Phobic Situations

We avoid panic situations to escape the shocking feelings of panic. Since avoiding works so well in the short run, we hold on tightly to our avoiding tactics. We get so good at using them, others, and even ourselves, hardly notice them even while we build a huge array of escapes. In the long term, avoiding unravels our progress and sabotages success.

The immediate effect of avoiding is relief; a powerful, instant reward. The thought is, "I don't have to go through panic."  The darker effect is that avoiding keeps you ignorant about what may work better. The moment you avoid the source of panic, you stop the search for a better way. Avoiding makes you increasingly helpless. In time, a broader effect sets in: an attitude towards yourself that you could not handle it any other way (see Sensitivities for more information on how your beliefs affect you).

(This section contains excerpts from the book Panic Free by Dr. Richard Raynard, Trafford Publishing, 2006, 311 pp)

There are many types of situations people commonly link their panic to.  Dr. Raynard's own Phobic Situation Scale is a useful tool and is one of the cornerstones to your recovery. Here are some of the common situations:  

(Note:  If you are highly sensitive and panic easily, consider skipping the visual items below and proceed to the printed version of the Phobic Situation Scale by e-mailing richard@panicdoctor.com .)

Agoraphobia

The consequences of prolonged avoidance and giving up more and more of life makes for a condition many call a prison. This prison is called agoraphobia - an active avoidance of many situations which can lead to some phobics becoming reclusive and home-bound.  

    Agoraphobia             

Situations which frequently appear on the Phobic Situation Scale and can be a sole phobia or part of an agoraphobic condition are:

   Alone in a Crowd                  Elevator                    Enclosed Places            Emergency Room                Escalators

   Flying in airplane                 Hospitals                         Heights                        Test Results                      Cat Scans

        EKG, etc.                    In a Theatre               Public Transportation          School Phobia             Shopping / Malls

         Dentist                            Doctor                    Wide Open Spaces               Supermarket                 Being Stared At

   Unfamiliar Place              Being Alone                Sudden Meeting             Being Abandoned            Intimacy/Contact

See Dr. Raynard's book, Panic Free, chapter 3, Panic, for basic information and reassurances about panic,

and pages 153 to 281for action plans on how  to overcome  these and other specific situations.

Simple Phobias

       Spider                               Dogs                 Other situations can include balloons, thunder, darkness, etc.

Social Phobias

Social phobias can develop when you actively avoid situations such as:

   Asking for help                     Crowds                    Family Gatherings       Standing close to others            Parties

   Public Speaking            Standing in Line       Writing Checks in Public         Being Criticized            Being Waited On

For a more complete list, see the Phobic Situation Scale in chapter 8 of Dr. Raynard's book, Panic Free.

Driving Phobias

Driving is the most frequently checked item in the 52-item Phobic Situation Scale, a scale developed over 25 years ago by Dr. Raynard to help identify panic situations.  No matter how a phobia began - in a crowd, store or classroom - it often spreads to driving.

   Winding Roads                 Heavy Traffic                Highway Driving           Icy, Slippery Roads           Night Driving

 Next to big trucks          Rotaries, roundabouts            Tunnels                            Bridges                     Railroad Crossing   

Being in Accident              At a Stop Light               Parking Lot

These are the more common of the Driving Phobias.  Situations can often be as specific as:

• Being in car while in driveway

• Being a passenger on 2-lane road

• Entering a 4-way stop

• Driving 2+ miles from home

• Driving in downtown traffic

• Merging onto highway

• Changing lanes

• Driving around the block

(For more information on overcoming a Driving Phobia, see chapter 13, Driving, in Panic Free. The Driving Phobia Scale (pg 154) is a useful tool to identify which specific sensitivities you have.):

 How can you put an end to this?

My goal in designing this website is to provide you with the basic information to help you identify your anxiety or panic and provide you with alternatives in seeking help. Effective treatment, whether self-help or through the help of a qualified professional, can put an end to your panic.    

How do you find effective help?  See Treatments for details in finding the most effective help for your panic, as well as specific questions to ask when seeking a qualified professional.  If you would like information about Dr. Raynard - The Panic Doctor - visit the Credentials page.  

To be panic free is a reasonable hope,

no matter how long or severe your attacks have been.