False msafiri WELLBEING 106 “ They will go through a process in their minds that might include imagining getting on an aeroplane and being in a confined space – even smelling that typical aeroplane smell. These are all triggers that will intensify the fear of the experience.” Once the sufferer has revealed their strategy, a so- called ‘ cinema technique’ is used on the client – he or she is asked to imagine they are sitting alone in a cinema, watching a film showing some manifestation of their phobia. They are asked to imagine the whole film – the whole process of the phobia – to the end. They are then asked to visualise coming to the end of the film and to freeze- frame the last picture, having survived the experience intact: “ What we are doing is showing them how they go about scaring themselves, through pictorial representation. Then we say, look, you survived, and we ask them to re- wind the movie in their heads, so the course of events becomes jumbled in their mind.” The idea is that the person’s habitual thought patterns are broken down and challenged. Typically with hypnotherapy you can unlearn your behaviour very quickly, Smith says – it is common for the client to have only one session. EFT – or Emotional Freedom Technique – can also be effective in curing phobias quickly. Smith claims a 95% success rate among clients he has treated with phobias. “ I like to call this method psychological acupuncture,” he says. “ EFT is an energy meridian therapy. We get in touch with the fear of losing control and go through a de- sensitisation process through tapping on the energy meridians, or chakras. We ask the client to imagine being in the situation that frightens them, focusing on a key word that reminds them of this fear. All the time we are tapping on certain energy meridians.” The technique also involved asking people to re-connect the right and left hemisphere of the brain through techniques such as humming and rotating their eyes. “ Again we are scrambling old thought patterns”, he explains. “ Once it is done the person has the tools to treat themselves and control their emotional states.” Cognitive Behavioural Therapy is another tried and tested method of treating phobia sufferers – a visit to a doctor should be in the initial approach before a therapist is allocated. CBT works by allowing the person to understand, and extricate, themselves from their damaging thought patterns – the aim being to allow a more realistic and helpful way of thinking to predominate. Above all, it’s important to remember that although it may take time and effort, everyone has the capacity to overcome their phobias. Chris Smith says: “ When we are born we fear only two things: loud noises and falling – everything else we learn along life’s path.” Q Interviewees courtesy of the National Phobics Society, UK fear of flying As many as one in five people fear flying. Depending on the intensity of their phobias they may avoid air travel altogether or may only be able to fly with the aid of alcohol or medication. As with other phobias, this fear can be conquered. Many airlines run courses – covering relaxation techniques, factual information and group support – for people with a fear of flying and there is a high success rate. Other treatment methods include hypnosis, counselling ( such as CBT) and NLP. further information Q National Phobics Society ( www. phobics- society. org. uk) Q MIND ( www. mind. org. uk) Q Mental Health Information Centre, South Africa ( www. mentalhealthsa. co. za) Someone who is phobic of flying will experience their first bouts of anxiety way before they fly – perhaps at the time of booking their tickets

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