This week on the Pretty Girl Pill Club podcast, Rohnie attempts to conquer his Trypanophobia (extreme fear of needles) by watching Sophie get a tattoo in her living room — this truly is as DIY as it gets. In this episode, we take you through the entire process, start to finish. Did Rohnie conquer his fear? Listen and find out.

Listen to our previous episode on phobias: https://www.pgpcpod.com/episodes/33

Exposure therapy is a common tactic to overcome phobias and involves gradual exposure to the fear in a safe, controlled environment — the objective being to desensitize yourself to the feared object over time. That said, we are in no way professionals nor are we an authority on the topic. It’s important to seek professional help if your phobia is having a severe, negative impact on your life. 

The American Psychological Association defines exposure therapy as…

“…a psychological treatment that was developed to help people confront their fears.  When people are fearful of something, they tend to avoid the feared objects, activities, or situations. Although this avoidance might help reduce feelings of fear in the short term, over the long term it can make the fear become even worse. In such situations, a psychologist might recommend a program of exposure therapy in order to help break the pattern of avoidance and fear. In this form of therapy, psychologists create a safe environment in which to “expose” individuals to the things they fear and avoid…Exposure to the feared objects, activities, or situations in a safe environment helps reduce fear and decrease avoidance. Exposure therapy has been scientifically demonstrated to be a helpful treatment or treatment component for a range of problems…”

The Mayo Clinic offers a few recommendations for steps you can take on your own to cope with phobia-related anxiety.

“Try not to avoid feared situations. Practice staying near feared situations as frequently as you can rather than avoiding them completely. Family, friends, and your therapist can help you work on this. Practice the techniques you learn in therapy and work with your therapist to develop a plan if symptoms get worse.

Reach out. Consider joining a self-help or support group where you can connect with others who understand what you're going through.

Take care of yourself. Get enough rest, eat healthily and try to be physically active every day. Avoid caffeine, as it can make anxiety worse. And don't forget to celebrate successes as things get better.”

Special thanks to Mario for volunteering his tattooing ability to make this episode possible. You can hear Mario’s previous PGPC appearance here: https://www.pgpcpod.com/episodes/21

Website: https://www.pgpcpod.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/prettygirlpillclub/

Pretty Girl Pill Club is a production of Public Notice LLC. Hosted by Sophie Collis and Rohnie Williams. Editing and Audio Engineering by Sophie Collis. Produced by Public Notice. Created by Sophie Collis in conjunction with Public Notice. Music by Eevee & Sarah, The Illstrumentalist. Theme music mixed by Patrick Retzer. All associated artwork by Sophie Collis.

Disclaimer: We are not professionals. We’re just idiots on the internet with wack as hell brain chemistry. If you are struggling, never hesitate to seek help.

---

Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/pgpc/support