A fobia is a persistent and irrational fear of a particular object, animal, activity or situation that poses little or no real danger. Despite this, the situation or the object itself causes anxiety extreme, panic, terror and disturbance.
Phobiais not always a disease in itself. It could be a symptom of another underlying cause – usually a mental disorder. In any case, the fear felt by people who have a phobia is completely different from the anxiety that is natural to human beings.
Fear, by itself, is a psychological and physiological reaction that arises in response to a possible threat or dangerous situation. The phobia, on the other hand, does not follow a logic and the anxiety, in these cases, is inconsistent with the real danger that it represents. The phobia tends to last a long time, causes intense physical and psychological reactions and can seriously compromise the quality of life of those who have it.
Now that you know what a phobia is, understand below its causes, the most common types of phobia, the related symptoms and how to treat this irrational fear.
Causes
The cause of many phobias is still unknown to doctors. Despite this, there are strong indications that many people's phobia may be related to family history, leading to the belief that genetic factors may play an important role in the origin of persistent and irrational fear.
However, it is also known that phobias can have a very direct connection with past traumas and situations. That's because most emotional and behavioral problems are triggered by difficulties a person has faced throughout their lives.
Doctors and psychiatrists also believe that other factors may be involved in the development of phobias, such as difficult temperament, sensitivity to certain situations or more inhibited and withdrawn behavior than normal.
Types of phobia
There are several types of phobias, ranging from intense fear of certain situations and environments, to fear of animals or specific objects. These phobias can be classified into three types:
· Social phobia: intense fear of social situations
· Agoraphobia: Fear of crowded places or of suffering possible situations unpleasant in public places
· Simple phobia: fear of animals, objects or specific situations
According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Illnesses, simple phobia can be divided into at least five categories:
· Phobia of animals (cockroaches, spiders, snakes, frogs, etc.)
· Aspects of the natural environment (thunderstorms, earthquakes, etc.)
· Blood, injections or wounds
· Situations (heights, riding a plane, elevator or subway, etc.)
· Other types (fear of vomiting, contracting a disease, etc.).
Most common types of phobia
· Ablutophobia: fear of bathing
· Acrophobia: phobia of heights
· Apheobia: fear of being touched
· Agoraphobia: fear of crowded places and crowds
· Aichmophobia: fear of injection needles or sharp objects
· Alectorophobia: fear of chickens
· Arachnophobia: phobia of spiders
· Batrachophobia: fear of amphibians
· Brontophobia: fear of thunder and lightning
· Cacorrafiophobia: fear of failure
· Katsaridaphobia: phobia of cockroaches
· Cynophobia: fear of dogs
· Claustrophobia: fear of closed places, such as elevators or airplanes
· Coulrophobia: phobia of clowns
· Distichiphobia: fear of accidents
· Scotophobia: fear of the dark that prevails after childhood
· Entomophobia: phobia of insects
· Ergasiophobia: fear of working
· Sciophobia: fear of shadows
· Stupophobia: fear of stupid people
· Falacrophobia: fear of going bald
· Gamophobia: fear of marriage
· Ghostphobia: fear of ghosts
· Gerascophobia: fear of aging
· Glossophobia: fear of public speaking
· Hematophobia: fear of blood
· Hydrophobia: fear of water
· Isolophobia: fear of loneliness, of being alone
· Ligyrophobia: fear of noises
· Malaxophobia: fear of love
· Melissophobia: fear of bees
· Mysophobia: fear of germs, contamination or dirt
· Motephobia: fear of butterflies or moths
· Necrophobia: fear of death or dead people
· Odontophobia: fear of the dentist
· Pyrophobia: fear of fire
· Sesquipedalophobia (Hipopotomonstrosesquipedaliophobia): fear of big words
· Thalassophobia: fear of the sea
· Testophobia: fear of taking school tests
· Trypophobia: phobia of holes
· Uranophobia: fear of the sky
· Virginitiphobia: fear of rape
· Xanthophobia: fear of the color yellow
· Zelophobia: irrational fear of jealousy
However, some characteristics are noted in all individuals who have phobias, such as:
· Feeling of uncontrollable panic, terror or dread in relation to a situation of little or no real danger
· Feeling that you must do everything possible to avoid a situation, something or someone you fear
· Inability to lead your life normally because of an illogical fear
· Presence and appearance of some physical and psychological reactions, such as sudoresis, tachycardia, difficulty breathing strong>, feeling of panic and anxiety intense, etc
· Knowing that the fear you feel is irrational and exaggerated, but still not being able to control it.
Diagnosis
If you or someone you know is experiencing some kind of irrational, illogical or disproportionate fear of a situation, seek psychiatric help to deal with this fear, especially if it is seriously compromising your quality of life.
Any health professional can diagnose a phobia.
There are no laboratory tests capable of diagnosing a phobia. The diagnosis, instead, is based on a thorough clinical interview. The specialist's final assessment will follow some diagnostic guidelines.
To be diagnosed with a phobia, a person must meet certain criteria found in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, published by the American Psychiatric Association.This handbook is used by many mental health specialists to diagnose psychiatric and psychological conditions. Diagnostic criteria vary greatly according to the type of phobia.
In general, some characteristics need to be present for the diagnosis of phobia to be confirmed, such as:
· Intense fear that has lasted six months or more
· Intense fear of a specific object or situation
· Fear appears immediately as soon as the person is faced with the situation or object that causes him anxiety
· Significant distress and impaired performance of daily activities
Treatment
The treatment for phobia aims to reduce anxiety and fear caused by illogical, irrational and exaggerated reasons, helping to manage the physical and psychological reactions resulting from this fear.
There are three different types of approach that can be followed by specialists and patients: the psychotherapy, the use of specific medications or even the combination of both. In the first option, the approach considered the gold standard is exposure therapy, which consists of facing the object or situation that causes the phobia.
Beta blockers, antidepressants and sedatives are usually the medications most recommended by doctors and, when combined with behavioral therapies, the result is usually quite efficient.
Medicines
The most used drugs for the treatment of phobias are:
· Clomipramine
· Olcadil
Only a doctor can tell you which medication is best for your case, as well as the correct dosage and duration of treatment. Always follow your doctor's instructions strictly and NEVER self-medicate.
Do not stop using the medicine without consulting a doctor first and, if you take it more than once or in much larger amounts than prescribed, follow the instructions on the leaflet.
If not properly treated, phobias can seriously compromise people's lives and lead them to extreme situations.
· Social isolation: avoiding places, things and people you fear can cause professional, family and relationship problems
· Depression: many people with phobias are more likely to develop depression and other anxiety disorders
· Substance abuse: the stress of living and living with a phobia can lead to substance abuse and chemical and psychic dependence, such as smoking, alcoholism and addiction to certain types of drugs
· Suicide: Some individuals with specific phobias are more likely to commit suicide.
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