PHOBIA

DEFINITION & NATURE 

It is a type of anxiety disorder that involves constant fear of an object or situation. These disorders are treatable. It includes a sense of danger or a clear warning of upcoming suffering. If symptoms become severe, a person may separate themselves to avoid uncomfortable situations. Result in restricting their lifestyle. When a person has a phobia of something specific, they may begin to shape their lives around it.

SYMPTOMS

Symptoms include which can be as follows:

  • People may feel dizzy and lightheaded.
  • Some people feel nauseous.
  • Due to fear, people sweat.
  • Increase in heartbeat.
  • Sense of shortness of breath.
  • A person may experience an upset stomach until they feel safe in their surroundings.
  • People get distracted by a feared object.
  • People might feel a sense of unreality in their minds.
  • Due to distress, some people fear dying.

CAUSES

It does not seem to possess a single source, but it might have many joint factors.

Examples that might show are as follows:

  • A phobia could be linked to a specific incident or trauma such as robbery, or assault.
  • It can seen as a learned reaction that a person might develop from family and friends.
  • Genetics also play a vital role – there is some evidence which suggests/shows that people tend to be more anxious as compared to other people.

TYPES OF PHOBIA

According to APA(American Psychiatric Association), it differentiates them into three different types which can be seen as:

  1. Agoraphobia: This is a situation that describes it as a fear of being trapped in a place or situation from which you cannot escape. As a result, the person having a phobia might begin to ignore such situations that cause him/her distress. In some cases, the fear can become so common and affect the person that he/she can leave their home in fear.
  2. ​Specific phobias: involve the fear of a particular object. These can typically fall into four different categories: situational, animal, medical, or environmental.
  3. Social phobias: This refers to the fear of social situations. In some cases, people might be afraid of performing any task in front of people.
  • Claustrophobia: Fear of being in confined spaces.
  • Aerophobia: Fear of flying.
  • Arachnophobia: Fear of spiders.
  • Emetophobia: Fear of vomiting.
  • Erythrophobia: Fear of blushing.
  • Hypochondria: Fear of becoming ill.
  • Acrophobia: Fear of heights.
  • Escalaphobia: Fear from escalators.

TREATMENTS

phobias which are simple can be treated by exposing a person to the object that causes him/her distress. This is a method commonly known as self-exposing therapy.

Treating more complex phobias often takes longer and involves talking therapies, such as:

Medication may be prescribed to help with anxiety caused by certain phobias these may include.

    -KIRAN

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