What is it?
A phobia is an intense, irrational fear of a specific object, situation, or activity that leads to avoidance behaviour, often causing significant anxiety and distress.
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Description
Phobias are intense and overwhelming fears of specific objects or situations that go beyond ordinary fears. A phobia isn’t just being scared; it’s a type of anxiety disorder that can cause severe distress and affect daily life. For instance, someone might have a phobia of spiders, even if they know the spider isn’t dangerous, yet still feel extreme fear when they see one.
If a phobia is making it hard to do everyday things or causing intense distress, it’s important to seek help from a mental health professional who can offer support and treatment options to manage and overcome these fears.
Symptoms
Phobias can manifest differently for each person, with symptoms ranging from mild to severe. Typically, phobias cause intense fear and anxiety when encountering the specific object or situation that triggers the phobia. In more severe cases, even thinking about the phobia can induce symptoms. Some common signs of phobias include feeling dizzy, experiencing a rapid heartbeat, shortness of breath, sweating, and nausea.
Additionally, psychological symptoms like a fear of losing control or a sense of detachment from reality can also occur. Recognising these symptoms is the first step towards managing and seeking help for phobias
- Physical symptoms
- Feeling dizzy or lightheaded
- A pounding or rapid heartbeat
- Shortness of breath
- Sweating
- Trembling or shaking
- Nausea or upset stomach
- Chest pain or tightness
- Hot or cold flashes
- Numbness or tingling sensations
- Psychological symptoms
- Intense fear or anxiety when thinking about or encountering the phobia trigger
- Fear of losing control
- Fear of fainting or dying
- Feeling detached from reality (derealization) or from oneself (depersonalization)
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Stat
In the UK, an estimated
10 million people have phobias
Phobias can affect anyone, regardless of age, sex and social background
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What causes phobias?
Causes
Phobias, or strong fears, can come from different places and experiences. Sometimes, a scary event, like a big dog bite, can make someone really afraid of dogs. Watching someone close to you, like a parent, being very scared of something can also make you scared of the same thing.
Long-term stress and anxiety can heighten susceptibility to phobias, as chronic stress can impact one’s ability to cope with fear. Additionally, some people are more likely to develop phobias because of their genes. Knowing these causes can help in understanding and dealing with phobias effectively.
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Types
- Specific phobias
Specific phobias are intense, irrational fears of specific objects, situations, or activities. This fear can be so big that you might try to avoid places or things related to their phobia, even if yoou know they’re usually safe. Examples of specific phobias include:
- acrophobia (fear of heights)
- arachnophobia (fear of spiders)
- claustrophobia (fear of confined spaces)
- aerophobia (fear of flying)
- agoraphobia (fear of open or crowded spaces).
These fears can significantly disrupt daily life and may lead you to avoid situations where you might encounter the object of your phobia, even if the fear is objectively unlikely to cause harm.
- Complex phobias
Complex phobias, like specific phobias, are intense fears, but they are focused on more abstract things or situations that can be harder to avoid. One example is social phobia, where someone feels really scared about being judged or embarrassed in front of others. They might worry so much that they avoid school or parties. Another complex phobia is agoraphobia, which is a fear of being in places or situations where it might be hard to escape or get help if something bad happens. This can make someone avoid leaving their home or being in crowded places.
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Voice
The good news is that phobias usually go away on their own. But while they’re happening, it’s very important to take them seriously so that the child feels understood and supported.
Getting help
If you are struggling with a phobia, it’s important to consult your GP. There are different options of support which your GP can discuss with you but these will tend to be therapy and/or medication.
- Medication
Sometimes, doctors might prescribe medications to help with phobias, especially if the fear is really strong and hard to handle. These medicines can include things like antidepressants or anti-anxiety drugs, which can help calm the feelings of fear and worry. They don’t cure the phobia, but they can make it easier to cope while you’re getting other kinds of help, like therapy.
It’s important to talk to a doctor or therapist about what might work best for you, because everyone’s different and needs different kinds of support.
- Talking therapies
Therapy for phobias is a really helpful way to learn how to manage your fears. There are a number of different therapies that you might be offered.
- Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) is often used to treat phobias. CBT helps you face what you’re scared of gradually, in a safe way.
- Exposure therapy allows you to practice being around what scares you in a controlled way, so you can learn that it’s not as scary as you think.).
- Therapists also teach relaxation techniques to help you stay calm when you’re facing your fears.
Therapy isn’t about making your fear go away completely overnight, but it can give you tools and confidence to deal with it better over time. It’s all about finding what works best for you with the help of a therapist you trust.
- Looking after yourself
Self-management techniques can also help you cope with your phobia on your own. One important way is by learning relaxation exercises, like deep breathing or muscle relaxation, to calm yourself when you start feeling scared. Waiting Room has lots of resources to support with relaxation.
You can also try gradual exposure to the things you fear, starting with less scary situations and working your way up. Keeping a diary or journal about your fears and how you feel can help you understand them better and track your progress. You can make an account on Waiting Room and use the Mood Tracking and Journal to do this.
It’s important to be patient with yourself and take things one step at a time. If you’re finding it hard to manage on your own, talking to a therapist or a trusted adult can give you more support and guidance.
Some resources that may help
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