Phobia
Phobia at a Glance
Phobia is a type of anxiety disorder with some similar physical symptoms and emotional responses as that of anxiety itself, the difference being that phobias are fears of specific things as opposed to more generalized tension and worry. Traumatic childhood experiences can increase one’s risk for anxiety disorders, including phobias. Treatment may include exposure to the feared object with response prevention, as well as the aid of certain medications.
Deeper Dive: What is Phobia?
Heights, spiders, public speaking, and flying — these are examples of common phobias that we have all probably heard of before. A phobia is defined as an excessive worry or fear about a specific object, event, task, or situation. This could range from a simple phobia, such as a fear of snakes, to more complex ones, such as a social phobia, which involves a fear of interacting with people, especially in large groups. Though fear and anxiety are normal reactions to things one might encounter in everyday life, these feelings can become a disorder — a phobia — when they refuse to go away and begin to disrupt normal daily functioning.
Causes
Research has shown that phobias, like other anxiety disorders, seem to be caused by the interaction of both environmental and genetic factors, along with biology. Adverse or stressful experiences, whether in childhood or adulthood, can also contribute.
Symptoms
The prevailing symptom of a phobia is the avoidance of the specific thing that causes anxiety and fear. Here are some examples of this:
- Someone with a fear of small enclosed spaces, or claustrophobia, might avoid cramped places like elevators.
- An individual suffering from a fear of places that may be unsafe or cause one to feel panicked, embarrassed, or trapped — also known as agoraphobia — might avoid wide open spaces or busy places like shopping malls. This person may go so far as to avoid leaving the house altogether, even to the point of damaging job prospects and personal relationships.
- A person who fears public speaking would obviously try very hard to avoid speaking in front of others. This may include avoiding giving presentations for school or work, which can impact one’s success in those areas.
Aside from avoidance, the symptoms of a phobia vary depending on the specific object of the person’s fear or worry. For example, the specific symptoms of social phobia, more commonly referred to as social anxiety disorder, revolve around social situations. These symptoms can include feeling self-conscious around other people, a fear of being rejected or embarrassed, worrying about offending other people, a difficulty being around or talking to other people, a fear of being judged by other people, a difficulty making and then keeping friends, or feeling sick or nauseous around other people.
Some of the more general physical and emotional symptoms of phobia are similar to that of general anxiety. These symptoms can include increased heart rate, trembling or sweating, restlessness, muscle tension, irritability, difficulty concentrating, and difficulty controlling one’s worry.
Am I at Risk?
Phobias, along with generalized anxiety, have been found to be the most common among teens between 13 years and 18 years of age, and are also the most common anxiety disorders among adults. Similar to other anxiety disorders, some risk factors for phobias include being female, shyness in childhood, having a close family history of anxiety disorders, having a parent with a mental disorder, exposure to traumatic or stressful events, having had a divorce or been widowed, and having little financial resources.
While a fear response may be normal in some contexts, intense anxiety and worry about a specific thing that doesn’t go away or prevents one from going about his or her usual activities can be debilitating. That’s why it’s important to talk with your doctor or therapist and let them know of any concerns in this area.
