If you have driving phobia, you know how much of it can turn day-to-day tasks into a hassle. Something as simple as going to the grocery store can be a source of extreme stress and anxiety.
Many sufferers of phobias want to take control of their life, so they choose to enroll in some form of therapy. This can greatly help a lot of people, and it is a strongly recommended course of action for those with a mental health condition.
The downside is that after completion of therapy, treated persons may see a return of their fear. Research shows that once the brain is “wired” a certain way (e.g., to respond to a certain object with fear), it is difficult to “rewire” it.
A relapse is not inevitable for everyone who gets treated for their phobia. It’s important that the phobic person is exposed to his or her fear in a variety of settings and under different conditions. This helps the individual to learn how to respond to the feared object in multiple contexts and to rely less on the perceived safety of a therapist’s office or the presence of a spouse. It’s also good for the phobic person to be given enough time to grow completely comfortable with his or her phobia.
To learn more about the research on fear relapse, follow the link below.
http://www.futurity.org/top-stories/fear-relapse-why-phobias-are-hard-to-cure/
