Tips for Treating Your Phobias

Assess Yourself

First stop is an online visit to the Anxiety Disorders Association of America ( http://www.adaa.org). Read up on phobias and anxiety, and take a self-test to see if you've crossed the line from mere fear to phobia ( http://www.adaa.org/GettingHelp/SelfHelpTests.asp).

Learn More

To understand why we have phobias, try "Phobias: Fighting the Fear," by Helen Saul (Arcade Publishing, 2002). For self-help advice, check out "Triumph Over Fear: A Book of Help and Hope for People With Anxiety, Panic Attacks and Phobias," by Jerilyn Ross and Rosalynn Carter (Bantam, 1995).

Expose Yourself

Try these local-ish spots to face your fears:

Bridges. If you're freaked out by very large bridges, concentrate on those. You might head to the Chesapeake Bay Bridge and work your way up from being a passenger in the back seat, to sitting in the front passenger seat, to driving with a passenger and finally to driving alone (you can have a friend tail you if it makes you feel better), suggests psychotherapist Jerilyn Ross. For general bridge phobias, Ross often starts closer to home (think 14th Street Bridge or Memorial Bridge) and works up to the Bay Bridge.

Tunnels. Baltimore sports two tunnels, so head north and test yourself with a drive through the Inner Harbor Tunnel or the Fort McHenry Tunnel. As with bridges, your best bet is to try going through as a passenger first and then work your way up to a solo trip.

Highways. There's no shortage of asphalt in the D.C. area, but Ross reports that most people who come to her with fears find the Capital Beltway scariest of all. "There's something about it being a circle," she says. "People feel like once they get on, they can't get off." Follow the bridge model outlined at left.

Heights. There's a limit to how high you can go in the District, but for many people the fear of heights is actually the fear of open spaces that are elevated, so hotel balconies can offer good practice, as can rooftop restaurants and Metro escalators.

Snakes and spiders. For creepy crawlies, try the O. Orkin Insect Zoo at the National Museum of Natural History. For snakes, try the National Zoo or pet shops. In this case, the treatment doesn't have to include actually touching the feared object. "You just have to be able to go to places where you think they might be," Ross says. So check out the creatures in their habitats, but also work on venturing into places you've avoided because of your fear. That might be as close as your back yard or basement.

-- Christina Breda Antoniades