Phobia - How Can You Tell If You Are Suffering From One?

Phobias. How do you cope?

There is no shortage of people who despise snakes, planes, tight spaces, and many other things, but does that mean they have a phobia. For most people, they just have an extreme dislike. A person with a phobia will be gripped by fear and show physical signs of discomfort when exposed to their phobic trigger. A phobia is much different than a simply disliking something.

Physicians don't really understand all the dynmaics of everything when it comes to phobias at this juncture in time, however doctors have a general consensus that phobias are a fear of an irrational nature of a specific situation or object. A fear is determined to be irrational when the reaction to the threat is much greater than the situation requires. In addition, phobias are usually accompanied by other disorders, most commonly panic attacks or obsessive compulsive disorder. The seriousness of a phobic reaction would be treating a non-threatening thing like a life and death situation. In people who are afraid of snakes, they fear every snake as if it were a cobra, or other snake that would or could kill them. Many times people with phobias are paralyzed by their fear, or they have a panic attack.

Panic attacks are a physical response by the body that is characterized by some or all of the following symptoms: increased heart rate, shaking, shortness of breath, being lightheaded, fear of dying, nausea, or feeling of choking. Like phobias, panic attacks are an irrational disorder, and is an over reaction to a series of thoughts or an outside stimulus. Panic attacks can even happen because a person begins to worry about having a panic attack.

A panic attack is usually caused by worrying about a certain thing, especially worrying about having a panic attack. People who have panic attacks because of a phobia will typically have another disorder. Someone with an anxiety disorder or obsessive compulsive disorder can send themselves into a panic attack simply by becoming concerned that they might have a panic attack.

A panic attack essentially causes the body to enter into a fight or flight response without just cause. The fight or flight response is a means of how numerous psychologists depict the reaction of persons body to excressive stressful situations, and ascribe prehistoric mans way to survive to this innate response. The classic example is what your body would do if you were walking down the street and were suddenly uncomfortably close to a hungry bear. The moment that you physical brain processed the dynamics of the situation a huge amount of adrenaline would be dumped into your bodies blood stream. Adrenaline speeds your heart rate, causes your pupils to dilate, and enables your body to fight or run like never before. Adrenaline temporarily makes a person more athletic, allowing them to escape dangerous situations. Panic attacks can be very frightening for people because they have a panic attack for no apparent reason or in response to something that poses little or no threat. For someone with a phobia, the sight of a flower or small spider can be as scary as a bear, and their body prepares to deal with the presence of their phobia like it is absolutely life-threatening.

A phobic reaction is a major overreaction to something most people would consider ordinary. Spiders and snakes are not usually welcome, but most people do not consider the presence of a small creature to be a crisis situation. A panic attack is also not a normal response. A phobia is very serious and should be dealt with if it is having a real effect on your life.

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How Do Phobias Develop

Each type of phobia is very unique, and the cause of each is unique as well. We know now that there are three different kinds of phobia and that each type has its own symptoms and, usually, a very specific cause.

The majority of phobias are specific phobias, meaning that they are a fear of a specific object, creature, or scenario. Specific phobias are the most common phobia and are what most people consider to be a phobia. Sometimes specific phobias just appear without cause, but they usually come from some sort of unpleasant experience, especially experiences from childhood. Most people with specific phobias are embarrassed by their problem, but are filled with fear when they see, or even think about, the thing that causes their phobic reaction. However, specific phobias can be overcome through therapy or simply overcoming the fear.

Social phobia is the fear of embarrassing oneself in public, especially in situations where one may be judged. A fear of public speaking is one common social phobia. At one time it was considered that social phobia was a type of particular phobia, however in more recent years it has acquired its own identification due to differing causes as well as treatments. People who suffer from social phobia are prone to alcohol or drug abuse to 'take off the edge,' which usually leads them into increased isolationism. Alcoholism and drug addiction can also spawn a social phobia, in some cases, because of the lowered self esteem and depression that accompanies substance abuse. The use of anti-anxiety medication has proved effective in treating social phobias.

The other major phobia category is Agoraphobia, which was thought to a specific phobia of entering public places. However, we have learned that Agoraphobia is actually caused by the fear of intense panic attacks, especially the fear of having them in an uncontrolled environment. Many Agoraphobes cannot enjoy going to a restaurant, ride a bus, attend certain social events, or do any other number of things that would make them feel embarrassed or trapped if they had a panic attack. In essence, it is not being in public they fear, but having a panic attack.

One symptom of Agoraphobia is an increased awareness of the onset or feeling of a panic attack, such as nausea or increased heart rate. Agoraphobes are so hyper-aware of these panic attack symptoms that if they notice any signs of a panic attack, whether they are having a panic attack or not, they will become alarmed and fearful of having a panic attack, which in turn can cause a panic attack. Because of this cycle of fear, it is estimated that 40% of the people who have severe panic attacks will develop Agoraphobia at some point.

Agoraphobia may only limit certain people from flying or participating in other activities that would make them feel trapped or out of control. For other Agoraphobia sufferers, their comfort zone is much smaller, preventing some from leaving their home, or even their bed. Agoraphobia is commonly treated with anti-anxiety medication and therapy to reduce or avoid panic attacks and panic attack symptoms.

Having a phobia of any kind is not fun, but luckily phobias can usually be cured or brought under control. Although some phobias can be overcome without professional help, Agoraphobia and social phobias must be combated with medication. Unfortunately the exact reason someone has or develops their phobia cannot always be discovered, but at least it can be treated.

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Main Types of Phobias

Kinds of Phobias

Even though there seems to a name for 'a fear of' just about anything, there are really only three kinds of phobia. All phobias are an intense fear of something, but these three kinds of phobia are very different in their cause and treatment. All phobias are either a specific phobia, social phobia, or Agoraphobia.

Specific phobias are phobias of a specific object, situation, or thing that triggers extreme and unjustified fear. Most of the weird or sensational phobias you hear or read about are specific phobias. The main kinds of specific phobias are animal phobias, natural environment phobias, situational phobias, blood injection phobia, and other phobias. Animal phobias are simply the fear of a specific type of animal, like dogs, snakes, spiders, etc. Natural environment phobias are caused by events or situations in the natural world, such as storms, darkness, and heights, while situational phobias concern a specific event. Common situational phobias include claustrophobia, fear of flying, and fear of going to the doctor. However, there is some overlap between situational phobias and social phobias and Agoraphobia. Blood injection phobias include the fear of blood, being injured, and medical procedures. The fifth category of specific phobias, other phobias, includes all specific phobias that do not fit cleanly into the other four groups, like the fear of death or illness. Specific phobias are highly common nowadays, particularly in kids or teenagers, and have the capability to clear themselves up in these younger age groups.

Another category of phobia is social phobia, also called social anxiety disorder. Social phobia is the intense fear of being embarrassed in public, especially in situations where you may be scrutinized. Social phobias most commonly take the form of a fear of public speaking.

The third category of phobia is Agoraphobia, which was originally thought to be a fear of public (it actually means 'fear of the marketplace'). It has recently been discovered that Agoraphobia is actually caused by a fear of having a panic attack in a public place, or somewhere that it could not be controlled or would be made worse. Many Agoraphobes avoid traveling by bus or plane, restaurants, and other public and social settings where it would be awkward to have a panic attack. In severe cases, some people who suffer from Agoraphobia become home bound and may not leave their home, or even their bed, for a number of years. Agoraphobia can be made worse by being overly conscious of the symptoms of a panic attack, which can easily trigger a panic attack. For instance, an Agoraphobia sufferer might become lightheaded, which is a panic attack symptom, because they sat up too quickly, but instead they dread panic attacks so much, become alarmed, and have an actual panic attack. Because of the cycle that Agoraphobia causes, it can be difficult to deal with, and medication is often used to control the panic attacks.

Even though phobias all have the same symptoms, the cause and the cure are different. In order to effectively treat a phobia, you must first know what type of phobia it is. Specific phobias can be dealt with on your own, but if you have social phobia or Agoraphobia, you will probably need some kind of medication to get your phobia under control.

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A Run Down On Specific Phobias

Specific Phobia/Agoraphobia

Of all the different kinds of phobias, specific phobias are the most prevalent. Specific phobias are what is typically shown on talk shows and movies where a person is terrified of something physical like a kitten or cars with dark interiors. There are countless ways that specific phobias can manifest themselves, but they can usually be eliminated or controlled fairly easily.

Most common phobias, like claustrophobia and arachnophobia, are specific phobias. Like all phobias, they are an irrational fear, usually centering on a situation that is perceived as being uncontrollable or dangerous. Essentially, someone with a specific phobia sees a normally non threatening thing or situation as being extremely serious. Even though no one particularly likes spiders, for example, only those with a phobia are gripped by fear. The sad part is, numerous people with phobias understand that they should not be frightened of a spider or closed in area, or whatever might trigger their phobia, but there is not a lot they can do to change how they feel when the phobic reaction is upon them.

The five types of specific phobia are animal phobias, natural environment phobias, situational phobias, blood injection phobia, and other specific phobias. Animal phobias are simply the fear of certain animals, while natural environment phobias are fears concerning aspects of the natural environment, such as heights or thunderstorms. Situational phobias are fears of a scenario that are thought to be dreadful, like going to the doctor or being trapped in a small space. Blood injection phobias are the fear of needles, blood, or medical procedures, and although all phobias make people feel like they might pass out, blood injection phobias are the only phobias that will actually make someone pass out. There is an 'other' category for phobias that is designated for phobias that do not fit cleanly into the other four groups.

Although there is no surefire way to cure every case of phobia, treatment for specific phobias focuses on making a person confront their fear. This method works because the phobia is an irrational reaction and their brain sees something as a greater threat than it is. By exposing oneself to the phobic trigger and replacing the phobic response with a controlled response, they break the link in their brain between the trigger and danger. Sometimes medication can help reduce the anxiety associated with severe specific phobias, but medication is used much more commonly with other types of phobias.

Although it would seem like the few phobias that are not specific phobias would be very distinct, they are often misdiagnosed as specific phobia. They are misdiagnosed because the other types of phobias, social phobia and agoraphobia, are actually very similar to certain specific phobias. Agoraphobia means 'fear of the marketplace' and seems very similar to a situational phobia, especially since Agoraphobic people will often have a panic attack if they cannot easily leave someplace, but the fear is of the panic attack, not being trapped. If you think you have a phobia, speak with a psychologist before you begin trying to find a cure.

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Many People Ask The Questions - Are Phobias Normal?

Facing Your Phobias

Have you ever wondered how a person could develop a phobia, especially of kittens or balloons, or the other things you hear people having phobias of? Although many phobias do sound pretty outlandish, their development is not that odd. In facts, the development of a phobia is a natural survival instinct that is a little confused.

Although the creation of phobias is not an absolute science, all types of phobias form as the result of an extreme aversion to something. The difference between a phobia and simply being afraid of something is the level of fear that is characteristic of a phobia. In addition to feeling emotionally uneasy, phobia sufferers show physical symptoms of their fear, including increased heart rate and breathing, sweating, feeling faint, and feeling as though they are choking. Phobias strike people differently depending on the severity of their phobia and what triggers the phobic response. For example, for someone who has a phobic reaction to heights is usually not equally frightened by all situations involving heights, and how high they are, the presence of a handrail, and a number of other factors affect each individual phobic response. However, the classic example of phobia formation is that a fear of poisonous snakes gets transferred to all snakes, creating a snake phobia. Although the ideas about phobia development have progressed from this theory, the phobia forms because the brain identifies a great threat, in this case a snake, and sees the situation as out of control and dangerous.

A phobia is an instinct for self-preservation that has been falsely assigned to something that is not threatening, or at least not as threatening as the phobia sufferer makes it seem. When a person develops a phobia, their brain associates something with extreme danger and treats it with the utmost seriousness and perceives the phobia trigger as something that should be completely avoided. Essentially, your brain becomes confused and will give a person a feeling of dread when they are in the presence of their phobic trigger. In certain cases, a phobia can be so entrenched that the phobia sufferer cannot stand to think about their trigger or what they may do in its presence.

While phobias can be difficult to deal with, the system that causes phobias to develop is a means of protection and was very helpful to our early ancestors. In certain parts of the world at different times in history, it may have been the people who have snake phobias who were able to survive, especially in places like Africa and Australia where there are an abundance of highly venomous snake species. For early people, fearing and avoiding snakes may have kept them alive, but they were able to react in an extreme way to the presence of a snake. They were also allowed to kill the snake, which may help cure the phobia, if the presence of a snake was seen as a controllable situation.

Although you can have a phobia of anything, it has been shown that people are genetically predisposed to develop phobias or fears of some things much more easily than others. An experiment that focused on exposing subjects to images and electric shocks showed that it took very little to develop a fear of certain animals, while others took many electric shocks. Because of this, experts think that phobias develop as a survival instinct, but that survival instinct is, for the most part, unnecessary in the modern world. However, these instincts are intact in case we ever need them.

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Stop a Panic Attack in 5 Steps

A panic attack is a frightening thing.  It comes out of nowhere and suddenly paralyzes you.Your heart starts pounding, you can't breathe, you get the feeling of a heart attack or seizure and start shaking and sweating.What the heck is happening?

If this is your first attack, it may be wise to see a physician to rule out any medical conditions and get a diagnosis.  He may suggest you see a psychiatrist and prescribe you some pills to take for relief in the meantime. Start some kind of treatment as soon as you can, Panic Disorders can become disabling very quickly.

While you're in the middle of a panic attack, there are some steps to help end the suffering.

One: Accepting it's just a Panic Attack.

The first thing you need to do is accept you are having an attack. Tell yourself you are not dying and nothing bad is going to happen.  This will subside. Once you realize that it’s only panic attacks you’re suffering with and not a heart attack, you’ll find dealing with them is much easier.

Two: Stand Up To Panic.

Try not to run from the situation, as this will only precipitate more anxiety and future attacks. You have to ride it out to convince yourself nothing bad is happening, and you are not going to die.Think of something outside of yourself to focus on.  Think about how you came to have the object, what it does it mean to you?  How does it feel in your hand, what kind of texture does it have?  It sounds silly, but any level of distraction is needed.

Three: Breathing is Important.

It's important to take deep, drawn out breaths from your diaphragm.   Fill your lungs and blow the air with pursed lips releasing your abdomen.  You can repeat “In” and “Out”, or count your breaths. Try not to be so focused on the panic attack that you forget to breathe. This gives you that “out of breath” feeling and only heightens your attack. Remember that slow, in and out breathing will naturally calm you down.

Four: Ride it out.

Once you’ve assured yourself it’s only a panic attack, you must now wait for it to end. It’s important to stop feeding it by “freaking out”. Step one is very important, keep this in mind. The panic attack will end, as they always do.

Five: Seek Help for Future Panic Attacks.

My last suggestion is to find some help, this is a medical disease.  Joe Barry has a great self help book on panic attacks that’s worked for many. The Internet also is full of resources, have a look at Sarah Campbell’s website on how to overcome panic attacks. She was a fellow sufferer who overcame her attacks.

So many people after their first panic attack do not reach out for help.  Then they have more panic attacks and pretty soon they won’t leave their house (agoraphobia).That is a horrible, disabling way to live life.Find some help; inform people close to you such as friends and family.You must learn to manage your panic attacks and not let them run your life.

End Panic Attacks Anxiety Disorders ASAP

Over the centuries, anxiety has both helped and hurt humanity as a whole.  Unknown to many, anxiety is actually a natural human reaction to stimuli.As a result, this reaction produces adrenaline in response to threats that aid us in these certain and perceived times of need.  In some cases though, this reaction can lead to a panic attacks anxiety disorder.

When we talk about an anxiety disorder we generally entertain feelings of nervousness to something even more serious like feelings of actual terror.  There is some good news.  Anxiety disorders are common and for the most part are treatable.  In the majority of cases, either therapy or medication are prescribed.

A common question that can arise is, "How do I know that I am suffering from a panic attacks anxiety disorder?"  To answer that we need to look out for some of the following symptoms:  fast heartbeat, nausea, chest pains, trouble breathing, uncontrollable and persistent thoughts and dizziness.To make abosolutely sure, it is a great idea to seek professional advice or help at all times.

Nearly everyone of us have something that we fear.  That problem is that some of us let these fears take control of our lives.Another common name for these fears are phobias.  As I am sure you know, there a plenty of phobias out there that people fall prey to.  A couple of examples would be Arachnophobia or the fear of spiders and Agoraphobia or the fear of open or public places.  Many of the same symptoms that are experienced during panic or anxiety attacks are also felt when succumbing to a phobia.

We can take this a step further and include post-traumatic stress disorder which is commonly diagnosed to our solders after war.  This disorder also known as PTSD, happens after an individual experiences, participates or witnesses an event such as war, torture, death or any form of other traumatic circumstances.  Some of the characteristics that surround this condition are acute anxiety attacks and vivid nightmares.  In addition, a person with this affliction with have trouble sleeping and concentrating.  This again is an example of an extreme case of a panic attacks anxiety disorder.

As we seek to find a cure for our panic attacks anxiety disorders, it is helpful to try and uncover what caused them.  You may also want to consider when and where the incident occurred as it may have something to do with the cause.  As science improves, more and more people are finding relief from this affliction.  It is no longer necessary to live your life in fear anymore.