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A phobia is an overwhelming and unreasonable fear of an object or situation that poses little real danger. Unlike the brief anxiety most people feel when they give a speech or take a test, a phobia is long-lasting, causes intense physical and psychological reactions, and can affect your ability to function normally at work or in social settings.
Several types of phobias exist. Some people fear large, open spaces. Others are unable to tolerate certain social situations. And still others have a specific phobia, such as a fear of snakes, elevators or flying. The following are a list of common phobias which exist :-
Agoraphobia is anxiety or fear of being outside or otherwise being in a situation from which one either cannot escape or from which escaping would be difficult or humiliating. Although agoraphobia, like other mental disorders, is caused by a number of factors, it also tends to run in families and for some people, may have a clear genetic factor contributing to its development.
Acrophobia is an abnormally excessive and persistent fear of heights. Sufferers experience severe anxiety even though they usually realize that, as a rule, heights pose no real threat to them.
Aerophobia generally develops after a person witnesses a plane crash or loses a family member in a plane crash or accident. Sufferers experience severe anxiety even though they usually realize that flying does not pose a threat commensurate with their fear.
Claustrophobia is an abnormal and persistent fear of closed spaces, of being closed in or being shut in, as in elevators, tunnels, or any other confined space. The fear is excessive and quite common.
Specific phobias are characterized by major anxiety when you're exposed to a specific object or situation and a desire to avoid it. Phobias provoke panic attacks in some people.
Social phobias are characterized by major anxiety or an excessive fear of embarrassment in social situations that is extremely intrusive and can have debilitating effects on personal and professional relationships. Examples include fears of public speaking, meeting new people, and other social situations.
Not all phobias need treatment, but if a phobia affects your daily life, there are a number of therapies are available that can help you overcome your fears — often permanently.
No matter what type of phobia you have, it's likely to produce the following reactions:
- A feeling of uncontrollable anxiety when you're exposed to the source of your fear — sitting on an airplane, for instance, or walking into a large party
- The feeling that you must do everything possible to avoid what you fear
- The inability to function normally because of your anxiety
- Often, the knowledge that your fears are unreasonable or exaggerated, but feeling powerless to control them
- Physical as well as psychological reactions, including sweating, rapid heartbeat, difficulty breathing, a feeling of panic and intense anxiety
- In some cases, anxiety just thinking about what you fear
- In children, possibly tantrums, clinging or crying
Most adults don't get better themselves and may require some type of treatment. The goal of phobia treatment is to reduce your anxiety and fear and to help you better manage your reactions to the object or situation that causes them.
Medications
Behavior therapy
Desensitization or exposure therapy focuses on changing your response to the object or situation that you fear, and may be helpful for specific phobias. Gradual, repeated exposure to the cause of your phobia may help you learn to conquer your anxiety. For example, if you're afraid of flying, your therapy may progress from simply thinking about flying to looking at pictures of airplanes, to going to an airport, to sitting in an airplane, and finally to taking a flight.
Cognitive behavioral therapy is a more comprehensive form of therapy. It involves working with a therapist to learn ways to view and cope with the feared object or situation differently.
If you have unreasonable fears, consider getting psychological help, especially if you have children. Although genetics probably play a role in the development of phobias, repeatedly seeing someone else's phobic reaction can trigger a phobia in children. By dealing with your own fears, you might not pass them on to your children.
To help the person cope with fears:
Don't reinforce phobias - Instead, take advantage of opportunities to help the individual overcome their fears. For example, if a child is afraid of the neighbor's friendly dog, for example, don't go out of your way to avoid the animal. Instead, help the child cope when confronted with the dog. You might offer to be the child's home base, waiting and offering support while the child steps a little closer to the dog and then returns to you for safety. Over time, encourage the child to keep closing the distance.
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