PHOBIAS: WHAT IS THERE TO BE AFRAID OF?

WHAT IS A PHOBIA?

Phobia is an irrational fear of something. The word itself comes from Greek phobos which means fear or horror. Phobias are type of anxiety disorder. 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. A phobia is usually connected to something specific. People with phobias often realize their fear is irrational, but they are unable to do anything about it. Such fears can interfere with work, school and personal relationships. Many people dislike certain situation or objects but to be a true phobia, the fear must interfere with daily life. The most common and disabling symptom of phobia is a panic attack, features of a panic attack include: shortness of breath, rapid speech or inability to speak , dry mouth. Treatment for phobias can involve therapeutic techniques, meditations or a combination of both.

WHAT ARE THE MOST COMMON PHOBIAS?

So there are two kinds of phobias the are the most common.

The first one is called Claustrophobia which is a fear of closed spaces.

The second one is Agoraphobia- a fear of open spaces.

After this two, there is another common phobia which is Megalophobia – a fear of big things. Actually a fear from small thing is way less common.

Are there any 'weird' phobias?

There are many kinds of phobias, some are more common and some are rarer and 'special'. so, about what special kinds are we talking about?

1. Spectrophobia= fear of self- reflection in the mirror.

2. Nomophobia = One of the most innovative developments in the world of phobias. Symbolizes fear of losing mobile phone contacts.

3. Chronophobia= Fear of a long time. People who will probably never look at the clock. I wonder if they also have a phobia of being late?

4. Papyrophobia = People who suffer from papyrophobia are afraid of paper.

5. Sophophobia= Fear of learning something new. Do yourself a favor, do not read this text.

6. Porphyrophobia = Fear of purple. Too bad, they actually say that beets are very tasty.

7. Genuphobia= Fear of knees.

8. Phobophobia= A very rare condition and you will not believe it, but it refers to the phobia of developing a phobia.

9. Trypophobia= A fear from small holes or bumps.

HOW PHOBIAS AFFECT PEOPLE ?

Emotionally: panic, a big fear and a feeling of helplessness.

Physically: shiver, sweat, dizziness, increased heart rate and blood pressure, dry mouth and other. Sometimes the human will describe those symptoms as a feeling of a heart attack.

Behaviorally: avoidance: some parts from the characteristics of the phobia is the apprehension from the future – what happens if I come across the same object? What happens when I stay in the same scary situation?

When a phobia is not treated, it usually gets worst, and this aggravation is manifested in the behavioral aspect: over time a human avoids more and more places, events and situations in which the object of the phobia may appear. In this way a human can stop coming to work, avoiding meeting new friends, avoiding going out of the house and many other.

HOW DOES A PHOBIA BEGIN?

"Many theories have tried to explain how and why a phobia develops. Biological theories link increased sensitivity to stimuli to anxiety. From a historical, evolutionary point of view, this sensitivity was necessary for survival in the past and its remnants appear in some people today, by hereditary transmission.

Behavioral theories and theories of learning are based in the assumption of conditioning as creating phobias. We will understand this well though an example: a person who is in a situation where there is a malfunction during a flight (manifested in many tremors and the use of oxygen masks) will link a flight to the experience of fear, and develop anxiety about the possibility of another flight in the future.

Cognitive theories link misinterpretation or misconceptions and perception of events or situations to the development of phobia. For example, a person's belief that if he errs in his words other people will think he is stupid, may cause him to avoid expressing his opinion and even avoid talking to other people as much as possible. "

By: Dr. Ilan Tal , Psychiatrist

HOW TO OVERCOME A PHOBIA?

1. Cognitive-behavioral therapy - focused, short-term therapy, lasting between 8 and 12 sessions. The emphasis of cognitive-behavioral therapy is on changing the incorrect thinking and behavior patterns that appear when exposed to the object of the phobia.

2. Psychological treatment - often cognitive-behavioral therapy helps to eliminate a specific phobia, and after a certain time (week, month year) another anxiety arises, which indicates that it is a more widespread anxiety pattern. Psychological treatment is designed to address the root of the problem, help the person understand themselves and the source of their fears and uproot the anxieties.\

3. Exposure - The goal of this treatment is to expose the patient to the object of his phobia and teach him how to reduce his anxiety. In this type of treatment there is a possibility of gradual exposure - that is, exposure that is done gradually, from mild to severe, and there is a possibility of direct exposure, accompanied of course, to the object of the phobia.

4. Biofeedback - Use of a biofeedback device, which measures various physiological responses such as heart rate or blood pressure. The patient learns the characteristics of his physical reactions when exposed to the object of the phobia, and at the same time also learns various relaxation techniques that help him control his reactions when the phobia arises.

5. Medication - given only by a psychiatrist, usually recommended when the anxiety is paralyzing so that the person is unable to perform very basic actions.