Science of Phobias (2)

 

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Everyone has a fear for something. Estimates say that a very large population of the world suffer from one or more phobias of some specific entity. They are among the most common psychiatric disorders. But the things that we are afraid of and the degree to which we dread them varies greatly from one person to another. But what does “phobia” mean exactly?

The word “Phobia” is derived from the name of the Greek god of terror, Phobos. A phobia is a persistent, extreme, unrealistic fear of an animal, activity, object, situation, or person. It is a type of anxiety disorder. A person with a phobia either tries to avoid the thing that triggers the fear or endures it with great anxiety and distress. It can be anything or anyone in this world that might cause fear and anxiety to one’s heart and soul, ranging from fear of animals like dogs or cats to the fear of insects like spider to a specific situation like fear of heights or closed spaces. While one person might overcome the fear of heights during their childhood years, another might grapple even with the thought of being at the top of a building and seeing downside long into adulthood.

Some phobias are very limited and precise. For example, a person might fear only dogs (cynophobia) or lizards (Herpetophobia). In this case, the person can live relatively free of dreadfulness and anxiety by avoiding the entity he/she fears. On the other hand, some phobias cause distress in a broader range of situations or places. For example, symptoms of acrophobia (fear of heights) can be triggered by walking over a high bridge or by watching out of the window of their workplace. The fear of confined spaces (claustrophobia) can be triggered by movement of an elevator or by using a small washroom. The lifestyle of these people may drastically change in order to avoid these situations. In extreme cases, the phobia may dictate the person's driving route, employment, job location, home environment or social and leisure activities. We are going to ponder upon the types, causes, symptoms, diagnosis, and emotional impact of different phobias in the following paragraphs.

TYPES:

Phobia can be classified into three major types:

Simple/Specific Phobia: This phobia is the most common type which refers to people who may fear specific animals (such as cats, dogs, snakes), people (such as doctors, dentists, clowns), environments (such as high altitudes, small spaces, thunderstorms, dark places) or situations (being in a confined space, riding in a plane or a train). These conditions may be partly inherited and seem to be carried from one generation to another.

Social anxiety disorder /Social phobia: People with this type of phobia fear social situations where they may be embarrassed, mortified, or judged by others. They become particularly anxious when strangers are involved. The fear may be mild and can happen while giving a performance, such as giving a concert, lecture, or a presentation. Or it may be more severe, in which the phobic person avoids many social situations, such as using a public restroom or even eating in a restaurant. Social phobia seems to be genetically inherited. People who have been shy or isolated as children, or who have a history of unfortunate or negative social experiences in childhood, are more likely to have this disorder.

Agoraphobia: It is a fear of being in public places where it would be tough and uncomfortable to make an abrupt departure. A person with agoraphobia may avoid going to a movie/concert or traveling on a subway. Many people with agoraphobia also have panic symptoms (which involves strong fear and uncomfortable physical symptoms, such as trembling, heart palpitations and sweating).
One of the most confusing things about phobias is that they are almost completely illogical. Whether a phobia was formed during a negative past experience or was nurtured through hearing tales from others’ experiences, people with phobias tend to feel like they are in danger even though there is no real threat involved.

SYMPTOMS:

A phobia includes the following symptoms:

Extreme, irrational, persistent feelings of anxiety that are triggered by a specific activity, object, or situation.

Feelings are often out of proportion to any actual threat. For example, while anyone may be afraid of a barking and menacing stray dog, most people do not run away from a quite and calm on a leash.

Avoidance of the activity, object or situation that triggers the phobia. The people suffering from phobias often recognize that their fears are exaggerated, hence they often feel embarrassed and ashamed of their symptoms. To prevent these symptoms and the resultant embarrassment, they tend to avoid the triggers for the phobia.

Anxiety-related physical symptoms. These can include shivers, tremors, sweating, shortness of breath, nausea, giddiness, or other symptoms that mirror the body's "fight or flight" response to danger.

DIAGNOSIS:

A professional is likely to ask about present symptoms and family history, specifically if other relatives have had phobias. Any experience or trauma that may have set off the phobia should be reported – for example, an accident leading to a fear of riding in cars.
It may be helpful to discuss your reaction – your feelings, thoughts, and symptoms when you are encounter the thing you fear. Also, it needs to be described what you do to avoid such situations, and how the phobia affects your life in general, including your personal relationships as well as professional life.
Your doctor can also ask about substance use and depression because many people with phobias also have these problems.

EFFECTS ON SOCIAL LIFE:

It very eases for those who do not suffer from a severe phobia to underestimate how crushing and overwhelming the experience can be, and how many ways it can impinge on life. 
At times, phobias can cause differences in close relationships, as they can limit the events that couples, and families do together. Families of children suffering from phobias often create time-consuming regime to develop the phobic child’s atmosphere such that the child either successfully learns techniques to deal with the phobia, or else if the encounter happens, making a “scene” out of it can be avoided. Partners and family members often find themselves struggling to strike an unstable balance between showing concern and love toward the phobic ones and inspiring them to overcome their fears.

CONCLUSION:

Compassion, love, and being a friend — these are the three doses of medicine that can best work on the condition of intense fear or phobia. A victim of social phobia feels uncomfortable to mix with people, especially with those who are unfamiliar and complete strangers. This is the most common issue among growing teenagers and their parents. In most cases, the guardians do not understand what their child needs. What we need to understand as a community is that a phobia person may see the world in a completely different way that we may not realize, but we must acknowledge it and show compassion towards them and create awareness that it is curable, and that their fears can go away! If a little affectionate behavior from our end has the power to brighten up their day, why not use it to the fullest?

Thanks for reading.

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