Phobia is an unrelenting and irrational fear of a situation, place, object or living creature.
Introduction
Phobia is an unrelenting and irrational fear of a situation, place, object or living creature. It is an anxiety disorder that causes an excessive reaction when encountered with the source of the phobia. It can be related to something specific like spiders, or something more general like a social phobia.
People with phobias are usually aware that their fear and panic is irrational, but there is little they can do to help it. They surround their entire lives avoiding the source of such dread and panic. This can lead to problems in daily life and functioning. Phobias are overwhelming and can cause panic attack-like symptoms. Sweating, increased heart rate, trembling, dry mouth and panic symptoms can be attributed to phobias.
When a person faces a potentially dangerous or distressing event in life, few areas of the brain store that memory. These memories are then retrieved when faced with a similar situation and the same reaction is experienced. Phobia is caused by retrieving the same stressful memory and living through it repeatedly.
Phobias are connected to genetic and environmental factors. Past trauma and experiences can cause certain phobias. Medical conditions or health concerns can also cause phobias. People with traumatic brain injuries have shown a high prevalence of phobias.
Symptoms
Symptoms for phobias vary from person to person, depending on the severity of the phobia. But there are a few symptoms that are common across all types of phobias:
Uncontrollable anxiety when faced with the source of fear
Struggling to function properly when faced with the trigger
Need to avoid the source of fear at all costs
Acknowledging that the fear is irrational, exaggerated and unreasonable.
Inability to control feelings
Symptoms of phobias also include panic-like symptoms:
Excessive sweating
Accelerated heartbeat
Breathlessness
Fear of dying
Dizziness and trembling
Nausea
Fear of dying
Sometimes symptoms may even escalate to an anxiety attack.
Difference between fear and phobia
Fear is an emotional response that a person feels when faced with an imminent, actual dangerous situation. For example, it is normal to feel scared during an earthquake. Fear can also be a good thing as it can help us avoid dangerous situations and keep us safe.
Phobia is an anxiety disorder that triggers overwhelming anxiety and panic. Phobias are irrational because it produces intense fear and reactions even when it is clear that there is no danger around. For example, seeing a spider on TV can trigger a person with arachnophobia.
Phobia can interfere with daily life due to avoidance behavior and anxiety that can be triggered when faced with the object of fear. Even thinking about the object can cause anxiety and panic.
Fear can turn into phobia overtime when the intensity of the anxiety does not match the level of danger and the fear becomes irrational.
A person who has a phobia of a specific object or situation may also spend a lot of time thinking about or trying to avoid any encounter with their fear, even if it comes at the cost of disrupting daily life. Someone with a fear of dogs or cynophobia will avoid going to their friends or family’s places if they have dogs.
Fear is an emotion, while phobia is a type of anxiety disorder. Phobias cause overwhelming and debilitating anxiety that is excessive and irrational compared to the level of danger while fear is a normal reaction when faced with an actual dangerous and threatening situation.
Causes
Genetic factors
Phobia is a type of anxiety disorder, and some people are born with a higher susceptibility towards anxiety if it runs in their family. Research has shown that genetics plays a role in developing phobias. But, it is not necessary and many people have no genetic factors involved in their phobias.
Traumatic experiences
Past traumatic experiences can cause phobias. For example, being trapped in a confined space as a child can lead to claustrophobia- fear of enclosed spaces. Being attacked by a dog, or any type of animal can lead to specific phobias and can continue till adulthood.
Learned behavior and negative experiences
Hearing and learning about others’ negative experiences can also cause phobia of certain objects or situations. Learning about a plane crash can develop a phobia of flying. It is important to note that phobias are a part of development, many children grow up with a fear of the dark, monsters etc. Anxiety about body image is common in teenagers and these fears and concerns are normal and are usually left in the past. But they can be carried on to adulthood and disrupt daily life.
Effects of Phobia
Severe anxiety
Phobia can cause mild to debilitating anxiety in a person, depending on the intensity of the fear. This causes disruption and daily life and functioning. A person with a phobia might be anxious about being exposed to their fear and spend their time thinking about how to avoid being in a situation like that. Phobias may cause difficulties in carrying out daily errands and also cause problems in social life.
Embarrassment
Phobia may be embarrassing for some people as they may be labeled as irrational or childish. A person who has a phobia of dogs might be called immature, but some people do not realize the overwhelming anxiety that cynophobia(fear of dogs) may be causing to a person.
Isolation
Fear of being called immature and irrational may cause limitations in social life. It limits the experiences that a person can have and they might feel different from others due to their phobia and isolate themselves.
Feeling out of control and helpless
A person with a phobia of confined spaces may realize that their fear is irrational, but they can’t control their anxiety. They feel out of control and helpless as they are struggling to understand their fear and come to terms with it. People feel that there is nothing they can do to heal their fear and have to live with constant anxiety. They might wish things were different but do not see a way out of their current situation. Phobias can have negative effects on a person’s mental and emotional well being.
Treatment
Phobias are highly treatable through a variety of treatments, depending on the intensity of the fear.
Exposure therapy
This is a type of therapy that involves being gradually exposed to the object of a person’s fear to desensitize and reduce the anxiety caused by it. This allows the person to gain control over their phobia and control the effect it has on them. For example, a person who has a fear of flying may be scared to board an airplane. The therapist might start by advising the patient to simply think about a plane, then move on to looking at pictures of airplanes. Gradually, the patient may become confident enough to think about boarding an airplane without having anxiety and over time, with a gradual increase in exposure, even start flying in an airplane without any fear or anxiety.
Cognitive behavioral therapy
Along with exposure therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy involves learning new ways and coping mechanisms to deal with phobias. Relaxation techniques like deep breathing, muscle relaxation and visualization are important during exposure therapy. In CBT, a person learns about the effects that their fear has had on their lives and learns to control their anxiety instead of being overwhelmed by it.
Medications
Being exposed to the source of the phobia can be extremely distressing and uncomfortable for a person. Anti-anxiety medications are prescribed to help with the anxiety that can be caused due to exposure therapy. Antidepressants affect the serotonin level in the brain and help with mood management. A combination of therapy and medication is the most common and useful treatment for phobias.
Conclusion
Phobias are irrational, persistent and uncomfortable fears that overwhelm a person with anxiety and panic when exposed to their triggers. The intensity of a phobia varies from person to person and can cause problems in daily functioning. People who have phobias are well aware of the fact that their fears are irrational as compared to the danger that they are facing, but they feel out of control and helpless in the situation. Phobias are highly treatable through a combination of therapy and medication. It is important to realize that phobia is an anxiety disorder and a person going through it is having a rough time coming to terms with their condition. If someone around us has a phobia, we should make sure that we are not putting them in an uncomfortable situation that is triggering for them. We need to take their phobias seriously and not dismiss them as childish, instead, ask them about what feels uncomfortable and refrain from applying pressure to do or not to do something. Making them feel safe and creating a positive environment will help them recover and get over their phobias.
References
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