Managing Phobias & Fears
Everyone experiences fear; it’s a very natural emotion. It could be a fear of spiders, a fear of the dark or something else that triggers that sense of dread. And it literally could be anything that triggers the urge to react to the perceived danger. It might be a place, feelings, objects or animals which drive the fear.
In some people this sense of fear is magnified and is experienced as a phobia. A phobia is overwhelming and debilitating. Phobias develop when someone has an exaggerated sense of danger about a certain object or situation. Because having a phobia is very stressful, it can take a toll on a person’s health, well-being and overall way of life.
Having a phobia often means being in constant fear about coming across what or who you are afraid of. However, trying to avoid a particular fear is likely to make it seem worse than it really is. This means that many people start dreading facing normal, everyday situations.
There are many types of phobias. There are those that begin in childhood (known as specific phobias) and those that develop in adulthood (known as complex phobias).
Specific phobias are often things that pose no definite threat such as phobias concerning:
• Animals – an intense fear of dogs, spiders, snakes, rodents etc.
• Situations – such as visiting the dentist or flying.
• Environments – heights, deep water, germs etc.
• The body – when people cannot cope with the sight of blood, being around vomit or having injections.
• Sex – these include performance anxiety and a fear of getting a sexually transmitted infection (STI).
The two most common types of complex phobias are:
• Agoraphobia – Fear of outside spaces where escape may be difficult.
• Social Phobia – Fear of being around people.
It is possible to overcome a phobia with the right interventions and support – it’s not something you have to live with. Contact us now and find out more about how we can help you.