Dear Kathy,
When I was five, my aunt’s big dog jumped up on top of me and knocked me down. I was traumatized by the incident and I’ve been scared of dogs ever since. I refuse to visit anyone who has a dog and I cross the street if I see one when I’m out.
My whole family thinks I have some kind of phobia that I should get help for but I think it’s just a normal result of what happened to me when I was little. What do you think?
Not a Dog Person
Dear Friend,
According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), the nation’s largest grassroots mental health organization, a phobia is a disabling and irrational fear of something that poses little or no actual danger for most people. Extreme feelings of terror, dread, and panic may accompany proximity to the feared object or situation.
Do you feel equally frightened of a 4 pound, well-mannered Chihuahua on a leash as you do of a snarling large dog walking off a leash? Do you feel anxious when you see dogs on television or in the movies?
It is understandable that you were terrified of your aunt’s big, wild dog when you were a small child. If your fear has morphed into a phobia over the years, that is nothing to be ashamed of. Get the help you need and don’t allow the situation to damage your self-esteem.
It sounds like your family loves you and they are looking out for your best interests. Consider seeking out a therapist specializing in phobias. Desensitization techniques and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) are effective interventions for people who are emotionally activated by specific feared objects and situations.
Sincerely,
Kathy
Readers, if you have successfully overcome a phobia please post some feedback to this post in order to encourage this reader. I look forward to your letters at [email protected].
