Updated: Nov 13, 2020
Haunted Houses, Haunted Hay Rides, Ghosts, Pumpkins, Ghouls, and Goblins! These are some of the things we see around this time of year!
Halloween is a great time to dress up and have fun! Some people even enjoy getting scared at haunted houses or by watching a good scary movie. So we felt it would be the perfect time to talk about Fear, Phobias, and Expression!
Below we will learn about fears, phobias, healthy ways to acknowledge and conquer them using creative arts as a form of expression!
Don't forget to follow us on Instagram for Tips and Facts!
What is A Fear?
A fear is, “ an unpleasant emotion caused by the belief that someone or something is dangerous, likely to cause pain, or a threat.” Fears can be new, old, little, big. You can be well aware that you have a fear, or you can not even know it until it happens!
One thing we need to understand is that Fear can be healthy. It is programmed into your nervous system, and gives you the survival instincts you need to keep yourself safe from danger.
Fear starts to become unhealthy when it makes you more cautious than you really need to be to stay safe, and when it prevents you from doing things you would otherwise enjoy. When this happens, fears start to become Phobias.
What is a Phobia?
A phobia is an excessive and irrational fear reaction. If you have a phobia, you will experience a deep sense of dread, and sometimes panic. The word itself comes from the Greek word phobos, which means fear or horror. Phobias are a type of anxiety disorder. Anxiety disorders are very common. They’re estimated to affect more than 30 percent of U.S. adults at some time in their lives.
If you need more help with understanding the differences between fears and phobias, we have put together a short game/quiz; Just click HERE! So now that we’ve talked a bit about what Fears and Phobias are….how do we get past them?
Self Help Exercise and Activities
- Workbook for Phobias! Click HERE to go this amazing workbook we found that will help you start to write a plan to overcome your phobia!
We here at MoHo Dance have also put together a quick workshop that you can follow along with Here!
- Relaxation and Breathing Exercise
In the moment of dealing with a phobia, it may be tough to learn how to deal with the symptoms that come with it. Some symptoms include difficulty breathing, sweating, and increase of heart rate. Some people find it difficult to think, to talk, and sometimes to breathe. Research has found that during this time, relaxation and breathing exercises can have a positive effect and put you back in a place where you can control your emotions and actions. We have found a list of breathing exercises you can practice during a panic/phobia attack here!
- Exposure Therapy
Exposure therapy focuses on changing your response to your fear by gradually exposing you to your fear(starting small and working your way up). Repeated exposure to your fear will start to change the thoughts, reactions, and emotions associated with it.
For example if you have a fear of flying you might start by looking at pictures of airplanes, then looking at some videos, going to a simulation flight next, so forth and so on until you can get on the actual plan without having extreme phobia symptoms.
Learn more about Exposure therapy HERE!
*It is important to remember that these things take time. Never force yourself to move too fast!*
2. Group Therapy and Individual Counseling Sessions
Self-help strategies and therapy can both be effective at treating a phobia. Therapy for phobias has a great track record. Not only does it work extremely well, but you tend to see results very quickly—sometimes in as a little as one to four sessions. What’s best for you depends on factors such as the severity of your phobia, your access to professional therapy, and the amount of support you need.
If you need more information or need to contact a mental health expert, feel free to reach out to us or visit our website.
3. The MoHo Way!
Creative arts and movement is very beneficial in helping express your emotions. One thing about having a phobia is that the symptoms such as shortness of breath, sweating, and even swelling can make it difficult for the person going through it to communicate. Communication and acknowledgement is one of the key factors of being able to overcome phobias! So we suggest if you are having trouble being COMFORTABLE with your phobia, try dancing it out, writing it out, drawing it out, grab some clay and sculpt it out then break it to symbolize you breaking through your fears! Email/ Chat with us we have some ideas for you!
Resources and Information Used In This Blog
https://kidshealth.org/en/teens/phobias.html
https://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/types-of-mental-health-problems/phobias/self-care/
https://www.apa.org/ptsd-guideline/patients-and-families/exposure-therapy