Although Phobias are considered to be a form of Anxiety Disorders, most people do not know this. Furthermore, Phobias are inherently different from other forms of Anxiety Disorders. Phobias are defined as an excessive and irrational fear response towards an object or situation. Unlike Generalised Anxiety Disorder, where an individual experiences a general sense of fear and apprehension, a phobia is a disproportional fear response towards a specific object or situation.
Fear is an evolutionarily important response, designed to help to protect us from dangerous situations and things. However, when one’s reaction to a particular situation or object becomes difficult to control and leads to significant distress, the individual may be suffering from a phobia.
Common symptoms of phobias are akin to those felt by individuals suffering from Panic Disorder or Generalised Anxiety Disorder in that they may experience heart palpitations, sweating, trembling, sensations of shortness of breath or feeling smothered, chest pain, choking or tightening of the throat, nausea, dizziness or feeling suddenly cold or hot. They may have recurrent intrusive thoughts about their phobia that can be extremely distressing.
Treatment for Phobias
Research has shown that the most effective form of treatment for Phobias is therapy. Therapy techniques such as exposure therapy and behavioural therapy have been proven to reduce the fear response in people with Phobias. However, it is also important to note that medication; specifically, anti-anxiety medication can also be very beneficial. This is because certain individuals may experience an extremely high level of fear in regard to their Phobias and medication can lower these levels in order for the client to be able to participate in the therapy process and implement the changes needed to overcome the Phobia. Common types of phobias include Agoraphobia, Social Phobia (Social Anxiety Disorder) and Specific Phobias such as arachnophobia, the fear of spiders. To learn more about the various types of Phobias, click here.