a Phobia is the unbearable fear that we may experience in relation to some object or phenomenon, while the object or phenomenon do not necessarily represent an objective danger. Or our reaction is inadequate to the level of danger of the object. What is the reason for this irrational fear sometimes even innocuous things?

the Most important thing you need to know about phobias is that they are like a box a magician, have a double bottom. Behind every phobia is hiding something very important and at the same time dangerous to the person.

a Phobia is an unbearable anxiety in front of our inner content, the emotions that we have associated with some external object or phenomenon.

the Object of the phobia becomes a psychological container in which we put the set of associations, emotions, images, memories, relations with which our Ego is dangerous, unpleasant, destructive face. In this case, the phobia acts as a protective mechanism of the psyche. It is easier to correlate a range of negative experiences that we can not currently accept, to integrate, to a certain object, for example a dog. Or the flight. Or confined space. The physical avoidance of the object of the phobia automatically mean psychological avoidance of negative experiences.

the Difficulty is that, first, sometimes a phobia can interfere with normal adaptation and self-identity, and secondly, the true content of the phobia can be associated with object phobias (airplane, an Elevator, spider, etc.) are complex and often unpredictable system of associations, individual for each case.

What are the main ways to work with phobias exist? Without going into details, touching only the General principles. These techniques can only be used in conjunction with a specialist, you should not attempt to reproduce them on their own, without at least a basic psychotherapeutic training.

1. Systematic desensitization. Quite effective and quick behavioral technique. It is based on the combination of two opposite States of tension caused by fear, and relaxation is achievable by using techniques of self-regulation. The client together with the therapist develops a gradation of incentives from the one that causes the least fear, the most terrifying. For example, if the client has a phobia of spiders, the first stimulus is simple, a little cartoon picture of a spider, and the last direct contact with a real living spider. During the next few sessions the client alternately presented stimuli, from weakest to strongest. And every time fear and tension, the client uses the selected relaxation technique to relieve stress. Because of the reaction of relaxation and tone cannot coexist at the same time, systematic relaxation upon presentation of the stimulus displaces the voltage and affect the level of conditioned reflexes. In the end, after about 7-8 sessions, the client ceases to respond to the subject of phobia fear. It is quite efficient and fast technique of getting rid of phobias. It's good when you need to quickly get rid of the unpleasant and non-adaptive reactions to the phobia.

However, systematic desensitization, and EVA, there is one drawback. They do not address the root cause of the phobia. As I said, the real cause of the phobia may be associated with the subject of the phobia very bizarre chain of associations and relationships that are unique to each case. Therefore, removing the phobia as a symptom, we cannot be sure that the rest of intrapersonal conflict as the root cause does not manifest itself in other phobias or neurotic symptom. So the above technique, in my opinion, should be combined with psychoanalytic work.