Can cortisol cure phobias ?
Researchers from the University of Zurich are suggesting that a dose of the stress hormone cortisol may help people overcome phobias. They have come up with a pill which is based on cortisol. Cortisol impairs the retrieval of memories, and people forget what they are fearful of. Working on this principle the researchers were curious to see if people with a phobia such as fear of spiders, when given a dose of the hormone before exposure to a spider, or their own personal phobia trigger, would be helped. Arachnophobia a fear of spiders affects as many as 7.5 million Britons, and scores of others have an irrational fear of something, heights, public speaking, getting in lifts etc. In many the phobia can affect everyday living. The Swiss researchers tested the theory on 40 people with social phobia and 20 with spider phobia. Half of the group were given cortisol and the rest a placebo version and depending on their phobia they were then asked to give a speech in public, or were exposed to
