Fears and Phobias
Image by ambermb from Pixabay
Fears do not have to be a fact. A unchanging descriptor about yourself. I often hear people use I am statements to describe their fears, such as I am afraid of needles, I am afraid of flying, I am afraid of spiders (or other animals), I am afraid of public speaking, and many other I AM ________. Fears and phobias do not have a be a life sentence.
Every week clients I work with are surprised to hear that there are treatments available. Fears are not just something you have to live with. You are probably wondering how fears develop in the first place and why. A big part of the answer lies within our nervous system.
One of the primary roles of our nervous system is to keep us safe. Our nervous system gathers information from our environment each day and throughout all of our interactions and experiences. Part of our nervous system, called the sympathetic nervous system—you may of heard it referred to as the fight, flight, freeze or fawn response—is like our head of security. It helps assess what is happening around us, determine potential threats, and even automatically respond.
You may have heard about the terms reptilian brain or ancient brain. We evolved to have automatic responses for survival. These responses interferes with the connection with the prefrontal cortex part of our brain, which is our logical, rational decision-making part of the brain. Basically, you can’t think your way out of your response.
Fears and phobias often arise in response to something that our nervous system has determined is a high-level threat—our alarm system is launched. Fears can arise from traumatic experiences you had, such being bitten by a dog and then having a fear of dogs (or dogs that are the same breed, size, or have similar characteristics as the one that bit you). Fears can develop from situations you witnessed or were told about, such as watching footage of the devastation from a tornado and then developing an intense fear of storms. Fears can also arise when your nervous system sees similarities from previous experiences, such as having a fear of all enclosed spaces—such as doctor offices, elevators, and crowds—after being locked in a closet or a locker as a child.
You may or may not have an understanding of how your fear developed. The answer often lies within your nervous system’s memory bank. Treatment approaches, such as Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) Therapy, help you communicate with your nervous, gain insight into what is contributing to the fear and reduce the automatic responses to certain things or circumstances (EMDRIA, 2025).
You do not just have to live with fear or phobias. To learn more information about shifting your fear responses and get started, book in a free consultation or first counselling session with Tonia today at https://toniaandersonpsychology.janeapp.com or email tonia@toniaandersonpsycholocolgy.ca
Tonia Anderson is a Registered Psychologist (RPsych), former elite athlete and executive leadership coach, specializing in health and performance psychology, including fears, phobias, and anxiety. With over 25 years in peak performance, she has worked with junior, amateur, and professional athletes competing at local, provincial, national, and international levels including World Championships, Olympic Trials, Pan-Am Games, and more. Tonia works with business executives, emerging leaders, youth, first responders and individuals wanting to achieve their career, sport, and life goals.
References
EMDRIA (2024). About EMDR Therapy. https://www.emdria.org/about-emdr-therapy/