We all experience fear in different situations. But while spiders, thunderstorms, and heights may cause some stress or anxiety, they don’t trigger a panic reaction or interfere with the daily flow of activities as phobias do. Sometimes, people experience intense fear related to a specific event, situation, or animal. If this fear keeps them in a state of panic, persist over time, and impairs their ability to go about with their daily life, they may have a specific phobia.
What is a Phobia?
A phobia is an overwhelming and persistent fear of an object or situation that triggers high levels of anxiety or panic when facing or thinking about the feared object or situation. In most cases, the level of fear experienced is disproportionate to the actual danger of the object or situation.
Some common phobias include a fear of spiders, dogs, heights, vomiting, needles, flying, driving on highways, and using elevators. Sometimes, those with phobias avoid the feared object or situation. For example, someone with a fear of driving may only walk or bike to get around. In addition, someone may only take the stairs to avoid their fear of elevators, even when it is inconvenient. Other times, the phobia can cause severe distress and disruption in the sufferer’s life to an excessive level. Someone with a specific phobia may experience a racing heart, difficulty breathing, sweating, and panic attacks.
To learn more about specific phobias, see our blog about spider phobia therapy.
While women are 2 times more likely to experience specific phobia, anyone can be susceptible to developing a phobia. In addition, about ¾ of people diagnosed with specific phobia typically have more than one feared object or situation. While some people with phobias can identify when and why their phobia developed, others with phobias are unable to pin a particular situation that triggered the phobia.
In addition to specific phobias, fear can take the form of anxiety disorders, such as social anxiety and obsessive-compulsive disorder.
Treatment for Phobias
Avoiding the feared object or situation, while tempting, is not an effective way to deal with specific phobias. In fact, the more you work to avoid the feared object or situation, the greater the phobia becomes. If the fear is taking over your ability to live your life freely, seeing a therapist can be helpful. A qualified CBT therapist can help you develop coping skills and better manage your fears.
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy is the best treatment for phobias. The treatment starts with providing the client with psycho-education about the phobia’s mechanisms. The treatment also involves teaching the client how anxiety develops and grows as they think about the feared object or situation and how to decrease their anxiety. The next step includes learning how to challenge negative thoughts, beliefs, and fears. The last step consists of exposing the client to the feared stimulus or situation in a gradual, tolerable, and controlled manner. For example, someone with a fear of dogs may first be encouraged to think about a dog, then look at images of dogs, visit a dog park and view them at a distance, and eventually interact with and pet a dog. This process is repeated until the anxiety becomes minimal or non-existent. This is called exposure-based treatment.
Specific phobias are the easiest anxiety disorders to treat. It can take as little as two to six sessions to see significant improvements. This treatment is effective for adults, adolescents, and children.
Don’t feel ashamed about having a specific phobia. Remember, it is normal for everyone to be afraid of something and you have the strength and power to get rid of the fear that is holding you back from living your best life.
Written by Giselle Franco & Dr. Silvina Galperin
