) or cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT) via a qualified therapist. This treatment can be aided by anti-depressant medication. We strongly advise sufferers to talk to their general practitioner about their problem and ask for a referral to a qualified BT/CBT therapist. (taken from TOP UK)
