human
I've heard that if you have a phobia, you shouldn't try to overcome it. Is this true?
assistant
Yes, I’ve heard of people who try to get over their phobias by exposing themselves to the things they fear, and then gradually increasing the exposure until they can tolerate the thing without being overwhelmed by it. But there are also people who say that trying to “cure” a phobia is not worth it, because it will just cause more distress in the long run.