We
are all afraid of something, and rightly so; there are many good reasons to be afraid. We all have diverse reasons and different ways of coping with our fears, but what happens when that fear is irrational and begins to control your life? That is when you most likely have a phobia.
A phobia is a type of anxiety disorder; a strong, overwhelming and unreasonable fear of an object or situation that provokes anxiety and avoidance, despite posing no real danger. This is unlike our short-lived day to day fears – it is long lasting and causes intense physical and psychological reactions which can affect the ability to function normally.
Phobias are divided into three main categories; specific, social and agro (fear of open spaces). A specific phobia involves an irrational, persistent fear of a specific object or situation not proportional to the actual risk. This includes a fear of situations, nature, animals or insects, blood, injections or other phobias such as clowns. Most of us know someone who is afraid of spiders!
A social phobia is much more than just shyness. This involves a combination of extreme self-consciousness and a fear of public scrutiny or humiliation. In social situations, the person fears being rejected or negatively evaluated or fears offending others. This may not be evident to many people as it may not be openly discussed by the sufferer.
Agoraphobia is a fear of an actual or anticipated situation, such as using public transportation, being in open or enclosed spaces, standing in line or being in a crowd, or being outside the home alone. Anxiety is caused by feeling unable to escape if intense anxiety develops. This may be so severe that some people are unable to leave home.
Any of these can lead to feelings of uncontrollable panic, terror or dread when you’re exposed to the source of the fear, so much so that a person may do everything possible to avoid it. The anxiety manifests itself into the inability to function. The reactions can be so strong that they produce physical as well as psychological reactions; sweating, rapid heartbeat, difficulty breathing and extreme panic.
Often, suffers acknowledge that the fears are unreasonable or exaggerated but feel powerless to control them, which in turn increases the anxiety. It can be extremely difficult for others around to understand and it can be almost impossible for a sufferer to give a viable explanation for their behaviour.
Phobias do not have a single cause, but there are a number of associated factors. It may be related to a particular incident or trauma, or may be a learned response that a person develops early in life from a parent or sibling. Genetics may play a role as studies have shown there’s evidence to suggest that some people are born with a tendency to be more anxious than others.
Childhood fears, such as fear of the dark, of monsters or of being left alone, are common, and most children outgrow them. But if a child has a persistent, excessive fear that is limiting their ability to function in daily lifewhich may present in tantrums, crying and clinginess, intervention is crucial. As parents you can help by talking openly about fears and not trivialising the problem or belittling your child for being afraid. Instead, let your child know that you’re there to listen and to help.
Ultimately, avoid reinforcing phobias. Look for and create opportunities to help children overcome their fears by modelling positive behaviour, either in specific areas where you are aware of their fear or in other’s when a more general fear can be used as an example. Because children learn by watching, you can demonstrate how to respond when confronted by something your child fears. If this does not help, it may be necessary to seek professional support.
A person will sometimes choose to live with a phobia, taking great care to avoid the object or situation they’re afraid of. However, if you have a phobia, continually trying to avoid what you’re afraid of will only serve to make the situation worse. Almost all phobias can be successfully treated and cured. Mild ones can be treated through gradual exposure to the object, animal, place or situation that causes fear and anxiety. In more serious cases, considerations of psychological help are advised, especially if you have children, as repeatedly seeing someone else’s phobic reaction can trigger a phobia in children and may be the reason many adults are suffering right now.
