Phobia- Causes and Types

Did you know that there are people who are afraid of sleeping or being inside any house?
This is what is known as phobia, and phobia is considered one of the most common mental illnesses, but it is also the most curable. Phobia differs from the normal state of fear in that fear is the natural response to danger and is rational, while a person who suffers from a phobia has either an unjustified or excessive fear of a particular thing.

Let’s learn about the causes of phobias, their symptoms, the most famous types, and treatment options.

Concept of phobia

A phobia is a persistent, excessive, irrational fear. A person who suffers from a phobia feels a deep sense of dread or panic when encountering the source of fear, which may be a person, situation, animal, or activity. People with phobias often realize that the cause of their fear is irrational or realistic, but they are unable to do anything about it and their fears control them. The person with a phobia usually tries to avoid the thing that triggers the fear or endures it with great anxiety and distress.

A phobia is a type of anxiety disorder, but it differs from generalized anxiety disorder in that it is usually connected to something specific. The effect of a phobia can range from anxiety and annoyance to affecting personal relationships, work, and studies, depending on the fear and severity of the condition. Therefore, people with these phobias may need to alter their lives drastically in order to move away from the source of their fear, and those around them must understand these fears and support them. [1] [2]

Causes of phobia

A phobia often appears in the early stages of childhood, usually between the ages of 5 and 10 years, but it can appear at any time in an adult’s life. There is no clear reason for the start of phobia in people, but there are many factors that may contribute to the emergence and development of this condition, including:

Past accidents or trauma:
Some accidents in our lives, especially in young childhood, may have a lifelong impact. For example, if you were injured by a dog some years ago, you might develop a phobia of dogs.
Learned responses from infancy:
A phobia may develop from factors in your childhood environment, as the child can learn to respond to a certain thing from his parents or older siblings.
For example, if the child’s parents are very worried or anxious, this can create a state of constant anxiety in the child, which may later develop into a phobia. The child might develop the same specific phobia as a parent or older sibling. If they have a severe reaction to something they fear, this might influence the child to feel the same way.
Experiencing long-term stress:
Stress can cause feelings of anxiety and depression, which reduce a person’s ability to adapt to certain situations. This may lead to more fear or anxiety about being in similar situations again. Over a long period, this condition can develop into a phobia.
Genetic factors:
Research has shown that some people are more likely to develop phobias than others. [3]
If you suffer from a phobia or a phobia, you may feel comfortable knowing the reason for the development of this fear and working to solve it, but do not put too much pressure on yourself to find a clear cause. Consult a psychiatrist for help.

Symptoms of a phobia

Symptoms of phobia vary between physical and psychological symptoms, and in both cases, these symptoms can appear with different severity in people. For example, a person suffering from arachnophobia can range in severity from not being able to be near a spider to even be unable to look at a picture of a spider.

Physical symptoms:

In the most extreme cases, a person suffering from a phobia can have a panic attack, or may suffer from less severe symptoms such as sweating, trembling, shortness of breath, dizziness, feeling of suffocation, rapid heartbeat, and many others.

Psychological symptoms:

These include fear of losing control, fear of fainting, persistent feelings of dread, fear of death, and a constant feeling of anxiety. [4]

The most common types of phobia

Some phobias are very specific and limited. For example, a person may only fear cats (ailurophobia). In this case, the person lives relatively free of anxiety by avoiding the thing he fears. Other phobias cause a problem in a variety of places or situations. For example, symptoms of acrophobia can appear by looking out of an office building window or driving over a high bridge. In these cases, a person with a phobia may have to change many of their daily habits and activities to avoid the source of their anxiety.

There are three main types of phobia:

Specific phobia (minor phobia):
This is the most common type in which people fear certain animals, people, or situations such as flying on a plane.
Social phobia (or what is known as social anxiety phobia):
People with social anxiety disorder fear social situations in which they may be humiliated, embarrassed, or judged by others. They become especially anxious when unfamiliar people are around.
For more information, you can read this article about social anxiety phobia.
phobia of emptiness:
It is the fear of being in public places where it is difficult and embarrassing to go out suddenly. [2]

Among the strangest types of phobia is fear of sleep, fear of showering, fear of workplaces, and many others.

Treatment options

Many people do not need treatment for their phobia, as it is enough for them to avoid the source of fear, but in severe cases or in the case of a phobia that cannot be avoided, such as a phobia of communicating with others or a phobia of riding a plane or a car, it is recommended to consult a specialist to treat this fear.

Most types of phobias are treatable, and although there is no one guaranteed treatment for all cases, there are some options that usually help those who suffer from this state of fear, including the following:

Self-help methods:

People who suffer from phobias can help themselves without consulting a specialist through several methods, including changing their lifestyle, talking about their fears, or joining a support group.

pharmaceutical:

It is not usually recommended to resort to medications because of their side effects, but it is possible, if the doctor prescribes them, to resort to them, including sedatives and antidepressants.

Follow up with a specialist:

It is the most effective method and does not have any side effects. In particular, cognitive behavioral therapy has been found to be highly effective in treating phobias. Cognitive behavioral therapy is a type of counseling that can help solve and manage problems by changing the way you think or act. A type of cognitive-behavioral therapy often used to treat mild phobias is gradual exposure to the source of the fear, so one feels less anxious about it over time. This is known as desensitization or exposure therapy. [5]

If you feel that your phobia is getting in the way of your life or affecting it in any way, we recommend that you consider one of the treatment options.

Whatever phobia you have, reasonable or not, you should not feel ashamed and seek help without hesitation. We at Uplifting Syrian Women are trying to raise awareness of mental health problems to increase knowledge and spread a culture of acceptance.