Roach Phobia?

Question

I have a really bad phobia or roachs...I don't know why i never had a bad experence with them, I start crying when i see one
live,I start freaking out and all my hair stands up when i see a picture of one...one day there was one in my kitchen so i ran up on the counter and i bent over to open the trash can to throw away trash as i was still on the counter and there was another one in the trash can...i ended staying one the counter for about an hour...thats pretty pathtic what should i do?
(im only a teenager)

Answer 1

Fears of insects (including roaches) are actually pretty common. This is hard for you, I know--but believe it or not, as long as nothing else is going on, this is an easy difficulty to have treated. You'll need to get your parents/guardian on board first.

This type of phobia is actually easily treated by a licensed psychologist specializing in anxiety disorders. Most things you get off the internet (life coaching, EMDR, EFT, and the like) are just rip offs and wastes of time and money, typically put out by those looking to take advantage of desparate people or by those without appropriate training/qualifications, or those who are no where near the mainstream of competent psychological care.

The only scientifically proven way to treat phobias is with exposure and you'll want that done under the care of a trained professional. There typically aren't many complications to this kind of treatment and there certainly aren't any deep or underlying problems that require years of therapy (In other words, ignore suggestions for psychodynamic or psychoanalytic treatment--your fear is not because of the way your mom treated you when you were 2 or some other such nonsense!). Exposure sounds scary, but nothing should be forced on you, nothing should take you by surprise, and everything should go at a controlled, gradual pace.

You should expect as little as 3-4 hours of treatment on one end to around 8-10 sessions/hours at the other to see results. Skip psychodynamic or psychoanalytic therapy--no proven benefits. Also, medication is NOT recommended for specific phobias and generally won't help with the fear itself. There is no need to use a combination of techniques either. The buzz words to use are that you want either a "behavioral" or a "cognitive-behavioral" psychologist who will use an "empirically supported treatment" (this just means using one of several treatments that have received considerable study and have been found to work the best).

You've got several options. Most universities that have graduate programs in psychology have training centers where the professors supervise care for a significantly reduced price (some as little as 10-15% of community prices!). You can also try ADAA or ABCT's websites and their find a therapist links.

You taken an important step by asking the right questions and realizing the fear is getting in the way of you living your life, now the challenge is to talk about this with your parents and find a qualified professional and keep your motivation to overcome this just a little while longer.

Best of luck.

Answer 2

I have the same phobia with those GIANT black bee's. Although roaches are probably 2nd on my scale I can relate to ya. Beatles are my 3rd scariest encounter. I don't know what to do, I'll be watching for other peoples answers. The only thing I can think of is don't go where the roaches roam. Do you live in a roachy area?

Answer 3

I have such a phobia of roaches that I am going to put my house up for sale. I love this house so much, but I can not handle the surprise of one more roach, it only occasional that I see one, but one is enough, I simply can not look at one, or kill, or pick one up with a broom. buying a a new house, or moving out of state ? I will die of a heart attack some day from roach phobia

Answer 4

Try using the NLP Fast phobia cure listed below.
This is a good way to solve the problem without going through the torture of the usually recommended exposure method - which I personally detest.

I have resolved a friends worm phobia using exactly this technique.

Answer 5

Well......you can try to cure that fear by reaching a roach closer.....every time closer...of course you should do that gradually.....But if it's really a phobia(sometimes people mix the fear and phobia....phobia is a painful fear not only fear) you should find a therapist to help you overcome it otherwise it can be dangerous to try to deal with it alone...

Answer 6

Have you learned to stomp on them yet?
You need to conquer the cockroaches. You need to realize you are a trillion times bigger than they are. You need to realize you have the power to stop them in their tracks with one stomp of your shoe.
You need to look at them, realize they exist, stomp on them, and walk on by.
Good luck and conquer your fears!

Answer 7

try hypnotizing yourself. it worked on a hollywood movie star, so it should work for you.