Take our Generalized Anxiety Disorder Test

Find a therapist to overcome anxiety

Anxiety and phobias may signal hidden emotions we’re not consciously aware of.

Suppressed feelings often emerge indirectly as fears or panic.

Addressing the hidden issue can sometimes eliminate anxiety rapidly.

A family once brought their grandmother to see me for a sudden and baffling problem. Out of nowhere, she had developed an intense fear of snakes.

This made no sense. She had grown up on a farm and had never been afraid of snakes, even as a child. But one day she spotted a harmless garden snake in her yard, panicked, and ran inside. After that, she became afraid to leave her home alone, even to take out the trash.

Her children and grandchildren were alarmed. What was happening to Grandma?

I found out that she had been widowed for 17 years and had lived independently all that time. She was strong, active, and self-reliant. This sudden collapse didn’t fit.

Many therapists would recommend exposure: gradually confronting the feared object until the fear disappears. That can work, but I had a different idea. I had a strong........

© Psychology Today