First Psychology blog

Every day our practitioners work with people dealing with anxiety, stress, anger and phobias; issues with their families, children or young people; relationship difficulties; and many other issues and problems. We asked them for their recommendations for books that may be helpful when dealing with such issues. Here are their suggestions. We will update with more books throughout the day! Books on anxiety, stress and phobias The Triune Brain in Evolution: Role in Paleocerebral Functions, 1990, by Paul D MacLean (Recommended by R. Victor Morton, Senior CBT Psychotherapist) The Mindfulness and Acceptance Workbook for Anxiety: A Guide to Breaking Free From Anxiety, Phobias, and Worry Using Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, 2016, by John P. Forsyth and Georg H. Eifert (Recommended by Tasim Martin-Berg, Consultant Counselling Psychologist) Full Catastrophe Living, Revised Edition: How to cope with stress, pain and illness using mindfulness meditation, 2013, by Jon Ka...

The long-awaited British summertime is now upon us. It’s a time of light evenings, longer days and sun-drenched weekends eating ice cream and relaxing in our open spaces. However, for some people the summertime brings with it unwelcome associations and phobias which can put a dampener on not only their enjoyment, but also that of their friends and family. Summer phobias are more common than we think. A phobia is more intense than a dislike of something, or an unwillingness to do something. It will bring significant anxiety to the person when they see – or even think about – the source of their phobia. Usually phobias arise as a result of a frightening or traumatic experience earlier in our lives – usually in childhood, but sometimes as an adult. A bee sting, a fall into the sea, or a bad case of sunburn are all enough to trigger a phobia. This article gives a full list of the ‘recognised’ summer phobias - there are more than we may think! To many, your phobias may seem irrational – th...

It's Friday 13th, the only one in 2016, and those of you who suffer from a fear of Friday 13th may well be feeling some of the common symptoms of phobia.  These include: shaking, feeling disorientated or confused, sweating profusely, rapid heart beat, dry mouth, dizziness, nausea, and pains in the chest. Often people also worry about being out of control, fainting or even dying, and this can add to the feelings of anxiety and distress. So why fear Friday 13th? There are a whole range of reasons why it is thought we fear this day, many of them stemming from associations with bad events in the bible. However more generally speaking, phobias are strong irrational fears about something being dangerous when there is little or no danger at all. Sometimes we develop fears and phobias following a traumatic event and this creates an association between our object of fear and the bad event. However often people with a phobia or fear have no idea where it has come from. How do phobias...

As Halloween approaches and we prepare ourselves to see some scary sights, we're exploring the wider topic of fears and phobias and ways to tackle some of the most common fears. Fears are our in-built way of keeping us safe – they remind us that certain things, such as snakes, can be dangerous, so we give them a wide berth and stay alive. However, sometimes we develop an intense fear of an object or situation that prevents us from carrying on with life on a day-to-day basis. Symptoms of fear and phobia There are many symptoms associated with intense fears and phobias, such as shaking; feeling confused/disoriented; sweating; feeling sick and dizzy; rapid heart beats; chest pains;  a dry mouth; and difficulty breathing. Some sufferers may also fear losing control, fainting or dying. These symptoms are commonly experienced by those with anxieties such as fear and phobias.  Common fear and phobias People fear all sorts of things, however there are some more commo...

You may have noticed that today is Friday 13th, a day that many consider to be bad luck. But did you know that some people actually suffer from a condition known as 'paraskevidekatriaphobia' or to those of us who have a problem pronouncing such things, a fear of Friday the 13th. Those who experience this phobia, in common with phobia sufferers in general, will go out of their way to avoid doing anything that may result in bad luck on this day. For example, they may cancel/ reschedule appointments or avoid travelling because their fear that something terrible will happen is so great. So is this really a phobia? In general terms, a phobia is a strong, irrational fear that something poses a danger when in fact that thing poses little or no danger in reality.  Some of the most common phobias include: flying, spiders, snakes, driving, needles, enclosed spaces, and public speaking. A fear of Friday the 13th is less common, but it can be a phobia all the same. Phobi...

At this time of year there can be lots of social events to attend: with carol singing; work night outs; entertaining clients; and parent get-togethers among other things, we can start to feel a bit worn out. But if the thought of interacting with others fills you with panic or dread, then it may be that you're socially anxious. Shyness and social anxiety affect most people at some point. Often unusual events such as having to give an important speech, going on a first date, going to university for the first time and having to meet a group of new people can trigger feelings of anxiety. However these feeling usually fade. When you are continually affected by your interactions with other people, it is likely you are suffering from social anxiety/phobia. What is social anxiety/phobia? Social anxiety is the third most common form of psychological disorder. It is an extreme form of shyness that draws out feelings of being judged, not liked, or inferior to others. As a result, those ...