Overcoming Specific Phobias: Understanding and Treatment Options

A specific phobia refers to an extreme and debilitating fear of an object, animal, place, or situation. While a phobia is often misunderstood as fear, it is more than just fear. It is a mental health condition that leads to an unrealistic sense of fear toward an object or situation to the point that it hinders day-to-day functioning and quality of life.

While specific phobias can give rise to fear and anxiety, there is hope in treatment and recovery. Yes, specific phobias can be overcome with holistic and personalized treatment. If you or a loved one is struggling with a specific phobia, then being aware and informed is the first step you can take in the right direction. We hope that this blog will equip you with all the information you need and instill the hope of recovery and a fearless tomorrow.

What Is Specific Phobia(s)?

A specific phobia, also known as a simple phobia, is an extreme and irrational fear of objects or conditions that pose little to no danger to you. Phobias can lead to strong physical, psychological, and emotional responses, which affect your life at school, work, or social events.

Specific phobias are common anxiety disorders. They affect an estimated 7.7% to 12.5% of people worldwide. They are more common in women than in men, as specific phobias tend to affect 9.8% of women and 4.9% of men every year.

What Is Complex Phobia(s)?

Complex phobias are other kinds of phobias apart from specific phobias. They tend to be even more overwhelming and disruptive than specific phobias. There are two types of complex phobias:

1. Social Phobia - Also known as social anxiety disorder, it is characterized by a sense of intense fear in social situations, so the person generally tends to avoid such situations. Yet, they may still worry about such situations before, during, and after they have happened.
2. Agoraphobia - While agoraphobia is often defined as the fear of open spaces, it is actually the fear of situations where a person feels it is difficult or embarrassing to get out of or where they feel like they will not be able to get the help they need in case of a panic attack. Typically, in the case of agoraphobia, one may even fear mundane, everyday environments.

 

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What Are The Types Of Specific Phobias?

While all specific phobias are characterized by extreme, unrealistic, and debilitating fear, there are different types of specific phobias people struggle with globally. They are as follows:

1. Situational Phobias - It refers to the intense and irrational fear of specific situations. For instance, fear of enclosed spaces, like claustrophobia.
2. Natural and Environmental Phobias - They pertain to natural or environmental conditions. For instance, fear of water, like aquaphobia.
3. Animal Phobias - They pertain to the unrealistic fear of animals or birds. For instance, fear of insects, like entomophobia, or fear of snakes, like ophidiophobia.
4. Injury-Related Phobias - They refer to the intensive fear of the threat of physical harm or injury. For instance, fear of injections, like trypanophobia.
5. Other Types of Phobias - These types of specific phobias do not fall into the other categories. For instance, fear of dolls or clowns.

What Are The Symptoms Of Specific Phobias?

Now that you know the different types of specific phobias, what you also have to know is that these specific phobias are characterized by certain commonly recognizable symptoms. Understanding the symptoms of specific phobias, regardless of the phobia you struggle with, will allow you to identify the warning signs and seek treatment:

• Extreme Fear - Intense and unreasonable fear toward objects or conditions that do not pose any danger. This fear can manifest as a racing heart, shortness of breath, dry mouth, incoherent speech, sweating, dizziness, and so on.
• Disproportionate Fear - The fear response is disproportionate to the threat or a lack thereof.
• Avoidance - The person will go out of their way to avoid any kind of contact with the object or circumstances lest they experience extreme fear.
• Hinders Daily Activities - Trouble performing everyday activities because of the object or conditions the person fears.
• Reduced Quality of Life - The specific phobia hinders interpersonal life, academics, and career.

What Are The Causes Of Specific Phobias?

Experts have not been able to pinpoint one definitive cause of specific phobias. However, they suggest the role of a combination of the following factors:

• Brain Structure and Function - The brain structure and functioning of a person with a specific phobia are considered to be different from those without it, as the brain would not respond to an object or condition in the same manner.
• Genetics - A family history of specific phobias can increase the likelihood of a person developing a specific phobia.
• Learned Behavior - Behaviorists consider that a specific phobia is a learned behavior - an outcome of fear conditioning. It is when a person learns to connect something naturally aversive with something otherwise neutral.
• Negative Experiences - A specific phobia can stem from a negative experience or a panic attack pertaining to an object or a condition. Sometimes, it can even happen if a person watches or listens to a negative experience.

What Are The Risk Factors Of Specific Phobias?

The major risk factors for specific phobias are age, gender, and socioeconomic status.

• Age - Typically, a specific phobia develops among children below the age of 10 years. However, sometimes, it can develop later in life as well.
• Gender -While women are typically more prone to specific phobias than men are, certain types are common among women, like those related to the fear of animals. Meanwhile, certain types of phobias, like the ones associated with injuries, are more common among men.
• Socioeconomic Status - Certain types of specific phobias are more prevalent among children from lower socioeconomic backgrounds.

What Are the Complications of Specific Phobias?

While specific phobias may not be widely understood by everybody, they can be particularly damaging to the person struggling with them. Not only are they debilitating in and of themselves, but they also lead to other complications, such as:

• Isolation - In a quest to stay away from the objects or conditions they fear, the person might withdraw from several aspects of their interpersonal life and daily life. This can lead to feelings of loneliness and isolation.
• Mental Health Challenges - Typically, specific phobias can co-exist with other mental health conditions like anxiety or depression.
• Substance Use - Given the stress that a specific phobia may give rise to, many can turn to substance use to numb the pain and suffering.
• Suicide - In extreme cases, a person may even commit suicide because of the challenges of living with one or more specific phobias.

If anybody is experiencing suicidal thoughts or ideation, then it is crucial that they contact national suicide prevention helplines (like 9-8-8 in the U.S.) or emergency providers (like 9-1-1 in the U.S.) immediately.

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How Are Specific Phobias Diagnosed?

When it comes to the diagnosis of a specific phobia, it typically starts with a physical examination to rule out any other underlying medical conditions that can lead to similar symptoms as a specific phobia.

If other underlying medical conditions are ruled out, you will be referred to a psychologist or psychiatrist who will conduct a psychological evaluation and use assessment tools. For instance, they might inquire about your symptoms, your family history, and so on. They will also look for the duration of the symptoms, which is that they will need to be present for at least six months and not be related to other similar conditions, like separation anxiety disorder.

The psychologist or psychiatrist will then diagnose the condition based on symptoms like excessive fear, disproportionate fear, avoidance, and reduced quality of life.

What are the Available Specific Phobia Treatment Options?

We all have fears, but not all fears are phobias. When your fear seriously disrupts your life to the point that you are unable to function normally and productively in your school, job, or interpersonal life, it is an indication that you will benefit from consulting licensed and trained mental health practitioners.

Treatment for specific phobias will mainly involve behavioral therapies and medication.

The most commonly used therapies in the treatment of specific phobias are exposure therapy and cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT).

In exposure therapy, the focus is to change your fear response to a specific object or condition. You will be slowly exposed to increasing levels of the object or condition you fear under safe and controlled conditions, during which you will be provided with tools to manage your anxiety and fear responses. For instance, if you fear flying, you might first be asked to think about it, then be exposed to images of an airplane, then be made to simply get into a plane, and then finally fly in a plane for a short distance.

With cognitive behavioral therapy, you and your therapist will collaborate to identify and change the maladaptive thinking patterns related to the object or condition you fear. Then, your therapist will seek to reshape these unhelpful thinking patterns into something productive, which, in turn, will affect your emotional and behavioral responses, too.

While behavioral interventions have high success rates in treating specific phobias, medication management is also provided to reduce and manage the symptoms. Medicines reduce anxiety and panic reactions to specific objects or conditions. Typically, beta-blockers and sedatives are prescribed in the treatment of specific phobias.

Along with behavioral therapies and medication management, your therapist may also suggest certain lifestyle modifications, such as:

Mindfulness - Mindfulness is being connected to your present. While it may seem simple, it allows you to manage your anxiety and reduce avoidance behaviors.

Relaxation Exercises - Relaxation exercises like deep breathing, meditation, progressive muscle relaxation, and/or yoga allow you to cope with the significant anxiety and other physiological symptoms specific phobias may lead to.

Physical Exercise - Physical exercise strengthens your body and heightens your sense of well-being, which plays a role in managing anxiety related to specific phobias.

Take back control of your life from specific phobias. Reach out to NuView to begin your healing journey with us today. Call (323) 307-7997 or email us at info@nuviewtreatment.com.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between a phobia and a fear?

Phobia and fear are often understood as synonymous with each other. However, fear is a proportional response to a threat, whereas phobia is an extreme and unrealistic response to an object or condition that poses little to no threat.

Is phobia a mental disorder?

Yes, specific phobias and complex phobias are mental health conditions. They are a type of anxiety disorder, to be more precise.