Phobia
Being afraid of something that can cause harm is a normal reaction. However, some people show strong, persistent and irrational fears of particular objects, activities or situations. When this behavior interferes with normal everyday functioning, the condition is called a phobia.
Types of Phobias
There are three types of phobias:
1. Social phobias—fear of social situations.
2. Agoraphobia—fear of being trapped in an inescapable place or situation.
3. Specific phobias—fear of a specific object (such as snakes).
Here are the ten most common phobias:
1. Arachnophobia – Fear of spiders
2. Social phobia – Fear of social situations
3. Aerophobia – Fear of flying
4. Agoraphobia – Fear of inescapable situations
5. Claustrophobia – Fear of confined spaces
6. Emetophobia – Fear of vomit
7. Carcinophobia – Fear of cancer
8. Rontophobia – Fear of thunderstorms
9. Necrophobia – Fear of death
10. Acrophobia – Fear of heights
Symptoms of Phobias
Phobic symptoms can occur through exposure to the fear object or situation, or sometimes simply thinking about the feared object can lead to a response. Common symptoms associated with phobias include:
* Dizziness
* Breathlessness
* Nausea
* A sense of unreality
Treatments for Phobias
There are a number of treatment approaches for phobias. The effectiveness of a treatment depends on the individual and the type of phobia. These are just a few potential phobia treatments:
In exposure treatments, the patient is exposed to the fear object in order to help them overcome their fear. One type of exposure treatment is flooding, in which the patient is confronted by the fear object for an extended length of time without the opportunity to escape. The goal of this method is to help the individual face their fear and realize that the fear object will not harm them.
Another method often used in phobia treatment is counter-conditioning. In this method, the patient is taught a new response to the fear object. Rather that panic in the face of the feared object or situation, the client learns relaxation techniques to replace anxiety and fear. This new behavior is incompatible with the previous panicked response, so the phobic response gradually fades. Counter-conditioning is often used with patients who are unable to handle exposure treatments.
