The Psychology of Phobias

Whether young or old, male or female, short or tall- everyone, at some point, experiences fear. The event or object that induces these feelings of fear vary greatly from person to person. A child may fear the dark while an adult may fear flying in a plane. In most instances, people eventually work their way through these fears without any real interference in their lives and only a minor sense of fear while in these situations. For around six million people in the United States, however, fear causes serious physical and mental reactions that often times effect their ability to live a normal life. These people suffer from phobias, an unrealistic but intense sense of fear over a situation or object that causes extreme distress to a person with the phobia.

Phobias are divided into three specific categories: social phobias, agoraphobia and specific phobias. The most common phobia in the world is located within the ’specific phobia’ category. Specific phobias are concentrated on one particular object that instills fear within a person. Arachnophobia, or the fear of spiders (or other arachnids, such as scorpions), is the most reported phobia in the world. It is estimated that nearly half of all women and around ten percent of all men suffer from some degree of arachnophobia. Other common phobias include claustrophobia which falls under the agoraphobia category and glossophobia, within the social phobia division. Claustrophobia is the fear of being trapped in small or enclosed areas while glossophobia is the fear of public speaking. Both of these phobias effect a huge number of people across the globe.

People whom are put into a situation where they must encounter their phobia suffer from a series of physical reactions such as shortness of breath, rapid heart beat and sweaty palms. Adults may experience severe panic attacks, while children may throw unexpected tantrums. While the cause of phobias remain somewhat of a mystery, it is noted that they often occur after a traumatic event. In addition to personal trauma, a person whom is related to someone with a phobia is three times more likely to develop a phobia themselves as family history and home life appear to play a large factor in the development of phobias.

While there is no proven drug treatment for specific phobias, certain medications can help to alleviate anxiety symptoms before the individual is placed in a phobic scenario. But when the phobia causes a person to make life-altering decisions, treatment often incorporates cognitive behavioral therapy or (CBT). Cognitive behavioral therapy or (CBT) teaches the sufferer a new way of thinking and works towards desensitizing the patient of their phobia by exposing them to the object and attaching good feelings to their fears. Social phobias can be successfully treated with CBT, or medication, or a combination of the two. When CBT is ineffective, often times medication is the next step in phobia treatment. Serotonin inhibitor and beta-blocker medications work by effecting the hormones in the brain that are responsible for relaxation. These hormones allow a person to be less anxious in general, which can help them to remain in control and avoid panic attacks when they come into a situation involving their phobia. Medication along with learned coping methods is one of the best tactics for managing a phobia. If a person believes they may have a phobia that requires professional attention, an assessment may be done by mental health specialist or other licensed medical doctor.

A variety of self-help and coping strategies are also available for nearly any phobia: