How Therapy Can Help You Face Your Fears
Having fears is a valid and understandable part of life. The world is (and continues to become) a scary place filled with violence, hatred, and crimes. Fears, phobias, and anxieties only become significant issues in our lives if they start to get in the way of our daily obligations. The more that these fears and anxieties grow, the stronger they become. If they become too strong, fighting them on your own may be challenging. If this is the case, you could benefit from therapy.
Speaking with a therapist can help you face your fears in a safe and supportive environment. It can be scary (and sometimes unsafe) to approach your fears without the help of a therapist. You can work through your fears and anxieties through therapy in different ways. One of these ways is talking through your fears to try to figure out where they are coming from. Patients might be able to use cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) to identify any distortions in their thinking or unhelpful thinking patterns.
There are different types of CBT available for patients depending on their specific needs. One of these types is Exposure and Response Prevention Therapy (ERP). This type of therapy involves a patient exposing themselves to their fears in a safe place with their therapist. Therapists will encourage patients to choose not to listen to their obsessive thoughts. When patients choose not to act on removing themselves from the fear, they are teaching themselves a new narrative. They are teaching themselves that these obsessive thoughts and fears are not as troublesome as they may appear. ERP can be used for thought-based obsessions or compulsive-based obsessions.
Another way to approach phobias in therapy is by using Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT). DBT teaches skills such as distress tolerance and emotion regulation. Coping skills like these can be used in a variety of situations beyond whatever fear you are currently struggling with. Many of DBT’s skills are similar to ERP in that the goal is to diminish the anxieties that come up when you are facing a specific fear. Everyone learns differently, and both forms of therapy can be helpful depending on the situation. Your therapist will help you determine the best form of therapy and treatment to best help you overcome your anxieties.
Avoiding our fears is a natural instinct that has been passed down to us since the beginning of time. But it’s up to us how we handle those fears. In the short term, it may be tempting to avoid your fears altogether. In the long run, it’s important to work through your fears sooner rather than later. This is because the longer that we allow our fears to run rampant in our brains, the stronger they become. When they become stronger, it can be much more challenging when we try to fight them. You are worth the effort it takes to fight. We know that it can be scary, but we also know that you can do it. If you are ready to start working through your fears with a therapist, we are here for you. Contact us today.
References
https://iocdf.org/about-ocd/treatment/erp/
Keywords: phobias, anxiety, mental health, therapy, CBT, exposure therapy