Where do phobias come from and how to deal with them

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

Phobias differ from fear in that they are irrational, uncontrollable, and often accompanied by panic attacks. Unlike common fear, which can be dealt with with logical reasoning, phobias are not easy to get rid of. In addition, it is quite difficult to establish the cause of the appearance of phobias. Consider the most common reasons for their appearance, types and methods of struggle.

A phobia is a strong, uncontrollable fear of objects or situations. How is a phobia different from ordinary fear?

First, phobias are irrational. If you are afraid of a big, angry dog that rushes at you with a human hand in its teeth, that is fear. It is rational because you fear for your life and health. But if you see a small poodle on a leash and in a muzzle, and the instinct of self-preservation begins to sound the alarm, most likely this is a phobia.

Second, phobias are uncontrollable. If a friendly dog waving its tail decides to sniff you, you can suppress fear with logical arguments - this is a good dog, it does not bite. If you have a phobia, you. Despite the voice of common sense, you start to panic.

Panic attack is a common (but not required) companion of a phobia. Here is a list of panic attack symptoms:

• cardiopalmus;
• labored breathing;
• fast speech or inability to speak;
• dry mouth;
• high blood pressure;
• upset stomach and nausea;
• chest pain;
• shiver;
• suffocation;
• dizziness;
• increased sweating;
• feeling of hopelessness.

Third, if you have a phobia, you avoid situations in which you might encounter an object of fear. For example, you do not go for a walk in the park, because there may be dogs walking there.

Causes of phobias

There are several reasons for the occurrence of phobias - biological, genetic, psychological, social.

Biological and genetic causes

These reasons cannot be called decisive, but they increase the risk of phobias. People prone to anxiety and fear are deficient in gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), a neurotransmitter that has a calming effect.

Brain damage from trauma, long-term drug treatment, substance abuse, depression, and prolonged stress can all contribute to a decrease in GABA levels and an increase in anxiety.

There are often cases of inherited phobia. Doctors have found that if a child grows up in a family in which one of the parents suffers from a phobia, there is a chance that the child will develop an anxiety disorder. But it is impossible to say with certainty what more affects the appearance of a phobia - a genetic predisposition or observation of the behavior of parents.

Social reasons

There are practically no phobias that have arisen without the influence of external factors. The question is whether the sick person remembers the traumatic events, since specific phobias often develop in early childhood.

The shocking experiences of childhood gradually develop into irrational fears. For example, if a child has had negative experiences with a confined space (like Carrie in Stephen King's novel, who was locked in a closet as punishment), he may later develop claustrophobia. An animal attack, an insect bite, a loss in a crowd, a fall from a height - such events may well become the causes of phobias.

Psychological reasons

Phobias, like panic attacks, may not have an obvious cause. There was no traumatic event or stress, however the phobia appeared. In this case, the reasons may be hidden in the subconscious.

Misinterpreted actions and words, misjudgment of future events, suppression of personality traits and other psychological problems can also cause panic attacks and unreasonable fear.

The legacy of ancestors

It is believed that some phobias have arisen in the process of evolution. For example, in ancient times it was dangerous to be alone in open spaces due to the risk of being attacked by predators.

Therefore, it is logical that some people, especially small children, are afraid to be in open areas. They instinctively know that it is much safer to be in cover.

Social phobia can also be an echo of the survival instinct. A thousand years ago, being in a group of strangers (for example, people from another tribe) was much more dangerous than it is now.

Insectophobia, fear of insects, can be explained by fear of poisonous bites. Trypophobia, fear of cluster holes, - the presence of poisonous animals with a similar color.

So, the seeds of traumatic events fall into the fertile soil of genetic predisposition or a weak psyche, as a result of which a phobia or even a bouquet of phobias appears.

Risk factors

People who are prone to anxiety or have traumatic experiences, as well as children whose parents suffered from phobias, are at increased risk of developing phobias.

As for other factors, age, social and material status, gender can determine the tendency to a certain type of phobias.

For example, women are more likely to have animal phobias. Children and people with low economic status are more likely to suffer from social phobias. And men are more prone to phobias associated with dentists and other doctors.

Types of phobias

The American Psychiatric Association has identified over 100 different phobias. Here are the most common ones.

Agoraphobia

This phobia is often referred to as the fear of open spaces. People with agoraphobia fear being caught in a crowd or trapped far from home. They often prefer "not to leave the room, not to make a mistake."

Many people with agoraphobia suffer from panic attacks in places they cannot leave. If they have chronic diseases, they are afraid of exacerbations and attacks of the disease in people or where no one can help them.

Social phobia

This phobia is also called social anxiety disorder. It is a fear of social situations, even the simplest ones. For example, a person with a social phobia may be afraid to place an order at a restaurant or answer a phone call.

Specific phobias

Some unusual recognized phobias are:

• ablutophobia - fear of taking a bath;
• ailurophobia - fear of cats;
• acarophobia - fear of scratching;
• caliginephobia (venustraphobia) - fear of beautiful women;
• chrometophobia (chrematophobia) - fear of touching money;
• mageirokophobia - fear of cooking;
• cyclophobia - fear of bicycles and moving vehicles;
• hedonophobia - fear of pleasure, pleasure;
• tetraphobia is the fear of the number four.

A large list of specific phobias is given in, but there are even more of them.

How to deal with phobias

Unlike common fear, which can be dealt with with logical reasoning, auto-training and breathing techniques, phobias are not so easy to get rid of. Various types of therapy are used to treat this disorder - medications, psychotherapy, hypnosis.

The World Health Organization and the US Department of Health have recognized cognitive behavioral therapy as the most effective type of psychotherapy for treating phobias. The essence of this technique is that the patient completely changes negative thoughts about his fears into positive ones.

The psychotherapist guides the patient by asking him leading questions: "Who decided it was bad?" or "Who said this would go on forever?"

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is based on the belief that a person's own thoughts influence how they feel. With the help of therapy, a person gets rid of false beliefs, realizes his erroneous thoughts that cause anxiety, and replaces them with positive attitudes.

In addition, with the help of cognitive-behavioral therapy, a person meets their fears. Under the supervision of the therapist, he is immersed in the atmosphere of the situation, which causes him to panic attacks.

Initially, this happens in the patient's imagination, and then in reality or virtual reality. Recently, virtual reality gadgets have become increasingly available, and therapists can use them to maximize immersion in a dangerous situation for the patient in a safe environment.

During therapy, the patient develops a habit of responding normally to frightening objects or situations. He learns to cope with the phobia on his own, gains control over his fear.

Medication is also used to help reduce the physical manifestations of anxiety and fear. For anxiety-phobic disorders, antidepressants, tranquilizers, and in special cases, antipsychotics are prescribed.

However, drugs do not affect the causes of phobia, therefore, as a rule, they are used in combination with psychotherapy.

Have you encountered phobias in your life?