How do I Overcome Weird Phobias?

The best way to overcome weird or unusual phobias is to seek professional treatment from a therapist or support group. Although a phobia may have a unique or unusual object, most irrational fears can be overcome using very similar treatments. If it is necessary to overcome the fear independently, a variety of techniques can be used, including meditation, desensitization, and a general study of fear.

In treatment, weird phobias are no different than common phobias. A therapist or support group may recommend talking about the sensation of fear in order to lessen its power to change one's actions. Sometimes verbally reasoning through the logic behind the fear is enough to decrease the anxiety it causes. When a fear is particularly deep, though, talking about it may not be enough to provide relief.

Desensitization as a treatment for weird phobias usually involves deliberate and controlled exposure to the feared object. This can be difficult for particularly weird phobias because the object can be something as vague as an opinion or being forgotten. Usually, if the phobia is debilitating enough that a person is seeking treatment, the object that is feared is present enough in daily life that it can be contained and controlled for the purposes of desensitization. This technique can be used independently, although it is helpful to have the safety net of a trained professional if the stress becomes too severe.

When trying to overcome a phobia independently, many of the same techniques can be used. Additionally, it may be possible to locate other people with equally specific fears using online resources. Reading about fear may help provide control, and there are many reputable books providing general advice on this subject. Communicating with other people experiencing fear may provide more helpful and direct information.

There are also more drastic ways to overcome weird phobias. In some cases, hypnosis may be effective in changing the sensitivity a person experiences toward the feared object. Medications intended for anxiety can greatly increase quality of life for people with phobias. Using medication for a phobia generally involves consultation with a professional, so this may not be an option for those trying to independently conquer a phobia.

It is important to note that fears develop around all types of objects for a variety of personal reasons, which means that there are no truly weird phobias. Some phobias are more common than others, but this does not imply that a person who has an unusual phobia is thereby weird. The experiences in life that cause long-lasting effects often spring up later in life in unexpected ways, and weird phobias are usually simply an inconvenient manifestation of an old experience.