Phobias

Having a deliberate fear of something is completely normal. It may make sense as the person just has a slight fear of something and it goes away over time. But at times, there is some sort of fear that forms over time to a point where a person has this exaggerated form of fear regarding a situation or object. This form of fear is known as phobias.

Phobias are defined as - "a phobia is an overwhelming and debilitating fear of an object, place, situation, feeling or animal" (NHS, 2021). Another definition is - "a phobia is when something causes you to feel fear or anxiety that’s so severe it consistently and overwhelmingly disrupts your life" (Cleveland Clinic, 2023).

People with phobias tend to work hard enough to stay away from things or situations that scare them, this eventually disrupts their daily life activities. This also causes them great anxiety and along with other forms of mental health issues. Increasing the chances of flight or fight response, and stress that deliberately causes harm to the body.

Types of phobias

Someone might acquire a phobia for a wide range of things or circumstances. In this case, the phobias are categorized into two forms, which include:

Specific phobias

The most prevalent kind of phobias are referred to as basic phobias. Simple or specific phobias are focused on a single scenario, animal, item, or activity. As you become older, they could get less severe because they frequently start throughout childhood or adolescence. The common examples of these type of phobias include:

• Animal phobias - such as dogs, cats, spiders, snakes and rodents
• Environmental phobias - such as heights, water, etc.
• Situational phobias - such as going to a place where they have to confront someone or for example - going to a doctor, approaching a teacher or principle, etc.
• Bodily phobias - such as the sight of blood, vomiting, needles or injections.

Complex phobias

Simple phobias are typically less incapacitating than complex phobias. They frequently go hand in hand with a deep-seated worry or anxiety about a certain topic or condition and typically emerge during maturity. There are two common types of this phobia, which include:

1. Agoraphobia
2. Social phobia

Agoraphobia

This phobia is far more complicated than this and is sometimes mistaken for a phobia of wide open areas. A person with agoraphobia will experience anxiety while in a location or circumstance from where having a panic attack might be challenging to escape. It makes it even more worse if a person isn't able to escape a given situation and worsens their anxiety, these include places:

• Being alone
• Being in crowded places
• And travelling on public transport.

Social phobia

Anxiety in social circumstances is at the heart of social phobia, commonly referred to as social anxiety disorder. The fear of humiliating oneself and being humiliated in front of others may cause social phobia sufferers to avoid speaking in front of crowds. In extreme circumstances, this can become crippling and may stop you from engaging in routine activities like going out to eat or seeing friends.

Symptoms

When you are exposed to the thing or circumstance you are afraid of, or even just when you think about it, phobias can make you feel physical, mental, and behavioral symptoms. Some of the symptoms include:

• Nausea or dizziness
• Increased heart rate or palpitations
• Trembling or shaking
• Shortness of breath

It may be very hard to lead your life in a proper way if overcoming the phobias is not done, especially if the phobia is surrounding the complex phobias.

Causes

When your brain interprets fear and worry in a very excessive way, that is when phobias occur. These feelings have a protective and beneficial nature in normal situations. They are your brain's method of alerting you to a problem and letting you know that you could be in danger. But research is still underway in how and why phobias are formed. However, there are several factors that may contribute to a person having a phobia, which include:

1. Traumatic experiences - You could go through these yourself or witness them in someone else. This may cause the person to fear going to places where they were forced into or just in general that reminds them of something that happened to them in the past.
2. Genetics - People who have a relative who suffers from a certain fear are more likely to develop that phobia themselves. The phobias that affect family members most frequently include situational, animal, and blood/medical procedure/injury phobias.
3. Learned fears - It's possible for someone to acquire a phobia after learning about the phobias or anxieties of others. This could contribute to the higher likelihood of having a certain phobia among children of overprotective parents.

Treatment

Because people often know what triggers their phobias, phobias in general are very curable. It is possible to cure phobias with psychotherapy, medicine, or a combination of the two, but the specific course of treatment depends on the kind of fear. There are various forms of treatment that could help with phobias, including:

Medication

• SSRI antidepressants - Agoraphobia can be treated with many antidepressants, including venlafaxine (Effexor), clomipramine (Anafranil), and imipramine (Tofranil), as well as mirtazapine (Remeron).
• Benzodiazepine and anti-anxiety medications - As a treatment for social anxiety disorder (phobia) or agoraphobia, medications including clonazepam (Klonopin), diazepam (Valium), and lorazepam (Ativan) may also be used. These forms of medications may also be used with other forms of phobias that induce high anxiety as well.
• Beta-blockers - Before being exposed to a trigger, such as public speaking, medications like propranolol (Inderal) might be taken to lessen the physical symptoms of anxiety. This is especially helpful for people who have social anxiety.

Therapy

There are many forms of therapy that could help with calming down a person with a phobia and their high alerting symptoms. One of the forms of therapy used is psychotherapy, and some of the examples of psychotherapy include:

• Cognitive behavioral therapy - this is the most popular therapy method for phobias. It entails controlled exposure to the fear's origin. People who get this therapy can decondition and experience less anxiety. The goal of treatment is to discover and alter unhelpful ideas, unhealthy attitudes, and unfavorable responses to the phobic environment. In order to safely expose patients to the roots of their fears, new CBT procedures incorporate virtual reality technology.
• Exposure therapy - It entails confronting the phobia's many components, going from the least to the most terrifying. A steady exposure to your actual fear might also be used to help you get over it. This form of therapy allows the person to overcome the phobias.
• Social skills training - It incorporates social interaction in a group therapy setting to develop social skills, and may be advised for those with social phobia. You may utilize strategies like role acting and modeling to make social interactions with others more natural for you.

Summary

It can be very hard to live a life where a person has a phobia. What can be said about phobias is that they - unreasonable, persistent, and severe anxieties of a particular thing or circumstance. They frequently entail worries about animals, the outdoors, health conditions, or particular circumstances. The correct treatments can stop a phobia from taking over a person's life, even if they already have one. Reaching out for assistance may be the most difficult step, but keep in mind that professional therapy may greatly enhance outcomes. Even though it may be hard in overcoming these phobias, it is also best to look into the fact that in the end its for our own benefit.

With the love and support from your loved ones, it will be better to be able to overcome the phobias and their symptoms. The psychiatrist and professionals may give medication and therapy according how severe the phobia and how severe the symptoms are. At times, they may even prescribe both at the same time. Just knowing that your loved ones are here to support you and the professionals are here to help you overcome, then it is an easy task overcoming step-by-step.

References:

Pugle, M. (2021). What Is a Phobia? [online] Verywell Health. Available at: https://www.verywellhealth.com/phobia-5093943 [Accessed: 10 Jul. 2023].

NHS (2021). Overview - Phobias. [online] nhs.uk. Available at: https://www.nhs.uk/mental-health/conditions/phobias/overview/ [Accessed: 10 Jul. 2023].

Cleveland Clinic (2023). Phobias: What do you fear? [online] Cleveland Clinic. Available at: https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/24757-phobias [Accessed: 10 Jul. 2023].

Wodele, A. (2011). Phobias: Causes, Types, and Symptoms. [online] Healthline. Available at: https://www.healthline.com/health/phobia-simple-specific [Accessed: 10 Jul. 2023].

Osborn, C.O. and Raypole, C. (2019). Can I Be Afraid of Phobias? Common or Unique Fears Explained. [online] Healthline. Available at: https://www.healthline.com/health/list-of-phobias#treatment [Accessed: 10 Jul. 2023].