When you have a highly specific fear that triggers OCD and panic attacks, it can make feel like you have to avoid that stimulus forever. Of course, no one can predict when that stimulus might come up organically in your life, which makes the fear even worse and begins the cycle anew.

Luckily, I’ve helped plenty of patients with extreme fears through Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP). This method exposes patients to feared stimuli in a controlled environment and helps them resist their usual compulsive behaviors they would use to cope. We identify these compulsions and try to replace them with other methods of self-soothing.