The treatment of phobias often includes the use of desensitization, cognitive behavioral therapy, and/or medications. The groups of medications doctors tend to choose from when treating a phobia include selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, beta-blockers, and occasionally, benzodiazepines.
What is the best treatment for phobias?
Many phobia sufferers are best treated with a combination of medication and therapy. Most psychiatrists do not perform the types of therapy best suited to phobia treatment. Therefore, psychiatrists and therapists often form referral networks to help clients meet both needs.
Should I talk to my doctor about my phobia?
Seek the help of your doctor if you have a fear that prevents you from leading your fullest life. Genetic and environmental factors can cause phobias. Children who have a close relative with an anxiety disorder are at risk of developing a phobia. Distressing events, such as nearly drowning, can bring on a phobia.
Is it possible to overcome a phobia?
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. No matter how out of control it feels right now, you can overcome your anxiety and fear and start living the life you want. Barbara is terrified of flying.
How is a specific phobia diagnosed?
Diagnosis of specific phobias is based on a thorough clinical interview and diagnostic guidelines. Your doctor will ask questions about your symptoms and take a medical, psychiatric and social history.
What's the difference between fear and phobia?
Fear is a natural emotion triggered by the brain in response to situations that it considers dangerous. Fear protects us from danger, or at least a...
What is the most common phobia?
Specific phobias are the most common type of phobia and the most common type of anxiety disorder overall. Phobias of heights and animals are though...
How do you know if you have a specific phobia?
Here are some of the signs that you may have a phobia and should seek treatment for it:16 ● You feel intense anxiety or fear toward a specific thin...
How do phobias develop?
We don’t know exactly why phobias develop. Specific phobias tend to begin during childhood, likely because a child's brain is still learning how to...
How many phobias are there?
There are three main categories of phobias: specific phobias, social anxiety disorder, and agoraphobia. The numerous types of specific phobias are...
What is the treatment for phobias?
Those with a clinically diagnosed phobia might consider seeking professional treatment using one of the following treatment methods: Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT): a form of psychotherapeutic treatment that focuses on exploring the patterns of thinking that lead to inappropriate responses in an individual.
How effective is phobia therapy?
Thankfully, phobias are highly treatable, and treatments are usually very effective. Many who receive therapy for phobias see significant results in as little as 1-4 treatment sessions. Some utilize self-help strategies for dealing with and treating phobias, which may be effective for certain individuals.
What is the difference between phobia and anxiety?
Anxiety and Phobias. A phobia is a type of anxiety disorder that describes an excessive and irrational fear of a specific object, activity, or situation. Phobias involve intense fear surrounding an object or situation that realistically poses little or no real danger. They are different from common fears in that the associated anxiety is so strong ...
How are phobias different from common fears?
They are different from common fears in that the associated anxiety is so strong it interferes with daily life and the ability to function normally. People suffering from phobias may go to extreme lengths to avoid encountering or experiencing the feared object or situation.
How do you know if you have a phobia?
When faced with the specific object, activity, or situation that is the subject of intense fear, an individual with a phobia may exhibit the following symptoms: Uncontrollable feelings of anxiety, dread, and panic. Rapid heart rate. Difficulty breathing.
What are some common phobias?
A few of the most common specific phobias include: Arachnophobia: fear of spiders. Ophidiophobia: fear of snakes. Acrophobia: fear of heights. Cynophobia: fear of dogs. Astraphobia: fear of thunder and/or lightning. Trypophobia: fear of holes.
What are some examples of phobias?
Examples: Fear of heights, snakes, spiders. Social Phobia: A fear of being humiliated or underperforming in social situations. Also known as social anxiety disorder.
What Causes Phobias?
Phobias often begin in childhood. Some are responses to traumatic events, like a bite from a dog. Still, most have no obvious cause.
How Are Phobias Treated?
Though some phobias are never completely cured, there are ways your doctor can help you get a handle on your phobias: referring you to a therapist, for example, or prescribing medication. It’s important to seek help and get treatment for phobias.
What is a phobia that becomes debilitating?
Phobia that becomes debilitating is a type of anxiety disorder. Take, for example, a job offer.
What is a specific phobia?
A specific phobia is defined as an extreme, irrational fear or aversion to a particular thing (an object like an insect or a clown) or situation such as a thunderstorm or being in small, tight places, etc. The fear is so intense it interferes with the way you live.
What is it called when you fear you can't escape?
Agoraphobia. Agoraphobia is a phobia of any place or situation from which you fear you can’t escape or access help easily, leading you to avoid these places. 9 Agoraphobia might manifest as avoiding travel on public transportation, being in a crowded area, or being alone in public.
What is a phobia quiz?
A phobia is an intense as well as irrational fear toward one or more things or situations for which the level or intensity of fear does not match the actual danger of what you fear. A phobia can be specific, like a fear of dogs or being high off the ground.
What are the symptoms of a phobia?
Symptoms common to all types of phobias include feelings of panic and fear; racing heart; difficulty breathing; shaking or trembling; a strong urge to exit the situation. 2 Each type of phobia can also have unique symptoms related to the type of fear it causes and its source.
Why are teens more vulnerable to social anxiety?
Teens are more vulnerable to developing social anxiety disorders, likely because the teen years are marked by hormonal changes and new social pressures.
What are the risk factors for phobias?
Risk factors for developing a specific phobia are temperamental, environmental, and genetic. For instance, negative affectivity (a propensity to feel negative emotions such as disgust, anger, fear, or guilt) or behavioral inhibition are temperamental risk factors for a variety of anxiety disorders, including specific phobias.
How to deal with a phobia?
It it often the case that the object of a phobia might present itself without warning. In these instances, there may not be time for a person to seek professional help, and it may be necessary for them to use relaxation techniques in order to cope and avoid escalating their fear response. Coping strategies people may use when forced to expose themselves to a phobia include: 1 Focusing on or slowing down breathing. 2 Learn about your phobia. Sometimes, education about the object of a phobia may help slow down the fear response associated with it. 3 Progressive muscle relaxation. Practice tensing up and relaxing different muscle groups, focusing all attention on that activity.
What is the best therapy for phobias?
Many therapeutic approaches to phobia treatment involve slowly exposing a person to the thing they fear and addressing underlying beliefs that may be contributing to the phobia. Exposure therapy , also known as systematic desensitization, has been shown to be an effective phobia treatment method.
How to overcome a phobia?
Hypnotherapy may help some manage and overcome a phobia. Most often led by a therapist, hypnotherapy involves taking the person with a phobia through the process of guided visualization. They may imagine they are encountering the object of their phobia and then practice self-soothing techniques. Eye movement and desensitization ...
What is Claudia's phobia of hot water?
Addressing phobia of hot water in therapy: Claudia, 23, enters therapy, reporting an extreme fear of being burned by hot water. Her phobia is such that she experiences extreme anxiety when showering, doing dishes, or washing her hands because she worries the water will suddenly become hotter and burn her.
What is content vs phobia?
Contents v. Phobias. Treatment for Phobias. Types of Phobias. A phobia is a fear related to certain objects or situations. When a phobia is so severe that it interferes with a person’s ability to function, a therapist or other mental health professional may be able to help them address and explore ways to overcome fear, anxiety, ...
Can phobias present themselves without warning?
It it often the case that the object of a phobia might present itself without warning. In these instances, there may not be time for a person to seek professional help, and it may be necessary for them to use relaxation techniques in order to cope and avoid escalating their fear response.
Does Claudia remember her phobia?
The therapist asks Claudia if she remembers when the phobia began, but she cannot tell him. It takes some time in therapy, but eventually Claudia is able to recall several instances from early childhood—the memories of which she had buried—of her mother punishing her by holding her hands under running water.
What are the symptoms of a phobia?
Symptoms of phobias. The most common and disabling symptom of a phobia is a panic attack. Features of a panic attack include: pounding or racing heart. shortness of breath. rapid speech or inability to speak. dry mouth.
What is a phobia?
A phobia is an excessive and irrational fear reaction. If you have a phobia, you may experience a deep sense of dread or panic when you encounter the source of your fear. The fear can be of a certain place, situation, or object. Unlike general anxiety disorders, a phobia is usually connected to something specific.
What is the difference between hemophobia and arachnophobia?
Hemophobia: This is a phobia of blood or injury. A person with hemophobia may faint when they come in contact with their own blood or another person’s blood. Arachnophobia: This means fear of spiders. Cynophobia: This is a fear of dogs.
How does phobia affect people?
The impact of a phobia can range from annoying to severely disabling. People with phobias often realize their fear is irrational, but they’re unable to do anything about it. Such fears can interfere with work, school, and personal relationships.
What is the fear of open spaces?
Agoraphobia. Agoraphobia is a fear of places or situations that you can’t escape from. The word itself refers to “fear of open spaces.”. People with agoraphobia fear being in large crowds or trapped outside the home. They often avoid social situations altogether and stay inside their homes.
What is social phobia?
Social phobia. Social phobia is also referred to as social anxiety disorder. It’s extreme worry about social situations and it can lead to self-isolation. A social phobia can be so severe that the simplest interactions, such as ordering at a restaurant or answering the telephone, can cause panic.
What is the fear of flying called?
Aviophobia: This is also known as the fear of flying. Dentophobia: Dentophobia is a fear of the dentist or dental procedures. This phobia generally develops after an unpleasant experience at a dentist’s office. It can be harmful if it prevents you from obtaining needed dental care.
What is the best treatment for phobias?
The best treatment for specific phobias is a form of psychotherapy called exposure therapy. Sometimes your doctor may also recommend other therapies or medication. Understanding the cause of a phobia is actually less important than focusing on how to treat the avoidance behavior that has developed over time.
How does treatment help with phobias?
The goal of treatment is to improve quality of life so that you're no longer limited by your phobias. As you learn how to better manage and relate to your reactions, thoughts and feelings, you'll find that your anxiety and fear are reduced and no longer in control of your life. Treatment is usually directed at one specific phobia at a time.
How to help phobias?
Generally psychotherapy using exposure therapy is successful in treating specific phobias. However, sometimes medications can help reduce the anxiety and panic symptoms you experience from thinking about or being exposed to the object or situation you fear.
What are the drugs that help you relax?
Sedatives. Medications called benzodiazepines help you relax by reducing the amount of anxiety you feel.
How to overcome phobias?
You can also take some steps on your own: Try not to avoid feared situations. Practice staying near feared situations as frequently as you can rather than avoiding them completely.
What is cognitive behavioral therapy?
Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) involves exposure combined with other techniques to learn ways to view and cope with the feared object or situation differently. You learn alternative beliefs about your fears and bodily sensations and the impact they've had on your life.
How to help a child overcome phobias?
Don't reinforce specific phobias. Take advantage of opportunities to help children overcome their fears.
What happens when you have a phobia?
When you have a phobia, you tend to overestimate how bad it will be if you’re exposed to the situation you fear and underestimate your ability to cope. The anxious thoughts that trigger and fuel phobias are usually negative and unrealistic. By writing down the negative thoughts you have when confronted by your phobia, you can begin to challenge these unhelpful ways of thinking. Many times, these thoughts fall into the following categories:
How do you know if you have a phobia?
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.
What is a fear of something that poses little or no actual danger?
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, you can develop phobias of virtually anything. While most phobias develop in childhood, they can also develop in later life.
What is it called when you are scared of spiders?
But when fears become so severe that they cause tremendous anxiety and interfere with your normal life, they’re called phobias. A phobia is an intense fear of something that, in reality, ...
What is the fear of public speaking?
Fear of public speaking—an extremely common phobia— is a type of social phobia. Other fears associated with social phobia include fear of eating or drinking in public, talking to strangers, taking exams, mingling at a party, or being called on in class.
What is a situational phobia?
Situational phobias (fears triggered by a specific situation) including the fear of enclosed spaces (claustrophobia), flying, driving, tunnels, and bridges. 4. Blood-Injection-Injury phobia, the fear of blood, injury, illness, needles, or other medical procedures.
What does it feel like to be afraid?
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 how to calm yourself down quickly, you can become more confident in your ability to tolerate uncomfortable sensations and face your fears.