Posted by Cindy W on June 19, 2000, at 23:25:46
In reply to Phobias and alternative therapies, posted by Cass on June 19, 2000, at 22:26:45
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> My sister-in-law has mulitiple phobias and a great deal of anxiety. She seems to be scared of almost everything. However, she does not want to pursue the traditional psychopharmaceutical route. She is in talk therapy, but she will not take meds. Does anyone know of holistic remedies, herbs, supplements... that might help her? What about alternative treatments such as meditation or hypnosis? Does anyone have any success stories in treating phobias/anxieties with alternative therapies? Are there any books you would recommend for her? The root of her problems seems to come from having been an incest victim. Any input would be appreciated. Thanks.Carrie, depending on your sister-in-law's types of phobias, I would suggest she consider behavior therapy (systematic desensitization). This involves working with a behavior therapist to make a list of scary situations, then doing muscle relaxation and imagining coping with these scary things, starting with the least scary and moving up to the most scary. It is very effective. The past incest experiences, however, could be talked out with a talk therapist. Meditation and relaxation alone probably aren't as effective for phobias as behavior therapy, and past sexual trauma is probably best dealt with by seeing a caring, kind talk therapist, IMHO.
poster:Cindy W
thread:37852
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20000619/msgs/37860.html