Web Chat on Fears and Phobias with Dr. Renate Rosenthal, Department of Psychiatry, UT Medical Group, Inc. (The following is an edited transcript of questions and answers from a web chat held on Wednesday, February 26, 2003 on WREG, News Channel 3)

Moderator: Welcome to this week's chat. Our guest this week is Dr. Renate Rosenthal and our topic is fears and phobias. Dr. Rosenthal is a psychologist with UT Medical Group. She is here to answer your questions.

Dr. Renate Rosenthal: Hi everyone!

Q: I grew up during the Cuban Missile Crisis time period but don't remember the fear and dread of that time. My children are exposed to so much in the media today about terrorism etc. that I worry about them. But will they remember this, years down the road when they're grown up? I wonder if my parents did something to protect me or if I was just so scared by it all that I've blocked it out as an adult.

Dr. Rosenthal: This is a very good question. I think one part of why memories like the Cuban missile crisis are not as vivid in our minds is because we were not surrounded by morning to night news coverage of the crisis. I myself remember that crisis and also the Russian invasion of Hungary which took place just a few miles from where we were living. I remember being frightened but I also remember that life went on and we return to doing normal things.

I believe this is the key in our current situation; we all know that we live in difficult times, but it is that much more important to shut off the TV and try to be there for your children to reassure them that they are safe. We didn't have TV then and had the radio on and that was scary enough.

Q: What's "normal" anymore? I can't let my kids walk home from school alone, ride their bikes alone or even eat their Halloween candy without checking it. I'm afraid I'm making them paranoid because I'm so paranoid. And now all this terrorist stuff. How much should I protect them from? I keep saying everything's going to be OK, but I don’t believe it.

Dr. Rosenthal: You're in the same situation as millions of other parents.

Q: What makes it worse is that they saw the planes hit the WTC on TV, as it happened. We just happened to have the TV on then. Now one of them is afraid to fly and I can't blame her.

Dr. Rosenthal: This is one of the biggest challenges right now. For the sake of your children it is very important that you do what you can for yourself to keep yourself on an even keel.

You’ve made a very good point and the only thing we know that helps with anxiety and preoccupations of this nature is to make an active effort to find other more "normal" healthy things to replace some of those preoccupations such as for, example, recreation, playing with pets, gardening, cooking, simple pleasures. It sounds simple minded, but it actually is one of the best things you can do for yourself and your children

Q: And turn off the TV I guess. Thanks for your advice and letting me vent!

Dr. Rosenthal: As far as the fear of flying... is it absolutely necessary that they fly somewhere? If not, then they don't have to go.

Q: Do you treat claustrophobia?

Dr. Rosenthal: I am not taking any new patients right now, but any psychologist should be able to help you with claustrophobia or any phobias. Phobias are fears that are out of proportion to the actual danger

Q: What causes that?

Dr. Rosenthal: People who have phobias know that this is not reasonable but they can't help it with sheer willpower. Usually a traumatic event that either you have experienced yourself or that you have observed happening to someone else ...

Q: My mother has always had that. does it get worse with being older?

Dr. Rosenthal: not everyone is equally susceptible to it, but given a sufficiently severe trauma anyone can develop a phobia. No, it doesn't get worse with age, but it gets worse the longer you avoid things

Q: It’s mostly on elevators.

Dr. Rosenthal: That is claustrophobia and the treatment would be to start with getting on an elevator maybe with a friend, maybe just one floor and just gradually do more and more of the things you are afraid of.

Q: Can you answer a question about nightmares?

Dr. Rosenthal: Yes, tell me, what would you like to know?

Q: How can you stop having them?

Dr. Rosenthal: That is a difficult question. The very first thing you need to do is try to figure out what is bringing about your nightmares. It may be something that you are worried about, it might be something in your past. It might be something that has frightened you and once you know what the themes are in your nightmares, even if you don't know exactly where they came from you might notice that they have to do with things that have scared you somewhere along the way.

If you cannot sort out these feelings on your own or with a friend or pastor or trusted person you may want to look for professional help. Once you start talking about fears, you will notice that you will feel less burdened.

Q: I worry that i will be somewhere like a store or restaurant that catches on fire like in RI where the band played. When I talk to my friends or family about them they just laugh.

Dr. Rosenthal: That is post traumatic stress... this is a very good example of how we can develop fears just by observing what has happened to other people. It is human nature to feel that way. However, we do need to sit ourselves down and figure out just how likely it is that this will happen where we are. Train yourself to question these fears by telling yourself: how likely is it that this will happen? 100%, 50%, 25% of the time?

Q: It happened 2 times this week.

Dr. Rosenthal: I'm sorry they just laugh... they might laugh partly because they are scared themselves.

Q: I mean the fires, not my nightmares.

Dr. Rosenthal: Obviously there are reasonable things we can do , we should not leave candles burning, we might not want to go listen to concerts in small enclosed spaces, etc.

Q: I have ICD, Odd ADHD I throw temper what can I do to stop throwing my tantrums. I want to live in a group home what group home do you have in mind that would take people like me. Would a particular Group home be the answer?

Dr. Rosenthal: Unfortunately, I am not able to give specific advice about your particular situation. I suggest you talk it over with the person you are seeing about your OCD, if you are not seeing anyone there is a support group for people with OCD. The Memphis Public Library LINK service (901-415-2700) can give you the phone number.

Q: I want to live in a group home because it would help me with my temper tantrums as well as be on my own.

Dr. Rosenthal: Here's a web site that might help:
http://www.focusas.com/Tennessee.html

This is the one for OCD:
http://www.ocfoundation.org/ocf1170a.htm

Here's the phone number (901) 757-1468. They meet the 1st and 3rd Saturday, 10-11:30 am of every month at Christ United Methodist Church

Hope that helps. We are now logging off.

Moderator: Thanks for participating today in our chat. Dr. Renate Rosenthal is a Clinical Psychologist with UT Medical Group. We hope today's chat was helpful. You can also visit the UT Medical Group web site at www.utmedicalgroup.com .

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