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Phobias

Disclaimer:

This publication is based on a Mind UK publication and the original version may be found here: https://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/a-z-mental-health/

Thank you to Mind UK for sharing their valuable content with us. Content included in Mental Health A-Z is made available free of charge and does not form part of any commercial activity. The adaptation has been done independently by Mind HK and is intended for general information purposes only.

How can family and friends help? 

This section is for friends and family members who want to support someone who has a phobia. 

Take their phobia seriously

It can sometimes be difficult to understand why a person has a phobia of a particular situation or object, especially when their phobia seems irrational. However, it is really important that you take their phobia seriously and understand that it can cause them severe anxiety, panic and distress, and can affect their daily life. You may not understand why they are so afraid of something, but the anxiety and fear they feel is very real. 

“I never complain because I see no point in doing so, but I get very tired of being politely mocked for my fear.”

Try to understand 

  • Find out as much as you can about phobias. This will help you understand what they are going through.
  • You can try to find out about their personal experience of living with a phobia. You could ask them how their phobia affects their life and what things can make it better or worse. Listening to their experience might help you to empathise with how they feel. 

Don’t apply pressure

While avoiding a situation can make a phobia worse over time, it can be extremely distressing if someone is forced to face situations when they are not ready. 

Try not to put pressure on your friend or family member to do more than they feel comfortable with, or force them to face their phobia. It is really important to be patient with them and work at a pace they are comfortable with. 

Find out what helps

Ask your friend or family member what you can do to help. For example, it might help to take them out of the situation, talk to them calmly or do breathing exercises with them. Often knowing that there is someone around who knows what to do if they start to feel frightened or panicked can help them feel safer and calmer. 

“I feel better if I have someone with me who knows about my anxiety and how to calm me down. It helps if I just focus on that person talking.”

Support them to seek help

If you think your friend or family member’s phobia is becoming a problem for them, encourage them to seek appropriate treatment by talking to a family doctor or therapist. 

  • Offer to help them arrange a doctor’s appointment. See Seeking help for a mental health problem for more information on taking the first steps to getting help. If they are scared of leaving the house, you could suggest they ring their family doctor to find out if they will do home visits. 
  • Offer support when they attend appointments. You could offer to go with them to their appointments and wait in the waiting room. If they are scared of leaving the house, it can sometimes help just to have someone to walk with them. You can also help them plan what they’d like to talk about with the doctor. 
  • Help them seek help from a therapist. See Mind HK’s online information on how to access talking treatments. 
  • Help them research different options for support, such as community services or peer support groups. See our useful contacts for more information. 

Look after yourself

It can sometimes be really challenging to support someone with a mental health problem – you are not alone if you feel overwhelmed at times. It is important to remember to look after your own mental health too, so you have the energy, time and distance you need to be able to help your friend or family member. 

For example: 

  • Set boundaries and don’t take too much on. If you become unwell yourself you won’t be able to offer as much support. It is also important to decide what your limits are and how much you are able to help them. (See our pages on how to manage stress for more information.) 
  • Share your caring role with others, if you can. It’s often easier to support someone if you’re not doing it alone. 
  • Talk to others about how you’re feeling. You may want to be careful about how much information you share about the person you’re supporting, but talking about your own feelings with someone you trust can help you feel supported too. 

For further suggestions see our resource on How to cope when supporting someone else, which gives practical suggestions on what you can do and where you can go for support.

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What is iACT Service?

Improving Access to Community Therapies (iACT®) is one of the services from Mind HK. Trained Wellbeing Practitioners will offer initial assessment and early intervention for people dealing with mild to moderate symptoms of depression, anxiety, or other emotional difficulties.

 

The service includes 6-8 sessions of low-intensity psychological support, the flexibility of the service allows individuals to receive free and timely support when needed.

If you’re aged between 18 – 65 and are facing some emotional challenges, we would like to invite you to take an online assessment for us to gain a better understanding of your current emotional struggle.

 

If you’re eligible, we’ll get you connected with a Wellbeing Practitioner within two weeks to sort out the next steps.

The service runs for about 3 months and includes 6-8 support sessions, tailored to your needs.

 

We encourage you to attend all sessions and actively practice the tips and exercises provided by your Wellbeing Practitioner.

We take your privacy seriously. Your chats with the Wellbeing Practitioner are confidential.

 

We won’t share any of your info unless you’ve provided consent or if there are risks detected.

This programme isn’t suitable for people facing emergencies, major setbacks, or those diagnosed with serious or complex mental health conditions.

 

If you’re having thoughts of suicide or self-harm, this programme might not meet your needs, so please seek help right away. You can check out Mind HK’s “Find Help Now” page for immediate information and services.

Most of our Wellbeing Practitioners have backgrounds in psychology or counselling and are passionate about mental health. They’ve gone through about 140 hours of intensive training and completed at least 120 hours of supervised clinical practice over 9 months to ensure the quality of service.

 

They’re trained by accredited local experts in the mental health field, including clinical psychologists, counselling psychologists, counsellors, and psychiatrists. Plus, we regularly check how effective our services are. All service outputs and performances are subject to consistent monitoring.

Who is suitable for participating in this programme?

This programme welcomes anyone between the ages of 18 and 65 who may be feeling lost or facing emotional difficulties. Please note that this programme is not suitable for individuals diagnosed with severe or complex mental health conditions.

This programme is not suitable for individuals diagnosed with severe or complex mental health conditions, but suitable for those who experience mild to severe moderate anxiety, mild to moderate depression, or other emotional challenges. If you are currently experiencing a major setback or even having thoughts of suicide or self-harm, please visit the “Find Help Now” page on our Mind HK’s website for immediate information and services.

After signing up, our Wellbeing Practitioner will contact you within two weeks to schedule a convenient time for a 45-minute conversation, either via video or phone call, according to your preference. During the conversation, the Wellbeing Practitioner will understand your current situation and help you gain a better understanding of your emotional state based on the questionnaire you filled out during application. Additionally, they will provide recommendations for appropriate community resources based on your needs, helping you take an important first step in taking care of your mental health.

Although the intervention procedure is mostly standardised, Wellbeing Practitioners will work flexibly with clients to address individual presenting problems and unique characteristics.

Our Wellbeing Practitioners are trained to support people who experience mild to moderate mental health difficulties primarily. This programme is not suitable for the situations mentioned above. If you are currently experiencing a major setback or even having thoughts of suicide or self-harm, please visit the “Find Help Now” page on our Mind HK’s website for immediate information and services.

Your conversations with the Wellbeing Practitioner are absolutely confidential. Any information about you will not be shared with anyone without your consent unless you or others are at immediate risk or the Wellbeing Practitioner has reason to believe that you may be in imminent danger.
Supervisors will monitor trainees’ development throughout the placement to ensure that they are meeting the required level of competency to pass the training course at the end of the placement.

Yes, it is necessary to book an appointment in advance by filling out the form. Additionally, you can select one of the five stores yourself. We will allocate clients to different Wellbeing Practitioners based on their chosen location.

Before having the conversation, we will ask you to fill out a basic questionnaire for preliminary screening assessment. This screening process aims to ensure that the training received by the Wellbeing Practitioners is sufficient to meet the needs of the individuals receiving the service. If it is determined after the screening assessment that the service is not suitable for you, Mind HK will provide alternative recommendations to ensure your safety and support.

For adults who are suitable for this service, all Wellbeing Practitioners have received training on how to identify and respond to safety and risk issues. If you have any concerns about the support process, the Wellbeing Practitioners have appropriate measures in place and will develop response plans based on the urgency of the situation. They can also access support from clinical practitioners from Mind HK or participating organisations.

What private training does Mind HK provide?

Mind HK provides 4 themes of mental health training, including: Supporting Self, Supporting Others, Family Wellbeing and DEI (Diversity, Equity and Inclusion).

 

Check out the brochure here for more information.

Mind HK provides a wide range of standardised mental health training, which can be tailored to different circumstances. Chat with our team to explore more! 

Our trainers come from a diverse, accredited pool of clinically experienced professionals. Check out our trainers’ biographies here.

Yes, the Mental Health First Aid class of Mind HK is internationally accredited by the MHFA International. The content and certification is delivered by trainers certified from the Mental Health Association of Hong Kong. You can find out our trainers accreditation here.

We are here to support your mental health education journey! Reach out to us and chat with our team.

How can family and friends help?

How can family and friends help? 

This section is for friends and family members who want to support someone who has a phobia. 

Take their phobia seriously

It can sometimes be difficult to understand why a person has a phobia of a particular situation or object, especially when their phobia seems irrational. However, it is really important that you take their phobia seriously and understand that it can cause them severe anxiety, panic and distress, and can affect their daily life. You may not understand why they are so afraid of something, but the anxiety and fear they feel is very real. 

“I never complain because I see no point in doing so, but I get very tired of being politely mocked for my fear.”

Try to understand 

  • Find out as much as you can about phobias. This will help you understand what they are going through.
  • You can try to find out about their personal experience of living with a phobia. You could ask them how their phobia affects their life and what things can make it better or worse. Listening to their experience might help you to empathise with how they feel. 

Don’t apply pressure

While avoiding a situation can make a phobia worse over time, it can be extremely distressing if someone is forced to face situations when they are not ready. 

Try not to put pressure on your friend or family member to do more than they feel comfortable with, or force them to face their phobia. It is really important to be patient with them and work at a pace they are comfortable with. 

Find out what helps

Ask your friend or family member what you can do to help. For example, it might help to take them out of the situation, talk to them calmly or do breathing exercises with them. Often knowing that there is someone around who knows what to do if they start to feel frightened or panicked can help them feel safer and calmer. 

“I feel better if I have someone with me who knows about my anxiety and how to calm me down. It helps if I just focus on that person talking.”

Support them to seek help

If you think your friend or family member’s phobia is becoming a problem for them, encourage them to seek appropriate treatment by talking to a family doctor or therapist. 

  • Offer to help them arrange a doctor's appointment. See Seeking help for a mental health problem for more information on taking the first steps to getting help. If they are scared of leaving the house, you could suggest they ring their family doctor to find out if they will do home visits. 
  • Offer support when they attend appointments. You could offer to go with them to their appointments and wait in the waiting room. If they are scared of leaving the house, it can sometimes help just to have someone to walk with them. You can also help them plan what they'd like to talk about with the doctor. 
  • Help them seek help from a therapist. See Mind HK’s online information on how to access talking treatments. 
  • Help them research different options for support, such as community services or peer support groups. See our useful contacts for more information. 

Look after yourself

It can sometimes be really challenging to support someone with a mental health problem – you are not alone if you feel overwhelmed at times. It is important to remember to look after your own mental health too, so you have the energy, time and distance you need to be able to help your friend or family member. 

For example: 

  • Set boundaries and don't take too much on. If you become unwell yourself you won't be able to offer as much support. It is also important to decide what your limits are and how much you are able to help them. (See our pages on how to manage stress for more information.) 
  • Share your caring role with others, if you can. It's often easier to support someone if you're not doing it alone. 
  • Talk to others about how you’re feeling. You may want to be careful about how much information you share about the person you’re supporting, but talking about your own feelings with someone you trust can help you feel supported too. 

For further suggestions see our resource on How to cope when supporting someone else, which gives practical suggestions on what you can do and where you can go for support.