What are Phobias?

Phobias are a type of anxiety disorder characterized by an excessive, persistent, and irrational fear of specific situations, objects, or activities. This intense fear is typically disproportionate to the actual danger posed by the feared stimulus and is often recognized by the individual as being irrational or exaggerated.

However, this recognition does not reduce the fear response, and encountering or even the mere thought of the phobia-inducing situation can trigger a strong anxiety reaction.

Phobia Categories

The American Psychiatric Association (APA) identifies three different categories of phobias:

  1. Social phobias: Now known as social anxiety disorder, this a fear of social situations in which a person might be judged or embarrassed.

  2. Agoraphobia: This phobia involves an irrational and extreme fear of being in places where escape is difficult. It may involve a fear of crowded places or even of leaving one home.

  3. Specific phobias: When people talk about having a phobia of a specific object, such as snakes, spiders, or needles, they are referring to a Specific Phobias. The image shows some specific phobias.

What Causes a Phobia?

Psychological influences are paramount in the development and maintenance of phobias. Here are some key psychological factors:

1. Learned Fear: One of the most common ways phobias develop is through a process called "classical conditioning." It happens when a person associates a neutral stimulus with a frightening or traumatic event. For example, if you were bitten by a dog as a child, you might develop a lasting fear of dogs.

2. Observational Learning: Phobias can also develop by observing others' fearful reactions. For instance, if a child sees a parent or sibling reacting fearfully to spiders, the child may also learn to fear spiders.

Hypnotherapy for Phobias
CBT for Phobias

3. Cognitive Factors: Individuals with phobias often exhibit cognitive biases or distortions. They may overestimate the danger posed by the phobic stimulus and underestimate their ability to cope with it. For example, a person with acrophobia (fear of heights) may irrationally believe that they will surely fall if they go to a high place.

4. Trauma: Experiencing a traumatic event can trigger the development of a phobia. This is especially common in specific phobias, such as a fear of dogs developing after a dog bite.

5. Negative Self-Beliefs: People with phobias often have negative beliefs about themselves, such as "I'm weak" or "I can't handle this." These self-perceptions can increase feelings of anxiety and make the phobia worse.

6. Personality Factors: Certain personality traits, such as being more sensitive or more inhibited, may make a person more susceptible to developing a phobia. It's important to note that these psychological factors don't work in isolation. They often interact with biological and environmental factors to contribute to the development of phobias.

Signs and Symptoms of Phobias

Phobias often involve a combination of physical, cognitive, and behavioral symptoms. These can vary depending on the specific phobia, the individual, and the situation. Some common signs and symptoms can include:

Physical Symptoms:

  1. Increased heart rate or palpitations.

  2. Shortness of breath or rapid breathing.

  3. Trembling or shaking.

  4. Sweating.

  5. Feeling dizzy, lightheaded, or faint.

  6. Nausea or other gastrointestinal distress.

  7. Feeling a loss of control, or a fear of dying.

Cognitive Symptoms:

  1. An excessive, irrational fear or dread.

  2. Worrying about losing control in a fear situation.

  3. Knowing that the fear is excessive, or out of proportion to the situation.

Havening for Phobias

Behavioral Symptoms:

  1. Going to great lengths to avoid the fear object or situation.

  2. Needing to escape or flee from the fear object or situation.

  3. Being unable to function properly when exposed to the object or situation

Treatment for Phobias

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) recommends CBT as a first choice for a range of mental health problems, including phobias.

In CBT, therapists work with clients to identify the fear-inducing thoughts that trigger their phobic reactions. Once these thoughts are identified, the therapist helps the patient challenge these thoughts, replacing them with more realistic and rational beliefs.

The treatment of phobias usually involves creating a hierarchy of potentially anxiety-provoking situations through a process, called Systematic Desensitization. The therapist then works through each scenario, step by step, in order to gradually reduce the anxiety. Systematic Desensitization is most powerful when it is combined with hypnosis. Under hypnosis, the therapist is able, more easily, to pair relaxation with the potentially anxiety-provoking situation, thus reducing the intensity of the fear.

Please don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any questions or would like to discuss further how I may be able to support you on your journey.