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Phobias

What Is PhobiaTypes of PhobiasSigns and SymptomsDiagnosis: Treatment and RecoveryCommon Myths and Misconceptions

What Is Phobia?

Phobias are real. Classified as an anxiety disorder, a phobia is an irrational fear of an object, a person, or a situation that can last a lifetime. As per 13 psychiatric epidemiological studies, 4.2% of people are currently struggling with phobias. Although phobias are not physically painful, living with phobias can be a struggle. It was found that 80% of new phobias turn into chronic conditions in spite of taking phobia treatment. However, phobias can be treated; a person can overcome these fears and lead a normal life.

This blog discusses what phobia is, how to cope with it, and various techniques for phobia treatment.

Definition

Phobia is an anxiety disorder that features an intense and irrational fear. This can be triggered by a particular situation, creature, place, or object. However, this fear is usually disproportionate to the real threat posed by that particular object, situation, or circumstance.

What sets a phobia apart from other anxiety attacks is its focus, intensity, and the ability to recover by adopting the right phobia treatment method.

Other anxiety disorders, like generalised anxiety Disorder, are broad terms that do not refer to a single concept. Phobias, on the other hand, are always associated with a specific trigger, like a particular animal, situation, person, or thing that creates an episode. Unlike other anxiety disorders, individuals with phobias are not consumed with persistent tension, mental stress, or fear.

Moreover, phobias are usually recognised as curable conditions. With the correct phobia treatment, an individual can lead a normal life.

Types of Phobias

Many kinds of phobias can trigger a person. However, there are 3 main categories of phobias which include a wide range of fears. They are:

  • Social Phobia: This phobia entails a person fearing judgment, humiliation, and embarrassment in a public place. Such a phobia can be overwhelming as it interferes with the daily functioning of a person. If left unchecked, a person suffering from social phobia cannot conduct himself or herself properly in front of strangers. He or she will go to great lengths to avoid eating, sitting, or even drinking properly in front of others. This can cause depression if not treated at the right time and lead to isolation.
  • Specific Phobia: One of the most common types of phobias is the specific phobia. A person suffering from a specific phobia will develop a fear of anything ranging from animals and heights to any social phenomena or natural calamity. The fear is completely irrational, but the individual will do everything to avoid facing it in routine.
  • Agoraphobia: A person suffering from agoraphobia will feel uncomfortable in a public place without an easy exit plan or route. An individual suffering from agoraphobia has a phobia of enclosed spaces like elevators, crowded buses, long queues, and so on. He or she fears leaving the house alone, fearing that no help can easily reach him or her.

    • What Causes Phobias?

    Some of the most common causes and triggers discovered among patients during a phobia treatment are:

  • Past Experiences: Certain experiences leave a mark and are permanently etched in a person’s memory. Most of the time, people grow up and move on. However, at certain times, these negative instances are stored in the subconscious, and a person can never forget them, creating a permanent sense of fear, guilt, and discomfort.
  • Learned Responses: Culture also plays a significant role when it comes to developing phobias. The environment you grew up in and cultural and religious beliefs affect how you were raised. This can create phobias in your mind that you were not even aware of and get manifested when a person grows up.
  • Genetic Factors: Research on phobia treatment suggests that phobia among people can be due to genes. If your ancestors feared a phenomenon or anything specific, it affect your behaviour and psyche.
  • Chemical Imbalances: At certain times, chemical imbalances can cause a person to develop more than one phobia. Research also suggests that phobias can be triggered if there is some kind of a malfunction in and around the amygdala in the brain.
  • Environmental Factors: A harrowing experience on a plane or with an animal or thing that is massive in size causes phobias. A bolt of lightning striking a tree in half or a person killing him instantly is enough for a person to develop a permanent condition that can alter the psyche and leave an indelible mark.

    • Signs and Symptoms

    Mental health experts have observed the following symptoms among patients while framing a phobia treatment:

  • Physical Symptoms:
  • Severe palpitations accompanied by aggressive sweating are often experienced by people who have not undergone any phobia treatment.
  • Shivering and shaking are often experienced by people who are suffering from a phobia. This commonly happens to those who are unaware of their condition. This usually happens before they consciously seek phobia treatment from a professional.
  • Some people go white, and their skin loses colour. Goosebumps can also be experienced by some.

    • A proper phobia treatment includes a combination of medication and therapy. Medication can effectively lower the intensity of symptoms but must be consumed after consulting a professional.

  • Psychological Symptoms
  • When framing a phobia treatment, psychiatrists also come across patients who display psychological symptoms such as:
  • Fainting at the site of an object or a scary situation happens quite often.
  • People who have social phobias often stammer, feel vulnerable, and look underconfident in social settings.
  • These symptoms are not as evident as physical ones are. However, if ignored, they can be equally dangerous and sometimes fatal.

    • Diagnosis:

    A proper diagnosis of phobia during treatment can be done by a professional alone. The patient actively avoids any discussion related to the fear that causes distress. This makes it challenging to identify the issue, delaying the appropriate phobia treatment.

    Since there are no lab tests or blood tests to prove that a person is suffering from this particular anxiety disorder, a psychiatrist or a psychologist conducts an assessment before starting phobia treatment.

    It can take a few sessions with a certified psychologist to understand what exactly the patient fears. He or she may ask you to fill out a questionnaire or interview the patient before starting the phobia treatment.

    Treatment Options

    Following are some of the most effective and commonly adopted methods of phobia treatment by mental health experts:

    Therapies: There are plenty of therapies for phobia treatment that can help people. Here are some of the most effective ones:

  • Exposure Therapy: This phobia treatment includes gradual exposure to objects or situations that a person is afraid of. This therapy is used to treat other psychological problems like PTSD, agoraphobia, generalized anxiety disorder, and so on.
  • This enables a person to come face-to-face with the phobia and analyze it rationally. It teaches the patient how to confront his or her fear, get a grip on his or her nerves, and lead life normally. Various ways to do exposure therapy include:
  • By asking the patient to give a vivid description of the events so that he or she can relive it. This is called Imaginal Exposure Theory and enables the psychologist or the psychiatrist to understand the level of fear.
  • Patients are sometimes made to face his or her fears under the supervision of a psychiatrist. For instance, he or she might take the patient to the top floor of the building to cure the fear of heights.
  • Certain techniques include developing the same symptoms of fear in the patient’s body to make him relive the traumatic event. This is termed as Interoceptive exposure therapy.
  • Patients are sometimes flooded with images of the worst phobias they face. However, some techniques include slow subjection to fears accompanied by relaxation exercises.

    • Cognitive Behavioural Therapy:

    Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for phobias identifies harmful patterns that can negatively impact a person’s mental and physical health.

    Cognitive Behavioural Therapy is a phobia treatment that makes a patient journal his experiences in a challenging situation. The patient is supposed to achieve certain goals every day, which ensures gradual recovery. Steps like self-talk, adding positive activities to the routine and systematic desensitization are done to cope with difficult situations.

    Group Sessions:

    Group therapy is a particularly effective phobia treatment as thoughts and problems are shared and discussed with strangers. Individuals share their experiences, which gives positive support to patients as they realize that they are not alone.

    This phobia treatment improves socializing skills and makes patients confront fears in controlled settings. Such a phobia treatment is interactive, builds confidence, and improves resilience.

    Narrative Therapy:

    Narrative therapy allows a person to view himself or herself separately from the phobia. With this phobia treatment, a patient is made to realize that his phobia is a part of his identity and not his identity entirely.

    Once they voice out their phobia, the patient realizes that he or she can gain control over it. This phobia treatment has a cathartic effect, fosters self-awareness, and empowers individuals to re-write their personalities again. This particular phobia treatment has proven to be one of the most effective and practical treatments.

    Medication:

    Beta-blockers and sedatives are often prescribed by psychiatrists to control the anxiety levels of a patient. These can provide short-term relief and prevent a sudden panic attack when a phobia treatment is going on. Beta-blockers are prescribed to control the adrenaline rush, slow the heart rate, and control aggressive shaking or shivering.

    Please note that consuming these drugs without a prescription from a mental health adviser can be dangerous.

    Treatment and Recovery

    In addition to formal phobia treatment by medical professionals, the following approaches can be adopted to recover from phobias. They are:

  • Physical Exercise: Staying physically active and engaging in outdoor activities can work wonders. Lifestyle changes like following a proper sleep schedule can mitigate stress and overcome phobia.
  • Meditation: Meditation is an exercise that helps reduce overall anxiety levels and promotes mindfulness. Moreover, it prevents an individual from feeling overwhelmed when exposed to phobic triggers.
  • Breathing Exercises: Controlled breathing exercises effectively control rapid heartbeat, thus relaxing a person automatically. Rhythmic breathing helps an individual to gain control of a situation that can lead to a panic attack triggered by phobia.
  • Muscle Relaxation: Phobic reactions often cause stiffness in muscles, thus making a person freeze in a difficult situation. However, by consciously working on relieving this tension, a person can easily think in uncomfortable scenarios and manage responses to any kind of phobia.

    • How to Support Loved Ones

    A supportive atmosphere at home enhances the effectiveness of a formal phobia treatment. Here is how you can support your loved ones dealing with phobias:

  • Take the patient’s phobia seriously. Avoid making fun of the patient’s situation. Make sure that you build trust and empathize.
  • Learn what helps them so you can manage a panic attack effectively. Make sure they know they are with someone who will help them in facing their fears.
  • Support them if they wish to seek help from a professional. Give them space and time to heal and accompany them to therapy sessions.
  • Do not create unnecessary pressure to improve. Rushing through the process is counterproductive as it is a gradual process.

    • Common Myths and Misconceptions

    Be vocal about your feelings. There is no point in hiding your fears, and accepting your phobia is a must.

    Take some time and understand the reason for developing a phobia. Sit or stand in a comfortable position and try to unravel the cause of the fear.

    Avoiding your fears will only make it worse. Therefore, a plan of action must be made, and the thought process must be deconstructed step by step. Face your fears after understanding the reason and challenge your thoughts by being rational.

    Celebrate small successes and stay in touch with your loved ones. Keep them posted about your progress and seek help. Make sure that you do not avoid facing it consciously.

    In case you do not feel comfortable in a certain situation despite following the above-mentioned steps, seek help from a professional and start a phobia treatment immediately.

    Like every other health issue, acceptance is the first step towards recovery. A phobia treatment must start with acceptance and not denial or anger. A person can heal by recognizing the symptoms, seeking appropriate phobia treatment, and adopting a coping mechanism suggested by a professional. To live a life without fear and to live freely, visitJagruti Rehabilitation Centre and consult the best mental health professionals to lead a good life.

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