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A great number of people around the globe possess a fear thunder and lightning, a widespread fear named brontophobia. For as long as this condition has been around, we have been searching for ways to overcome it. Now there are a wide range of treatment choices available. To help eliminate this phobia, professionals recommend specific hypnotherapy techniques that are shown to work in dissipating fears and anxiety.

People with brontophobia possess an overblown fear of storms. Loud, booming thunder and flashes of lightning can spark anxiety and panic attacks in people with brontophobia. Other effects include a racing heart, perspiring, and a strong sensation of fear, to the point where a person becomes sick.

For many, the fear of thunder and lightning develops at an early age, when as children, we cower under the covers during a serious storm. Brontophobia can be particularly hard on children. Many scared children feel helpless during a storm, and their mothers and fathers may also feel helpless to relieve their anxieties.

In spite of its frequency in children, the fear of storms can be triggered at any time, often after a person has an experience such as getting shocked, which recalls a lightning strike. A traumatic event such as surviving a natural disaster may also cause an intense fear of storms.

A person may come to associate loud sounds, the sensation of pain, or shock with storms, which may escalate into a major phobia. This fear is so widespread that it's even apparent in some animals; for example, many pet owners report that their pets seem scared during bad weather.

People with brontophobia try to avoid hearing or seeing storms. People may experience anxiety during storm disasters such as tornadoes. This can put them in danger if they cannot function under circumstances which requires them to stay calm and respond quickly.

People with brontophobia usually hate storm season, often suffering during times of the year when thunderstorms occur frequently. They might obsessively check weather reports and behave extra cautiously during periods of inclement weather. To others, these behaviors may seem obsessive and highly paranoid. People with brontophobia may find this fear slowly taking over their lives.

There are many techniques available for treating brontophobia and other phobias. Common ones include talk therapy, anti-anxiety medication, and hypnotherapy. Hypnosis tends to offer safer, faster results and it is also non-invasive, having no harmful side effects. For these reasons, hypnotherapy is now a popular choice of treatment.

Hypnosis therapy is excellent as a class of stress-relief therapy and has long been used to this end. By beginning with relaxation techniques, hypnotherapy helps tense, nervous phobia sufferers begin the process of recovery. When an individual is feeling at ease, it is easier for hypnotherapy techniques to direct the unconscious mind into a fear-free thought process.

All phobias are connected to negative triggers, which become linked to fear inside the unconscious mind. For people with brontophobia, the loud rumble of thunder, the sight of lightning, or even the smell of rain often triggers alarm. Hypnosis and Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) work at the unconscious level of the mind to disconnect fear from these triggers to provide powerful fear relief. One of the most successful techniques is called the NLP Visual/Kinesthetic Disassociation.

Ericksonian hypnotherapy is a type of hypnotherapy that is frequently used to treat fear-related stress. Named after pioneering developer, Dr. Milton Erickson, MD, this type of therapy uses indirect suggestions embedded in stories, metaphors, and conversation to eliminate a phobia. Indirect suggestions work better than traditional post-hypnotic direct suggestions because we tend to question, resist, and reject direct orders. Suggestions which are hidden from the mind are more able to help people to overcome their fears.

Ericksonian hypnotherapy and NLP techniques have an additional advantage over conventional hypnotherapy programs because they are formulated to treat any phobia. Thus, one program is appropriate for treating any phobia, or even multiple phobias if need be. Plus, each program employs many different techniques to be effective for anybody.

Hypnosis is an ideal treatment option for countless people, which provides rapid and permanent results. Cowering in bed and being frightened is not how a phobia sufferer should live. With hypnotherapy and NLP techniques, virtually everyone can overcome this irrational fear.

Alan B. Densky, CH has been treating phobias using Hypnotherapy since 1978. He offers phobia treatment NLP & hypnosis MP3s plus a broad range of Hypnotherapy MP3 downloads for stress & depression related symptoms. Visit his website for free hypnotism downloads.