Exercise 10, page 71.0:02
As the doors of the lift close, your hands start to sweat.0:27
It's only a 10-second trip to the 6th floor, but your heart is beating fast, you're shaking like a leaf, and you can't catch your breath.0:31
Everyone else in the lift seems calm, so what are you afraid of?0:40
Well, it sounds like you have claustrophobia, which is a fear of enclosed spaces.0:45
If you have a phobia like this, you're not alone.0:52
People can have either common phobias, like a fear of insects, needles, and the dark, or some very strange ones indeed.0:56
Vicky Larrieux's fear of vegetables, for example, lacunophobia, makes a trip to the supermarket a nightmare.1:05
There are many other cases of odd phobias, such as ablutophobia, fear of washing, anthophobia, fear of flowers, catoptrophobia, fear of mirrors, and even phobophobia, the fear of phobias themselves.1:14
Some of these fears might sound ridiculous to you, but to a person who suffers from them, they are very real.1:34
Sufferers may miss out on opportunities, such as going on holiday, because they are afraid of flying, feel embarrassed about their phobia, even get teased by their friends.1:42
To understand the reason why some people have phobias, first we need to understand fear itself.1:54
When we sense danger, our brain sends signals to pump adrenaline around our body.2:01
Our heart beats faster, our skin sweats to keep us cool, and our muscles tense so that we are ready to escape the danger.2:08
This response is called fight or flight, which is necessary for our survival.2:17
If we met a bear while hiking, for instance, we would need to be ready to escape— fast!2:23
When someone suffers from a phobia, however, the danger is mostly in their minds.2:31
It's neither real nor rational.2:36
Maybe someone who is afraid of bees, for instance, someone who once got badly stung by a bee.2:39
Their brain now remembers the experience and triggers a fear reaction every time they see a bee, or sometimes even just a photo of a bee.2:46
The fear signal is very strong, so the person believes the situation that they are in is more dangerous than it really is.2:56
So what's the solution for someone who has a phobia?3:05
Well, many try to avoid the places and situations which make them afraid, but this only keeps the fear strong.3:09
It's much better for the person to try to face their fear, little by little.3:17
A person who is afraid of dogs, for example, could start by looking at a photo of a dog.3:23
Then they could stand near someone with a dog on a lead, and slowly work up to the most difficult thing for them.3:30
As they get used to the thing that they are afraid of, they will realize that their worst fear doesn't come true.3:40
In time, the brain will change how it reacts, and their phobia will disappear for good.3:47
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