Specific Phobias

Specific phobias are an overwhelming and irrational fear of objects or situations that pose little real danger but provoke anxiety and avoidance behaviors. Unlike a brief moment of anxiety that you may feel when giving a speech or taking a test, specific phobias are long-lasting, produce intense physical and psychological reactions, and can affect your ability to function normally at work, school, or at school. social settings.

Specific phobias are among the most common anxiety disorders, and not all phobias need treatment. However, if a specific phobia affects your everyday life, there are several therapies available that can help you process and overcome your fears, often permanently.

Symptoms

A specific phobia is an intense and persistent pathological fear of a particular object or situation that is out of proportion to the actual risk (exaggeration). There are many types of phobias, and it is not uncommon to experience a specific phobia regarding more than one object or situation. Specific phobias can also occur alongside other types of anxiety disorders.

Common categories of specific phobias are:

· Fear of situations, such as getting on a plane, being indoors, or going to school

· Fear of nature, such as phobias of storms or heights

· Fear of insects or animals, such as spiders or dogs

· Fear of blood, injections, or injury, such as needles, accidents, or medical procedures

· Other fears, for example choking, vomiting, loud noises, or clowning

· For each specific phobia there is a term. Some examples of the most common terms are needle phobia, “acrophobia” (fear of heights), and “claustrophobia” (fear of closed spaces).

No matter what specific phobia you have, it is likely to cause these types of reactions:

Immediate and intense fear, anxiety, and panic when exposed to, or just thinking about, what scares you

Being aware that your fears are irrational or exaggerated, but not being able to do anything to control them (feeling helpless)

The anxiety that worsens as the situation or object approaches, whether it is in temporary or physical proximity

Do your best to avoid the object or situation, or endure it with extreme anxiety and fear

Difficulty performing normally because of your fear

Physical sensations and reactions, such as sweating, racing heartbeat, tightness in the chest, or shortness of breath

Feeling nauseous, dizzy, or fainting in the presence of blood or injury

In children, possibly having tantrums, clinging, crying, refusing to move away from the mother or father, or refusing to get close to what they fear

When to see your hypnosis

An irrational fear can be upsetting — for example, having to walk up the stairs instead of taking the elevator or driving a long way to work instead of on the highway — but it is not considered a specific phobia unless it causes a serious alteration in your life. If anxiety is negatively affecting your performance at work, school, or in social situations, talk to your doctor or mental health professional.

Childhood fears, such as fear of the dark, of monsters, or of being left alone, are common and are left behind by most children. But if your child has an excessive and persistent fear that affects his daily performance at school or at home, consult his doctor.

With the right therapy, most people can be helped. And therapy tends to become easier when the phobia is addressed right away rather than waiting to be addressed.

Causes

There are still many things that are not known about the real cause of specific phobias. Causes can include the following:

Negative experiences Many phobias appear as a consequence of a negative experience or a panic attack related to a specific object or situation.

Genetics and environment. There may be a link between your specific phobia and your parents’ phobia or anxiety, which could be due to genetic factors or learned behavior.

Brain function Changes in brain activity can also play a role in the development of specific phobias.

Risk factor’s

The following factors can increase the risk of having specific phobias:

Your age. Specific phobias can appear for the first time in childhood, usually around the age of 10, but they can present themselves later in life.

Your relatives. If someone in your family has a specific phobia or anxiety, you are more likely to have them too. This could be a hereditary tendency, or children can acquire specific phobias by observing the phobic reaction of a family member to an object or situation.

Your temperament. Your risk may be higher if you are more sensitive, more self-conscious, or more negative than normal.

A negative experience. Having a traumatic episode, such as being trapped in an elevator or being attacked by an animal, can trigger the development of a specific phobia.

Find out about negative experiences. Receiving negative information or finding out about negative experiences, such as plane accidents, can lead to the development of a specific phobia.

Complications

Although specific phobias may seem absurd to others, they can be devastating to the people who suffer from them and cause problems that affect many aspects of life.

Social isolation. Avoiding the places and things that scare you can lead to academic, career, and relationship problems. Children with these disorders are at risk for academic problems and loneliness, as well as difficulties with social skills if their behaviors differ significantly from those of their peers.

Mood disorders. Many people with specific phobias have depression and other anxiety disorders.

Substance abuse. The stress of living with a specific severe phobia can lead to drug or alcohol abuse.

Suicide. Some people who have specific phobias may be at risk of committing suicide.

Prevention

If you have a specific phobia, consider the possibility of receiving help from an Adelaide Hypnotherapist, especially if you have children. While genetics are likely to play a role in the development of specific phobias, by repeatedly seeing another person’s phobic reaction, a child can develop a specific phobia.

By facing your own fears, you will teach your child excellent resilience skills and encourage him to act boldly, just like you.