Phobias
A phobia is an irrational and uncontrollable fear of an object or a situation. It is unclear how phobias start, but if a person is prone to excessive anxiety and stress, he is more likely to be vulnerable to panic attacks and phobias.
People with phobias experience feelings of intense panic when confronted by whatever it is that frightens them and go to considerable lengths to avoid the object or situation.
There are different types of phobias:
Agoraphobia:
Agoraphobia is fear of fear itself. People develop agoraphobia out of the fear of a panic attack occurring in a situation where help is unavailable or escape difficult. They associate places or feelings as the cause of their panic attacks so they try to avoid the place or situation.
Those suffering from agoraphobia become highly dependent. This can be exhausting and frustrating for family members and friends. They may confine themselves to their homes, worry excessively about their health, abuse alcohol or become suicidal. Agoraphobia is often associated with depression.
Social Phobia:
People with social phobia become overwhelmingly anxious and extremely self-conscious in everyday social situations. They have an intense, persistent and chronic fear of being watched and judged by other people and they fear doing things that will embarrass them.
The anxiety produced by a social phobia can be so intense that they find themselves
- blushing,
- stammering,
- sweating,
- experience stomach upsets,
- racing heart,
- trembling limbs or
- experience a full-scale panic attack.
When these symptoms occur, people with social phobia often feel as though all eyes are on them. As a result, they may have difficulty starting a conversation, asking questions, making friends or joining groups, and their fear may become so severe that it interferes with work, school, and other normal daily activities.
While many people with social phobia realise that their fears about being with people are unreasonable or excessive, they find it difficult to overcome their fear. Even if they manage to confront their fears and be around with other people, they are usually anxious beforehand, feel intensely uncomfortable throughout the social situation, and after that worry about how they were judged by others.
Social phobia usually begins in childhood or early adolescence. Women and men are equally likely to develop this disorder. There is also some evidence this phobia may be genetic. Social phobia is often accompanied by other anxiety disorders or depression, and they may turn to substance
abuse to manage their anxiety.
Specific Phobia:
People with a specific phobia experience anxiety only when confronted with the thing they most fear. Some of the more common specific phobias are centered around
- closed-in places,
- heights,
- escalators,
- tunnels,
- highway driving,
- water,
- flying,
- rats,
- cockroaches and,
- blood.
Specific phobias are not just extreme fear; they are irrational fear of a particular thing. A person may be able to ski the world's tallest mountains with ease but is unable to go above the fifth floor of a building. For these people with specific phobias, facing or even thinking about facing their feared or situation can bring on a panic attack or severe anxiety.
If the feared object or situation can be easily avoided, people with specific phobias may not seek help. However, if the avoidance interferes with their jobs or personal lives, specific phobias can become disabling and they may seek treatment for it.
Specific phobias usually appear in childhood or adolescence and tend to continue into adulthood. It is twice as common in women as men.
If you suspect yourself, a friend or a family member of having a form of phobia, and you wish to get help, please click here.
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