The TV Pictures of 1994's Devastation in LA replayed after Tuesday's tremble may trigger unwarranted phobic response in California residents...

New York, NY , July 31, 2008 -- Folks who live on or around major fault lines are wise to keep in mind the possibility of a serious earthquake, and take appropriate precautions. But if the fear designed to warn becomes an obsessional earthquake phobia ( http://www.changethatsrightnow.com/problem_detail.... ), an individual should seek help.

"Fear is a normal and natural emotion designed to keep us out of harm's way" says Seymour Segnit, Founder and President of CTRN: Change That's Right Now. "But when someone focuses for too long on an issue they can inadvertently do what we call 'stacking' the fear, making it stronger and stronger until it impacts their quality of life."

The team at CTRN which helps people overcome the most severe fears and phobias, finds that often clients run "disaster movies" in their minds, placing themselves in the middle of the scene.

Most people, of course, have never experienced an earthquake at first hand, so any obsessional thoughts must either be made up - or drawn from news or popular culture. Finding that the pictures from Tuesday's tremble in LA were not that dramatic, TV news outlets immediately re-worked the story to show pictures of devestation from 1994, along with experts declaring the event "a warning that the big one could come at any time".

"To overcome any phobia, it is critical to understand exactly how you are creating the fear. Vivid disaster movies in which the person imagines themselves right in the middle of an extreme situation are the hallmark of many phobia cases. But the images have to come from somewhere, and as earthquakes are so rare, almost everyone is either making stuff up, or playing over visuals they've seen in the media."

CTRN offers the following advice to anyone whose earthquake fear is becoming phobic:

1: Understand that it's what you are thinking that triggers the fear. If you notice the fear starting, you must immediately interrupt the fearful thought patterns. Do that dramatically enough and the mind will break the neurological associations at the heart of the problem.

2: Seek help, and remember that drugs can't get to the source of the problem, just dull the symptoms. Find a program that is focussed on re-wiring the phobic thoughts, without making you face your fear, which is totally unnecessary.

"Overcoming any fear - earthquakes, flying, speaking, whatever, is really very simple," says Segnit. "First the person must be truly committed to overcoming the fear, then with the right direction they can quickly learn to eliminate the patterns of thinking that were triggering a phobic response."

CTRN: Change That's Right Now can be found on the web at http://www.ChangeThatsRightNow.com or by telephone at 800 828 7484.

About CTRN
CTRN: Change That’s Right Now, Inc. was founded in 2002 to help people stop the worst fears, phobias and anxieties from stopping their lives. They offer two programs to overcome any fear or phobia. Their "VIP" fear of flying program is a short series of intensive sessions with a specially trained practitioner who directs clients quickly through the processes. "Vanquish Fear & Anxiety" is a CD-based program that includes many of the techniques used by the practitioners, but at a significantly lower cost.

With customers in 67 countries around the globe, today CTRN: Change That’s Right Now is recognized as one of the leading organizations in the field. With clients from local businesses to the Fortune 500 CTRN, has developed a deserved reputation of discreet help for serious fears and phobias. Based in New York CTRN can be reached at 800 828 7484 or www.ChangeThatsRightNow.com.
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