Phobias: Scholionophobia

Over the last 17 years, many of my clients have been confused as to why they are suffering irrational fears and emotions, and when they attend my consulting rooms they are wanting an answer.

The word “phobia” comes from the Greek phobus which means, extreme fears, anxiety, terror and excessive irrationality to normal events, situations or objects, and my clients are often surprised when I diagnose a phobia which is then treatable.

Therefore, my initial preoccupation is to diagnose if a phobia is present or if there are other conditions. One particular phobia can cause a lot of research on my part is Scholionophobia or the fear of school.

Mary brought her young son Ian (fictitious names) along as he was terrified of returning to school complaining of headaches and sickness also. The doctors had given him many tests and all was well as he was basically a healthy child, but still the headaches persisted, until in desperation they attended my Swansea practice.

Ian appeared normal, calm and composed and an intellectual child. After lengthy discussions, I found a marked agitation when the thought of school came into the story he gave me of his life. His mother protested that he was being lazy and put the illness as an excuse not to get up each morning to go to school.

However, in hypnosis, I found he did in fact enjoy learning and indeed had been initially in his schooling, top of the class. Through his subconscious mind, I then detected that in his third year of school a fear had built up following a threat from a bully, that if he came into school he would be impaled on the school fence. Later on the bully was expelled, but still Ian’s phobia persisted until he became paranoid that any school building would cause him problems. I then had to persuade his subconscious mind to realise that despite the verbal threats of the bully, Ian was safe and secure and that no harm would come to him.

Meanwhile, his mother had decided to change Ian’s school, but still the fears persisted, so his parents began private home lessons for him.

As we gradually eased the boy’s fears, his headaches and sickness subsided and he became calm and rational.

Ian’s father was continually annoyed, as he did not believe the fears were a phobic problem. However, I demonstrated to the father in a one-off session, how subconsciously Ian’s fears were genuine and asked his father to show patience for one month until Ian was ready to return to school.

Suddenly, the boy started to talk of missing his school friends and yearning to go back to school. This we had to do gradually from half a day to one day a week and then rapidly a full week. His parents were delighted, and as Ian said when he was completely cured, “I know I can be strong in my mind always.”

All this despite everyone around him believing he was putting on an act!