Phobias treatment

Many people with a phobia do not need treatment. They control their phobia by avoiding what they have a fear of. They can still have a normal daily routine.

But it may not always be possible to avoid certain phobias, such as a fear of flying. You can ask your GP or a mental health professional about the different types of treatment available.

Most phobias can be successfully managed. But no single treatment is guaranteed to work for all phobias. In some cases, you may need a combination of different treatments.

The main treatment types are:

self-help
talking therapies
medicine

Self-help

Self-help can include lifestyle changes, relaxation techniques and exposure therapy.

You may decide to use your own self-help strategy, or get help from a mental health specialist such as a psychologist.

Find things you can do to help your phobia

Talking therapies

Talk therapies such as counselling, psychotherapy and cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) usually work well for treating phobias.

CBT is usually very effective.

CBT

CBT can help you:

manage your difficulties by changing the way you think and behave
develop practical ways of dealing with your phobia

As part of your CBT your therapist may use desensitisation or exposure therapy. This involves gradual exposure to your fear, so you feel less anxious about it.

Exposure therapy

Exposure therapy works by gradually increasing how much and often you are exposed to your fear. This helps you to gain control over your phobia. In time, you are less likely to feel anxious about your phobia.

For example, if you have a fear of snakes (ophidiophobia), your therapist may ask you to read about snakes. They may later show you a picture of a snake. They may then arrange a visit to the reptile house in a zoo to look at some real snakes. The final step would be for you to hold a harmless snake.

CBT and other types of talk therapies