Phobias

L ately Allan had been really worried about germs. He hated to touch anything that someone else had just touched. He refused to use public restrooms or take the bus to school anymore. He would not eat in the cafeteria or at restaurants either, because other people had used the plates and glasses before him.

His parents tried to be understanding. His mother drove him to school and picked him up afterward so that he would not have to take the bus. She also packed him a lunch so that he did not have to eat in the cafeteria. But things kept getting worse.

One day Allan came downstairs wearing a pair of bright yellow rubber gloves. He told his father that he wasn't going to touch things with his bare hands anymore. Stuff was too dirty, and it was crawling with germs. That same day, his father called a therapist and made an appointment for Allan. He said that Allan needed help.

Many people enter therapy to deal with their phobias. Not everyone can manage a phobia on his own, and some fears are just too powerful to cope with alone. If you think you need professional therapy to conquer your phobia, you can ask someone to help you find it. Ask a parent, teacher, or your school guidance counselor to help you find a therapist. Don't worry that therapy will be too expensive for you. You can find a program that charges you according to what you are able to pay. Many different types of programs can treat someone with a phobia. The most common, and most successful, is behavioral therapy.