Phobia Symptoms, Types, and Treatment

Phobia Symptoms, Types, and Treatment Phobias Print Phobia Symptoms, Types, and Treatment By Kendra Cherry facebook twitter Kendra Cherry, MS, is an author, educational consultant, and speaker focused on helping students learn about psychology. Learn about our editorial policy Kendra Cherry Medically reviewed by Medically reviewed by Daniel B. Block, MD on November 25, 2019 twitter linkedin Daniel B. Block, MD, is an award-winning, board-certified psychiatrist who operates a private practice in Pennsylvania. Learn about our Medical Review Board Daniel B. Block, MD Updated on February 03, 2020 Megan Maloy/Photodisc/Getty Images More in Phobias Causes Symptoms and Diagnosis Treatment Types In This Article Table of Contents Expand Symptoms Types Prevalence Treatments View All Back To Top According to the American Psychiatric Association, a phobia is an irrational and excessive fear of an object or situation. In most cases, the phobia involves a sense of endangerment or a fear of harm.?? For example, those with agoraphobia fear being trapped in an inescapable place or situation. Symptoms Phobic symptoms can occur through exposure to the feared object or situation, or sometimes merely through thinking about the feared object. Typical symptoms associated with phobias include: Dizziness, trembling, and increased heart rateBreathlessnessNauseaA sense of unrealityFear of dyingPreoccupation with the feared object In some cases, these symptoms may  escalate into a full-scale anxiety attack.?? In response to these symptoms, some individuals may develop social anxiety disorder (SAD)â€"previously known as social phobiaâ€"and begin to isolate themselves, leading to severe difficulties  with functioning in daily life and with maintaining relationships. In other cases, such as with hypochondriasis, a person may seek out medical care due to a constant concern with imagined illnesses or imminent death. Types The American Psychiatric Association defines phobias as anxiety disorders and categorizes them into three different types: Social phobias involve a fear of social situations. Such phobias include an extreme and pervasive fear of social situations. In some cases, this fear may center on a very particular type of social situation such as public speaking. In other instances, people may fear to perform any task in front of other people for fear that they will be somehow publicly embarrassed.Agoraphobia involves a fear of being trapped in an inescapable place or situation. As a result, the phobic individual may begin to avoid such situations. In some cases, this fear can become so pervasive and overwhelming that the individual even fears to leave their home.?Specific phobias involve the fear of a particular object (such as snakes or butterflies  and moths). Such phobias typically fall into one of four different categories: situational, animals, medical, or environmental. A few examples of common fear objects include spiders, dogs, needles, natural disasters, heights, and flying. More examples of the four major types of specific phobias?? include: The natural environment: Fear of lightning, water, storms, hurricanes, tornadoes,  or  mudslides.Animal: Fear of snakes, rodents,  cats, or  birds.Medical: Fear of seeing blood or visiting a doctor.Situational: Fear of bridges, leaving  home, or driving. Prevalence According to the National Institute of Mental Health, social anxiety disorder affects about 7 percent of adult Americans in a given year and specific phobias affect approximately 9 percent. In general,  women are affected more than men.?? According to the  Diagnostic and Statistical Manual  of Mental Disorders, only about 10% of reported phobia cases become life-long phobias. Treatments There are a number of treatment approaches for phobias, and the effectiveness of each approach depends on the person and their type of phobia.   In exposure treatments,??? the person is strategically exposed to their feared object in order to help them overcome their fear. One type of exposure treatment is flooding, in which the patient is confronted by the feared object for an extended length of time without the opportunity to escape. The goal of this method is to help the individual face their fear and realize that the feared object will not harm them. Another method often used in phobia treatment is counter-conditioning. In this method, the person  is taught a new response to the feared object. Rather than panic in the face of the feared object or situation, the person learns relaxation techniques to replace anxiety and fear. This new behavior is incompatible with the previous panic response, so the phobic response gradually diminishes. Counter-conditioning is often used with people who are unable to handle exposure treatments and has been effective for treating children and adolescents.??? Finally, for both adults and children with social phobia, medication like a low dose of a benzodiazepine  or potentially an antidepressant (like a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor, or SSRI) in combination with cognitive-behavioral therapy can prove helpful.?? Find Support With the 9 Best Online Therapy Programs A Word From Verywell If you think you may have a phobia, please seek out treatment from a licensed therapist, psychologist, or psychiatrist. You deserve to develop control of this fear, and you can with proper therapy.   Misconceptions and Facts About Phobias