Predictably Irrational: The Story of Phobias, Rubber Snakes and Free-Range Chickens
summary
A personal phobia produces a visceral feeling of imminent death, not just anxiety, and about 10 million people a year in the US report phobias. Two practical treatment paths are described: two therapy options — flooding (locked in a room with a snake) versus graded exposure hierarchy (images, rubber snakes, etc.). The graded approach reduces fear but often fades over years, leaving occasional relapse and ad hoc coping (alcohol, tweeting for help) while questions about heredity remain unanswered.
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