Phobias

What are phobias?

A phobia is an abnormal or exaggerated fear of a specific object, activity, or situation. There are many kinds of phobias. Some common ones are:

• fear of social situations (social phobia)
• fear of flying (aerophobia)
• fear of heights (acrophobia)
• fear of enclosed spaces (claustrophobia)
• fear of water (hydrophobia)
• fear of snakes (ophidiophobia)

A fear is not considered a phobia until it causes you distress or it causes problems in your life. If you are afraid of tidal waves but you spend your whole life in Kansas, it will probably not cause problems in your life. If you are afraid of heights and you get a job on the top floor of a high-rise building, it will be a problem.

How do they occur?

Phobias are much more common in women than in men. There are several theories about why people develop phobias. Specific phobias often result from having a bad experience. For instance, if you almost drowned once, you may develop a phobia about water. If your father was afraid of enclosed spaces, you may have learned that fear from him. Most of the time, people have phobias about something that does have potential risk.

How are phobias treated?

Both therapy and medicines may be helpful in treating a phobia. One type of behavior therapy is called flooding. This involves overloading you with whatever it is that you are afraid of. Another technique is called exposure with response prevention. For example, if you wash your hands all the time because you are afraid of being dirty, the therapist might have you touch something dirty. Then the two of you might stand at the sink without washing hands until the anxiety goes away. Desensitization slowly gets you used to the idea of the feared object or situation.

All of these involve teaching you that you can safely be around the situation or the object. Usually, the fear reaches a certain point and then decreases. These techniques take advantage of that fact. Hypnosis can also be helpful in treating phobias. Learning yoga, meditation, and relaxation techniques can help control anxiety.

Certain medicines can be very helpful while you are learning how to confront the object of your phobia. Other medicines can also be taken right before a scary situation.

Sometimes people with phobias will go to great lengths to deal with their phobia. Someone with a fear of storms may insist on having a special storm cellar built and going to it every time there is a dark cloud in the sky. But it is much easier to get the right treatment instead. Do not be embarrassed about asking for help.