A phobia is a persistent and intense fear that can cause you to avoid the things you fear. Phobias may be caused by a traumatic event, but they're not considered a form of mental illness. They can be treated with medication and therapy, but overcoming them requires practice and patience.
What are phobias?
A phobia is a persistent and intense fear, usually triggered by an object or situation that reminds you of something frightening in your past (like being trapped in an elevator). People who have been diagnosed with specific phobias might also experience additional symptoms such as panic attacks or trouble sleeping when they think about their fears - and those who have more than one type of phobia may develop secondary fears related to the primary ones (like being afraid of elevators because someone else has claustrophobia).
Phobias can develop at any age, but they're most common in childhood or adolescence. Some phobias are present at birth, while others may develop later in life. People who suffer with phobias experience symptoms such as dizziness, shortness of breath, anxiety, panic attacks, nausea, racing pulse, sweating and shaking. For some, phobias are something they live with every day and they are able to cope by just avoiding their trigger object or situation. For others, their phobias can prevent them from living their life in the way they’d like.
Types of phobia
Phobias are intense, irrational fears that can be debilitating. They can be specific to certain situations, like flying or enclosed spaces, or more general, like a fear of spiders or snakes. Some people have just one phobia; others have many.
There are many different types of phobias: animal phobias (such as arachnophobia), social phobias (like social anxiety disorder), or agoraphobia (fear of open spaces or crowded areas).
How to manage your phobia
You can manage your phobia by using relaxation techniques to calm yourself down when you're experiencing anxiety. Breathing exercises, meditation and yoga are all great ways of relaxing the body and mind.
If you feel like your phobia prevents you from living a normal life, it might be time to seek professional help from a psychologist or psychiatrist who can provide cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT). CBT is a type of therapy that aims to change thoughts and behaviour by changing beliefs about situations that cause problems for people with phobias.
For more severe cases of anxiety disorders such as generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) or social anxiety disorder (SAD), exposure therapy could also be beneficial. Exposure therapy involves gradually exposing someone with an intense fear towards their feared object until they no longer experience any symptoms related thereto.
A phobia can be managed if it's not consuming all of your life and preventing you from living the kind of life that makes sense for who you are as an individual. The first step toward managing any phobia is talking about it with someone who understands what they're going through, whether that person is family or friend or even just another person suffering from similar issues with their own mental health.
If you or a person in your family is struggling with a phobia, please contact Psychotherapy Surbiton for more information or to book an appointment.