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Dealing with phobias.


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Welcome to the forum, daja.

Phobias are anxiety disorders, much like OCD. The recommended treatment for phobias is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy with an emphasis on Exposure and Response Prevention. Basically it's about exposing yourself to that which you fear and sitting with the anxiety.

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Thank you PolarBear. I can see that method working for some of my fears but not all of them. I don't want exposure to those fears which actually are dangerous even if my fears regarding them are excessive.

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You don't need to worry about triggering other people. If we worried about that here we wouldn't say anything. There are an endless number of topics that could trigger a response in individuals. We simply do not worry about that on this forum. It's up to each person to deal with triggers in a healthy way. We can't stop talking. We need to be able to talk to each other.

It's up to you but I can't address a specific concern if I don't know what it is.

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I have fears of the metal lead and things that have touched it even rain touching it on roof tops and dripping on my head. If my Dad has handled it i fear what he has touched after is contaminated and so on. Also, asbestos on warehouse roof tops. These two are my greatest phobias. Then there's poisonous plants like deadly nightshade or rhubarb stalks and things like that.

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Okay. Good for you for expressing this. Now my first inclination is that these are not specific phobias but rather intrusive OCD thoughts. There is a difference, one being OCD and other being a specific phobia like fear of spiders. What tipped me off is your fear of asbestos. That's a fairly common OCD obsession. We've had a number of people on here with that specific problem.

The thing is, where there are OCD obsessions there are compulsions. So what do you do about asbestos on warehouse roof tops? Do you avoid them like the plague? Do you go out of your way to make sure you have no contact with the water dripping off such a roof? If your car is near such a roof do you clean your car excessively? These are the types of compulsions that would be common with such an obsession.

Assuming you are dealing with OCD with all of this, the best solution is CBT. Don't worry right now about having to come into contact with potentially hazardous materials. You can come close without actually doing it. A qualified therapist would come up with a hierarchy of exposures for you so you start off slow and build confidence as you progress.

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The thing is, where there are OCD obsessions there are compulsions. So what do you do about asbestos on warehouse roof tops? Do you avoid them like the plague? Do you go out of your way to make sure you have no contact with the water dripping off such a roof? If your car is near such a roof do you clean your car excessively? These are the types of compulsions that would be common with such an obsession.

Yes i do avoid exposure to those fears i consider harmful... avoiding them like the plague...

Thanks PolarBear once i get sorted on my new medication then the next step is to try and get help from a qualified therapist.

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  • 2 weeks later...
  • 2 weeks later...

I'm in a situation to do with one of my fears that i find difficult to deal with. Part of me wants to google around on the subject. To cut a long story short we have a large lump of lead in a lock up trailer outside the house. We are having it taken away but i still get anxious due to the things it touches. The things it touches or has touched are going on sale on eBay. I just feel the spread of lead throughout the house where i sit down and live here in this house. It's invisible.

What can i do? Nothing?

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Yes, Daja. Do nothing!

Because that's exactly what a non-OCD person would do - nothing.

The idea the lead is somehow spreading around 'contaminating' things in the house is typical of an OCD fear. Like you said it's just a feeling - a worry. Doing anything to try to get rid of this feeling would be a compulsion. Ignore it and try to forget the lead is even there.

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Rather than fear say alarms. These are alarms you set because your brain doesn't know when there should be one. So, use another area of your brain to choose which alarms you actually need. Don't touch a hot iron is one.

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