Phobias
and Fears
Almost everyone has an irrational fear or two—of mice,
for example, or your annual dental checkup. For most people, these fears are
minor. But, when fears become so severe that they cause tremendous anxiety and
interfere with your normal life, they’re called phobias. The good news is that
phobias can be managed and cured. Self-help strategies and therapy can help you
overcome your fears and start living the life you want.
What is a phobia?
A phobia is an intense fear of
something that, in reality, poses little or no actual danger. Common phobias
and fears include closed-in places, heights, highway driving, flying insects,
snakes, and needles. However, we can develop phobias of virtually anything.
Most phobias develop in childhood, but they can also develop in adults.
If you have a phobia, you probably realize that your fear is unreasonable, yet you still can’t control your feelings. Just thinking about the feared object or situation may make you anxious. And when you’re actually exposed to the thing you fear, the terror is automatic and overwhelming.
The experience is so nerve-wracking that you may go to great lengths to avoid it — inconveniencing yourself or even changing your lifestyle. If you have claustrophobia, for example, you might turn down a lucrative job offer if you have to ride the elevator to get to the office. If you have a fear of heights, you might drive an extra twenty miles in order to avoid a tall bridge.
Understanding your phobia is the first step to overcoming it. It’s important to know that phobias are common. Having a phobia doesn’t mean you’re crazy! It also helps to know that phobias are highly treatable. You can overcome your anxiety and fear, no matter how out of control it feels.
If you have a phobia, you probably realize that your fear is unreasonable, yet you still can’t control your feelings. Just thinking about the feared object or situation may make you anxious. And when you’re actually exposed to the thing you fear, the terror is automatic and overwhelming.
The experience is so nerve-wracking that you may go to great lengths to avoid it — inconveniencing yourself or even changing your lifestyle. If you have claustrophobia, for example, you might turn down a lucrative job offer if you have to ride the elevator to get to the office. If you have a fear of heights, you might drive an extra twenty miles in order to avoid a tall bridge.
Understanding your phobia is the first step to overcoming it. It’s important to know that phobias are common. Having a phobia doesn’t mean you’re crazy! It also helps to know that phobias are highly treatable. You can overcome your anxiety and fear, no matter how out of control it feels.
"Normal" fear vs. "phobias"
It is normal and even helpful to
experience fear in dangerous situations. Fear is an adaptive human response. It
serves a protective purpose, activating the automatic “fight-or-flight”
response. With our bodies and minds alert and ready for action, we are able to
respond quickly and protect ourselves.
For example, you have a dog
phobia.(Cynophobia)
Normal fear
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Feeling anxious when flying through turbulence or taking
off during a storm
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Experiencing butterflies when peering down from the top of
a skyscraper or climbing a tall ladder
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Getting nervous when you see a pit bull or a Rottweiler
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Feeling a little queasy when getting a shot or when your
blood is being drawn
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Phobia
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Not going to your best friend’s island wedding because you’d
have to fly there
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Turning down a great job because it’s on the 10th floor of
the office building
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Steering clear of the park because you might see a dog
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Avoiding necessary medical treatments or doctor’s checkups
because you’re terrified of needles
According
to the Child Anxiety Network, the following fears are extremely common and
considered normal:
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Signs and symptoms of phobias
The symptoms of a phobia can range
from mild feelings of apprehension and anxiety to a full-blown panic attack.
Typically, the closer you are to the thing you’re afraid of, the greater your
fear will be. Your fear will also be higher if getting away is difficult.
Physical signs and symptoms of a phobia
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Emotional signs and symptoms of a phobia
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Symptoms of Blood-Injection-Injury Phobia
The symptoms of blood-injection-injury phobia are slightly
different from other phobias. When confronted with the sight of blood or a
needle, you experience not only fear but disgust.
Like other phobias, you initially feel anxious as your heart speeds up. However, unlike other phobias, this acceleration is followed by a quick drop in blood pressure, which leads to nausea, dizziness, and fainting. Although a fear of fainting is common in all specific phobias, blood-injection-injury phobia is the only phobia where fainting can actually occur.
Like other phobias, you initially feel anxious as your heart speeds up. However, unlike other phobias, this acceleration is followed by a quick drop in blood pressure, which leads to nausea, dizziness, and fainting. Although a fear of fainting is common in all specific phobias, blood-injection-injury phobia is the only phobia where fainting can actually occur.
When to seek help for phobias and fears
Although phobias are common, they
don’t always cause considerable distress or significantly disrupt your life.
For example, if you have a snake phobia, it may cause no problems in your
everyday activities if you live in a city where you are not likely to run into
one. On the other hand, if you have a severe phobia of crowded spaces, living
in a big city would pose a problem.
If your phobia doesn’t really impact your life that much, it’s probably nothing to be concerned about. But if avoidance of the object, activity, or situation that triggers your phobia interferes with your normal functioning or keeps you from doing things you would otherwise enjoy, it’s time to seek help.
If your phobia doesn’t really impact your life that much, it’s probably nothing to be concerned about. But if avoidance of the object, activity, or situation that triggers your phobia interferes with your normal functioning or keeps you from doing things you would otherwise enjoy, it’s time to seek help.
Consider treatment for your phobia if:
- It causes intense and disabling fear, anxiety, and panic.
- You recognize that your fear is excessive and unreasonable.
- You avoid certain situations and places because of your phobia.
- Your avoidance interferes with your normal routine or causes significant distress.
- You’ve had the phobia for at least six months.
Self-help or therapy for phobias: which treatment is best?
When it comes to treating phobias,
self-help strategies and therapy can both be effective. What’s best for you
depends on a number of factors, including the severity of your phobia, your
insurance coverage, and the amount of support you need.
As a general rule, self-help is always worth a try. The more you can do for yourself, the more in control you’ll feel—which goes a long way when it comes to phobias and fears. However, if your phobia is so severe that it triggers panic attacks or uncontrollable anxiety, you may want to get additional support.
The good news is that therapy for phobias has a great track record. Not only does it work extremely well, but you tend to see results very quickly—sometimes in as a little as 1-4 sessions.
However, support doesn’t have to come in the guise of a professional therapist. Just having someone to hold your hand or stand by your side as you face your fears can be extraordinarily helpful.
As a general rule, self-help is always worth a try. The more you can do for yourself, the more in control you’ll feel—which goes a long way when it comes to phobias and fears. However, if your phobia is so severe that it triggers panic attacks or uncontrollable anxiety, you may want to get additional support.
The good news is that therapy for phobias has a great track record. Not only does it work extremely well, but you tend to see results very quickly—sometimes in as a little as 1-4 sessions.
However, support doesn’t have to come in the guise of a professional therapist. Just having someone to hold your hand or stand by your side as you face your fears can be extraordinarily helpful.
It’s only natural to want to avoid
the thing or situation you fear. But when it comes to conquering phobias,
facing your fears is the key. While avoidance may make you feel better in the
short-term, it prevents you from learning that your phobia may not be as
frightening or overwhelming as you think. You never get the chance to learn how
to cope with your fears and experience control over the situation. As a result,
the phobia becomes increasingly scarier and more daunting in your mind.
Exposure: Gradually and repeatedly facing your fears
The most effective way to overcome a
phobia is by gradually and repeatedly exposing yourself to what you fear in a
safe and controlled way. During this exposure process, you’ll learn to ride out
the anxiety and fear until it inevitably passes.
Through repeated experiences facing your fear, you’ll begin to realize that the worst isn’t going to happen; you’re not going to die or “lose it”. With each exposure, you’ll feel more confident and in control. The phobia begins to lose its power.
Successfully facing your fears takes planning, practice, and patience. The following tips will help you get the most out of the exposure process.
Through repeated experiences facing your fear, you’ll begin to realize that the worst isn’t going to happen; you’re not going to die or “lose it”. With each exposure, you’ll feel more confident and in control. The phobia begins to lose its power.
Successfully facing your fears takes planning, practice, and patience. The following tips will help you get the most out of the exposure process.
Climbing
up the “fear ladder”
If you’ve tried exposure in the past
and it didn’t work, you may have started with something too scary or
overwhelming. It’s important to begin with a situation that you can handle, and
work your way up from there, building your confidence and coping skills as you
move up the “fear ladder.”
Facing a fear of dogs: A sample fear ladder
- Step 1: Look at pictures of dogs.
- Step 2: Watch a video with dogs in it.
- Step 3: Look at a dog through a window.
- Step 4: Stand across the street from a dog on a leash.
- Step 5: Stand 10 feet away from a dog on a leash.
- Step 6: Stand 5 feet away from a dog on a leash.
- Step 7: Stand beside a dog on a leash.
- Step 8: Pet a small dog that someone is holding.
- Step 9: Pet a larger dog on a leash.
- Step 10: Pet a larger dog off leash.
- Make a list. Make a list of the frightening situations related to your phobia. If you’re afraid of flying, your list (in addition to the obvious, such as taking a flight or getting through takeoff) might include booking your ticket, packing your suitcase, driving to the airport, watching planes take off and land, going through security, boarding the plane, and listening to the flight attendant present the safety instructions.
- Build your fear ladder. Arrange the items on your list from the least scary to the most scary. The first step should make you slightly anxious, but not so frightened that you’re too intimidated to try it. When creating the ladder, it can be helpful to think about your end goal (for example, to be able to be near dogs without panicking) and then break down the steps needed to reach that goal.
- Work your way up the ladder. Start with the first step (in this example, looking at pictures of dogs) and don’t move on until you start to feel more comfortable doing it. If at all possible, stay in the situation long enough for your anxiety to decrease. The longer you expose yourself to the thing you’re afraid of, the more you’ll get used to it and the less anxious you’ll feel when you face it the next time. If the situation itself is short (for example, crossing a bridge), do it over and over again until your anxiety starts to lessen. Once you’ve done a step on several separate occasions without feeling too much anxiety, you can move on to the next step. If a step is too hard, break it down into smaller steps or go slower.
- Practice. It’s important to practice regularly. The more often you practice, the quicker your progress will be. However, don’t rush. Go at a pace that you can manage without feeling overwhelmed. And remember: you will feel uncomfortable and anxious as you face your fears, but the feelings are only temporary. If you stick with it, the anxiety will fade. Your fears won’t hurt you.
If you start to feel overwhelmed…..
While it’s natural to feel scared or
anxious as you face your phobia, you should never feel overwhelmed by these
feelings. If you start to feel overwhelmed, immediately back off. You may need
to spend more time learning to control feelings of anxiety (see the relaxation
techniques below), or you may feel more comfortable working with a therapist.
Phobia treatment tip 2: Learn relaxation
techniques
As you’ll recall, when you’re afraid
or anxious, you experience a variety of uncomfortable physical symptoms, such
as a racing heart and a suffocating feeling. These physical sensations can be
frightening themselves—and a large part of what makes your phobia so
distressing. However, by learning and practicing relaxation techniques, you can
become more confident in your ability to tolerate these uncomfortable
sensations and calm yourself down quickly.
Relaxation techniques such as deep breathing, meditation, and muscle relaxation are powerful antidotes to anxiety, panic, and fear. With regular practice, they can improve your ability to control the physical symptoms of anxiety, which will make facing your phobia less intimidating. Relaxation techniques will also help you cope more effectively with other sources of stress and anxiety in your life.
Relaxation techniques such as deep breathing, meditation, and muscle relaxation are powerful antidotes to anxiety, panic, and fear. With regular practice, they can improve your ability to control the physical symptoms of anxiety, which will make facing your phobia less intimidating. Relaxation techniques will also help you cope more effectively with other sources of stress and anxiety in your life.
A simple deep breathing relaxation exercise
When you’re anxious, you tend to
take quick, shallow breaths (also known as hyperventilating), which actually
adds to the physical feelings of anxiety. By breathing deeply from the abdomen,
you can reverse these physical sensations. You can’t be upset when you’re
breathing slowly, deeply, and quietly. Within a few short minutes of deep
breathing, you’ll feel less tense, short of breath, and anxious.
- Sit or stand comfortably with your back straight. Put one hand on your chest and the other on your stomach.
- Take a slow breath in through your nose, counting to four. The hand on your stomach should rise. The hand on your chest should move very little.
- Hold your breath for a count of seven.
- Exhale through your mouth to a count of eight, pushing out as much air as you can while contracting your abdominal muscles. The hand on your stomach should move in as you exhale, but your other hand should move very little.
- Inhale again, repeating the cycle until you feel relaxed and centered.
Try practicing this deep breathing
technique for five minutes twice day. You don’t need to feel anxious to
practice. In fact, it’s best to practice when you’re feeling calm until you’re
familiar and comfortable with the exercise. Once you’re comfortable with this
deep breathing technique, you can start to use it when you’re facing your
phobia or in other stressful situations.
Learning to challenge unhelpful
thoughts is an important step in overcoming your phobia. When you have a
phobia, you tend to overestimate how bad it will be if you’re exposed to the
situation you fear. At the same time, you underestimate your ability to cope.
The anxious thoughts that trigger and fuel phobias are usually negative and unrealistic. It can help to put these thoughts to the test. Begin by writing down any negative thoughts you have when confronted with your phobia. Many times, these thoughts fall into the following categories:
The anxious thoughts that trigger and fuel phobias are usually negative and unrealistic. It can help to put these thoughts to the test. Begin by writing down any negative thoughts you have when confronted with your phobia. Many times, these thoughts fall into the following categories:
- Fortune telling. For example, “This bridge is going to collapse;” “I’ll make a fool of myself for sure;” “I will definitely lose it when the elevator doors close.”
- Overgeneralization. “I fainted once while getting a shot. I’ll never be able to get a shot again without passing out;” “That pit bull lunged at me. All dogs are dangerous.”
- Catastrophizing. “The captain said we’re going through turbulence. The plane is going to crash!” “The person next to me coughed. Maybe it’s the swine flu. I’m going to get very sick!”
What are the Natural Remedies for
Treating a Phobia?
A phobia is regarded as a fear that
potentially limits one’s ability to function, think or move; which may
potentially cause a nervous breakdown or panic attack. There are hundreds of
fears that people have developed over time, from the fear of water to fear of
heights. The actual extent of the fear may not be so severe, as it could be
something as simple as going outside the home. It is our mind and its
psychological thinking that plays around with the concept of this fear, which
limits us to function. Someone who experiences such fears would experience
known symptoms such as being home all the time or being isolated from society.
In treating or diagnosing a phobia, a psychiatrist needs to
be consulted with as he/she would know exactly how to approach people with such
fears. The basis of treatment is to identify what it is that is causing the
fear. If it is a specific event or past experience that is causing the fear, a
good method of treatment would be to actually face the fear with a more open
mind. A psychiatrist is the best person to do this as they know exactly how to
approach people who have such conditions. Being afraid of something is
completely natural and learning to cope with the fear is the best way to treat
a phobia.
A number of causes could bring upon this level of fear, as it could be past events, experiences and even something you may have witnessed. Even if you keep hearing the same stories about something; it could lead to the development of a typical fear. Watching others would also develop this kind of fear, such as seeing someone afraid of going to a doctor’s appointment. This is why it is important to go through an appropriate amount of psychiatric help when you face some sort of trauma. After diagnosis, a patient would be put through a dedicated treatment plan which may combine the use of conventional medications.
As for the treatment, medical professionals will choose to treat the condition using medications or cognitive behavioural therapy. Several different medications are available that help with calming down anxiety and stress levels in the body, which helps by mitigating the fear. When you go for professional help, they would most likely give you medications to treat the phobia. What many people don’t understand is that there are other ways to treat the same condition, such as meditation and herbal remedies. Herbal treatments have been in the norm for centuries and people always seem to be jumping for the conventional medications.
If you have a phobia, you don’t know what these medications could cause in terms of side effects, so it is important to use something that is both safe and effective. Herbal remedies use an all natural herbal ingredient to ensure that your condition is controlled or cured without any potential side effect. If you or someone you know is suffering from a typical fear, you might want to try using natural remedies for phobia.
if you want to know types of phobias go to http://phobia1234567890.blogspot.in/
By Pawan N Kumar
A number of causes could bring upon this level of fear, as it could be past events, experiences and even something you may have witnessed. Even if you keep hearing the same stories about something; it could lead to the development of a typical fear. Watching others would also develop this kind of fear, such as seeing someone afraid of going to a doctor’s appointment. This is why it is important to go through an appropriate amount of psychiatric help when you face some sort of trauma. After diagnosis, a patient would be put through a dedicated treatment plan which may combine the use of conventional medications.
As for the treatment, medical professionals will choose to treat the condition using medications or cognitive behavioural therapy. Several different medications are available that help with calming down anxiety and stress levels in the body, which helps by mitigating the fear. When you go for professional help, they would most likely give you medications to treat the phobia. What many people don’t understand is that there are other ways to treat the same condition, such as meditation and herbal remedies. Herbal treatments have been in the norm for centuries and people always seem to be jumping for the conventional medications.
If you have a phobia, you don’t know what these medications could cause in terms of side effects, so it is important to use something that is both safe and effective. Herbal remedies use an all natural herbal ingredient to ensure that your condition is controlled or cured without any potential side effect. If you or someone you know is suffering from a typical fear, you might want to try using natural remedies for phobia.
if you want to know types of phobias go to http://phobia1234567890.blogspot.in/
By Pawan N Kumar
