Phobias Post Reply

[Minnie]

Hey,

It sounds silly but I have a massive phobia of mice. It is really affecting my homelife and work and I am constantly on edge.

Can anyone reccomend a hypnotherapist?

[lalectrice]

You might be better off with cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) than hypnotherapy. It's ideal for stuff like phobias, focusing as it does upon the symptoms and experiences of panic and anxiety and offering manageable task-based steps to recovery. Your GP can refer you, but there's likely to be a waiting list for the NHS. He or she can also recommend a private psychologist of course, or there's bacp.co.uk to search for yourself. Good luck - I know how hard it is living with that type of anxiety.

[Minnie]

Thanks so much for replying to this. I will definately look down this avenue.

I spoke to somebody today but he charge £160 per session! Just too expensive.

I really have to get this sorted, I spend all day worrying if I will see one.

[Jetsettingbaby]

i just saw a mouse in our house the other day, it ran so fast past me i almost died. i have seen it twice since and its not taking any of the bait to catch him. I am so scared of them , so really sympathize with you.iam scared to go down stairs at night now! aragh! and I am constantly on edge! good luck with trying to find someone. phobias are horrible things x

[lalectrice]

£160 is outrageous - therapy sessions are more usually around the £50-60 mark. You'd be safer with a recommendation from the GP or someone who's used a therapist themselves. You might find these national organisations useful: www.nomorepanic.co.uk and www.anxietyuk.org.uk (formerly the National Phobic Society, who were excellent; their site includes info on CBT and hypnotherapy with details of costs and recommended therapists - I notice they list one in Fulham and one in Putney).

Well done for taking the first step in getting help - not always an easy task. When fearful thoughts and anxiety is invading your daily life you need to take action though!

[SJ1979]

It doesn't sound silly at all to me, and I entirely sympathise. I have the exact same phobia, we've had really bad mice problems in our house, not just at night, but running riot during the daytime. So much so, one day I was off work sick, alone in the house, that one mouse kept on re-appearing on realising it wouldn't go away all day, I took matters into my own hands and killed it with a broom handle ,(I don't know how - my husband was amazed!) I was quivering with fright and screaming, I hate to think what the neighbours would have thought. I then had the very real task of having to dispose of a dead mouse on my kitchen floor - but somehow managed it! I am now always checking and scouring the room for them, wherever I am, and recently we even had them in our office! I have come to realise they're just everywhere but it doesn't make it easier as I'm always on the look out for them and on edge. I would be interested to hear how you get on, maybe we should start a mouse phobia support group!! I have however not seen one since we used those plug-in things. Good luck!

[konagirl]

You have my sympathy as I have been dealing with this problem for the last few years. No one really understands how debilitating it can be.

I didn't go down the hypnotherapy route as, from what I have read and heard from people, I understood that it wouldn't be successful (please do let me know if it is!)

I unsuccessfully tried NLP (neuro linguistic programming, which is supposed to be good for phobias). I then went to my doctor & explained how badly it was affecting my life. Although the doctor was quite unsympathetic he did put me forward for CBT (cognitive behaviour therapy). I saw the therapist relatively quickly, and had several sessions. They have helped. I am far from 'cured' but I cope with the problem better than before.

I would describe CBT counselling as basically encouraging you to "feel the fear and do it anyway".

I once rang a private CBT counsellor and while he was ruminating on how to access mice for our sessions, I put the phone down! Thankfully the NHS counsellors won't go to those lenghts!

I haven't answered your question, but I hope I've helped. I

[scorpiostar]

I sympathise having had a terrible phobia of snakes. I spent many exotic holidays worrying about encountering a slithering creature, but the crunch came when I had my son. He loves animals and always wants to go into the reptile house at the zoo. Not wanting to pass my phobia on to him, I decided to get help. One session with a hypnotherapist was all it took and I even stroked a corn snake in Pets at Home (this is from someone who couldn't even look at a picture of a snake in a book!).
I can recommend Phillip Holt. He's based in Kingston and his number is0845 1306213.

[Minnie]

Thankyou for all these wonderful support messages. I can't read the previous posts as I'm writing this but I'm definitely up for a support group! How the hell did you master up the courage to kill it!?!?!?!?!?!?

It's ridiculous, the amount of arguments it created in the house as my husband just really doesn't understand my fear.

We had a mouse problem a while back and I made him seal up the fireplaces in the house, every hole that I could see. We just couldn't get rid of them until the day I packed my bags to move out of the house and into a hotel until the problem was sorted I saw one run under the stairs by the toilet. My husband was there at the time and went running in there but it had gone. We did find a hole by the toilet, blocked it up and touch wood they've not been back.

I'm still so on edge though. Every noise I hear I just jump. My neighbour told me the other day that she is having to let her lodger go as they have mice in her house due to him leaving food in his room. Now I can't sleep worried that the mice or under the floor boards upstairs and that one is going to run across my face in the night (this did happen to a friend once).

I'm just babbling now, probably to calm myself down! I haven't been back to work since last week and am dreading going in tomorrow incase I see one again.

Thanks for the therapist request, I'm definitely going to give it a go. It's ridiculous, I know there more frightened of me but there making me life a misery!

[sparkletiger]

Sounds really tough. Just noticed your name tho...!

My husband is a clinical psychologist and used to work a lot with people with phobias. He'd recommend CBT too. I'll ask him if he can recommend anyone if you like.

He says compared to other things phobias as pretty easy to treat tho so hopefully you can get help

[Minnie]

Thanks for your reccomendation Scorpio Star.

I have Philip coming round to my house on Friday afternoon. He was so confident that he could cure my phobia in just one session. I will keep you all informed and if it does work I may also just pop down to pets at home and have a picture taken holding a mouse! The thought of it just terrifies me now!

I do feel slightly apprehensive that the guy on Harley Street who said £160 a session said it could take 8-10 sessions but yet another guy who will charge £150 for my session says he can cure it in one. We shall see!

[konagirl]

Good luck!

[HappyTutor]

It looks like you may have found someone now but I just had to post in case you need any more suggestions: I could not recommend Bonita Rayner-Jones (Hypnotherapy Associates) on Harley Street highly enough. She is SO lovely and understanding and easy to talk to.. and it WORKS! I think she charges around £90 per session - but she is worth 5 times as much in my opinion!

Anyway good luck, hope you manage to get it sorted

xx

[emsken]

I had a massive problem with cats...NLP is the way forward but the guy I saw doesn't do it anymore!!

[konagirl]

Hi Minnie,

I've been wondering how the hynotherapy went? Did it work?