Phobias

Everyone knows that everyone is afraid of something. Everyone recognizes that phobias are not something to be ashamed of, and that everyone has at least one. But what exactly is a phobia? Simply put, it’s an anxiety disorder.

The exact definition of a phobia is a bit different though. A phobia is an anxiety disorder in which a person will experience a strong, irrational fear of a situation, object, or activity. Adults with fears usually realize they are being irrational, but children are the opposite. A phobia will produce a feeling of anxiety that will range anywhere from mild, to downright severe. People with mild symptoms don’t usually worry about it too much because it doesn’t interfere with their day to day activities. People with a severe phobia, however, sometimes have no choice than to seek help. Some phobias, if left un-dealt with, can become so severe that the person won’t even leave their bed.

There are three main types of phobias. The first is Agoraphobia. Agoraphobia is a fear of public places. With this fear comes the feeling that the person is trapped or fears having a panic attack in public. The second type of phobia is Social phobia. Social phobia is the fear of social situations or performing in public. When people have this fear, they may be embarrassed by symptoms of having a panic attack or anxiety. A good example of this type of phobia is people who don’t like public speaking. This would be due to mild social phobia (or major, depending how badly you hate it). The final category of phobia is a Specific phobia. This is a very broad category and covers many things. The basic definition of it is it’s the fear of specific objects, places, situations, or activities. The fear is usually driven by fear of harms way. Someone who is experiencing this may get some side affects of losing any emotional control, and possibly even physical control.

Phobias are very common. Nearly 25 million people suffer from a serious phobia sometime in their life. Agoraphobia is the most common type of phobia. Around 60% of people who seek help for phobias are there for agoraphobia. 50% of the people who get treated for this are women. Social phobia occurs in both men and women about equally. It occurs is about 2% of the population. When it comes to specific phobias, they are usually outgrown by adultho...

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...ns. The main importance with the treatment of this phobia though, is that the patient avoid any abusive drugs or alcohol. If they turn to those for help, it is very difficult for doctors to cure them.

Patients that have specific phobias are treated in three main ways, just like the other two. These ways are medication, progressive desensitization, and exposure. Exposure is by far the most important factor in curing someone with a specific phobia. People with specific phobias are often afraid of things that will usually do them no harm, such as snakes or spiders. If patients want to get treated fast and effectively, they need to start exposing themselves to the variable that gives them fear. The quicker they do this, the faster they will be cured.

Everyone one this planet will have a fear of something at some point in their lifetime. For some it may be simple flies or bees. Others it may be lions or alligators. And for some it can impair their everyday lifestyle, such as the people with social phobia and agoraphobia. Phobias come in all different degrees in every person, and are a quite interesting if you look into them.