Usually a phobia is an irrational fear. Something has happened and it can be quite innocuous, however, the event is perceived by the sufferer to be traumatic. And then they go over and over it until they construct an irrational fear. Like the guy who could not drive on freeways. He lived in inner Melbourne and his job entailed him being on the road. He could drive on an ordinary road but not on a freeway. He knew it was irrational but he would break out in a sweat at the thought. He could sit in a car while someone else drove on a freeway but he could not do it. Or the woman who lived in a multi-story complex in St Kilda Road and was quite comfortable going up in the lift or the stairs and walking into her apartment- no drama. None of the windows were floor to ceiling. But when it came to her workplace. She worked on the 8th floor of an office tower which had floor to ceiling windows on all 4 sides. She would get out of the lift and crawl to her desk. She was terrified. Or the woman who was terrified of spiders. Big, small it did not matter. All spiders terrified her and she could not have a spider in the house. Snakes, many people are terrified of snakes. They may never have seen one but they can create a phobia and not be able to sleep because there is a possibility that there may be one in the house. These are very serious to someone who has a phobia. Just as serious as if there was a real snake or spider right there in the room. All respond really well to hypnotherapy.
