Phobia - Causes, Symptoms And Treatment

A phobia is an excessive fear of a specific object or situation that is generally considered harmless. Most of the time, people end up with phobias about something that does have some potential risk.

People suffering from phobia often realize that their fear is unreasonable, yet they still can't control it. If they are exposed to the thing or situation they are afraid of, they become overwhelmed with extreme feelings of anxiety and fear. This experience is so unpleasant that you will go to great lengths to avoid the object or situation you fear.

Phobias are much more common in women than in men.

The Types of Phobias:

1. Social phobias - fear of social situations. This means you are afraid of what might occur when you are in the company of other people.
2. Agoraphobia - fear of being trapped in an inescapable place or situation. Agoraphobia is used to describe those who experience increasing nervousness the further they travel away from their own home.
3. Panic attacks: Panic attacks are very common and appear to mainly affect people who generally give the impression of being confident, reliable and dependable.
4. Simple Phobias: fear of a single stimulus such as fear of heights, ladders, frogs, enclosed places, etc.
5. Specific phobias - fear of a specific object.There are four major types of specific phobias:

• Environment - fear of lightening, water, etc.
• Blood-Injection-Injury phobia - fear of blood, fear or injury, or another medical procedure.
• Animal - fear of snakes, spiders, etc.
• Medical - fear of receiving injections, visiting a doctor, etc.
• Situational - fear of bridges, tunnels, leaving the home, driving, etc.

Common Phobia Symptoms:

• Shortness of breath.
• Palpitations.
• Chest pain.
• Trembling.
• Feeling of choking.
• Sweating.
• Nausea.
• Dizziness.
• Lightheaded.
• Fear of losing control.
• Fear of dying.
• Numbness.
• Hot or cold flashes.

What are Effective Treatments for Phobias?

Exposure Therapy - The most commonly used therapy for the treatment of phobias is cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) called systematic desensitization or exposure therapy. In this therapy you are exposed in a safe and controlled way to the object or situation you fear. Through repeated experiences facing your fear, you begin to realize that the situation, while possibly unpleasant, is not harmful. With each exposure, you feel an increasing sense of control over your phobia.

Counter-conditioning - Counter-conditioning is often used with patients who are unable to handle exposure treatments. In this method, the patient is taught a new response to the fear object. Rather than panic in the face of the feared object or situation, the patient learns relaxation techniques to replace anxiety.

Medication - If you are too anxious to participate in exposure therapy, you may benefit from benzodiazepines or beta-blockers. Taken before a session, these medications will help you relax enough to undergo exposure treatment.