PHOBIAS Under Control

THE word "phobia" refers to an intense, unrealistic fear of an object, an event, or a feeling. But a definition alone cannot convey the terror and loneliness that mark this condition. Raeann Dumont, who has treated phobias for more than two decades, notes: "Phobic people may avoid so many situations that they become housebound, or they may live with constant, unrelenting anxiety, or they may relieve their anxiety with alcohol, which may cause additional problems."

Phobias are classified among a group of ailments called anxiety disorders. It is estimated that 12 percent of the adult population in the United States will deal with a phobia at some point in their life. Many of these will suffer in silence for years. "Unfortunately," reports the Anxiety Disorders Association of America, "about three-quarters of individuals with phobias never get help. Many people with phobias are reluctant to seek assistance because of embarrassment. Others don't understand what they have or where to find help, and some fear the treatment itself."

There are hundreds of known phobias, but experts usually arrange them in three categories. Simple phobias focus on an object or a situation, such as insects, animals, flying, and being in closed spaces. Agoraphobia usually occurs in conjunction with panic attacks. The sufferer fears having a panic attack to the extent that he or she avoids all places and situations where previous attacks occurred. Social phobias are characterized by a fear of being embarrassed in public settings, such as speaking before an audience.

Consider just one of these three—social phobias. The Washingtonian states: "Lump together all the simple phobias, such as fear of snakes or flying, and they don't even touch social phobia as a cause of misery." Is this really true? If so, why?

JERRY suffers from social phobia, a condition characterized by an intense fear of being scrutinized by others and of being publicly humiliated. "The person with social phobia believes that all eyes are on him," says a booklet published by the Anxiety Disorders Association of America. "The

How To Build Your Self Confidence

One of the most important steps to achieving your goals in life is to develop a strong sense of self confidence. This does not however involve becoming loud or arrogant. On the contrary, people with genuine self confidence are usually calm and self assured and do not need to 'big note' themselves.

Here are my top ten tips for building your self confidence:

1. Visualise Yourself As The Person You Want To Be

Each morning spend a few minutes visualising yourself as the person you want to be. Think about the way you dress, the way you carry yourself and the way you interact with other people. Seeing yourself as the person you want to become is the first step towards building self confidence.

2. Self Confidence Statement
After visualizing yourself as the person you want to be, read the following statement out loud:
"I know I have the ability to achieve my major goal in life. Therefore today, 
I demand of myself persistent and continuous action towards achieving my goal"
Reading this statement out loud is a great way to start your day in a confident state of mind.

Self confidence gives us the freedom to commit mistakes and cope with failure without making us feel worthless. If only we have confidence in ourselves, can we gain confidence of others? After all, most people are reluctant to back a project that’s being pitched by someone who is nervous, fumbling and overly apologetic. On the other hand, you might be persuaded by someone who spoke clearly, who held his or her head high, who answered questions assuredly, and who readily admitted