What are Phobias?
Contrary to what the title might suggest, I'm not a doctor or therapist, but I did write a psychological thriller called, well, you guessed it, Phobia, so I did a lot of research on this disorder. Most of us know they exist, but never really pay attention to the damage that they can do. They not only cause the person to be plagued by worry but in some severe cases, prohibit them from leading a fulfilling and productive life.
Phobias are described as intense fears either rational or irrational and can be caused by something substantial or nothing at all. They are not just a simple fear, but they are so strong that they can cause anxiety attacks if the person suffering even thinks for a moment about conquering that fear.
In many situations, the reason for the fear cannot be fully explained. For example, if the person is afraid of heights, that same person may have never even been high up where a fear might've developed. They may have no logical reason for being afraid. It's possible that nothing bad has even happened to them regarding heights. But yet, this is their fear. More importantly, this is their phobia.
If they are terrified of spiders, they may have never had one crawl within five feet of them, but yet, something about their existence causes them deep emotional pain.
On the other hand, there may very well be a substantial reason for their phobia. Something in their life might have caused the fear to spiral out of control, thus causing a debilitating phobia.
What are Most People Afraid Of?
Ten of the Most Common Phobias (There are hundreds)!
Arachnophobia: Fear of Spiders.
Acrophobia: Fear of heights.
Agoraphobia: Fear of crowded places. Sometimes bad enough that people refuse to leave their home out of fear.
Social Phobia: This may prevent people from attending social events or parties.
Claustrophobia: Fear of enclosed spaces, such as closets, tanning booths or airplanes.
Mysophobia: More commonly known as germophobia. People who are afraid of germs.
Carcinophobia: Fear of Cancer
Necrophobia: Fear of Death
Glossophobia: Fear of Speaking in public
10. Astrophobia- Fear of Thunder and Lightning
I can safely say that I know someone (including myself) who has at least one of those phobias if not more. They are not as uncommon as you might think. While the degree of debilitation varies for each person, the actual fear is the same. And some can develop with age!
I can say from experience that I am afraid of heights. Now, I have no problem flying anywhere. Airplanes don't scare me in the least, unless of course, there's awful turbulence, but it doesn't frighten me enough to keep me off of them.
Walking on the bleachers at a high school, however or up a large escalator, frightens me to the point that my legs will stiffen up and prevent me from climbing higher than the third step. The Wheaton escalator in Washington D.C. stopped me dead in my tracks. I had never seen one so tall (230 Feet) and was utterly terrified!
Hiking up a mountain is a slow process for me, as long as I am the one leading the way, I seem to do better than following a guide. In all three situations I just described, I couldn't say which one is more irrational. I should be scared to fly as it is truly the highest point I will ever reach, but it doesn't scare me. The bleachers are fairly safe. At most, if I fell, I might break a leg, but yet I refuse to climb them. Whereas hiking a mountain can send me to my death, but only frightens me if I'm not the one making decisions or declaring when we turn around.
How do these fears start? Where do they develop? Is it learned behavior that is actually honed and perfected in a negative way? Similar to any habit, if you feed this habit, does it become worse?
I believe that it does. If a child falls down and you rush to his or her aid, cooing over them, hugging them tight and making a big deal of it, what happens?
Normally, they start to cry. If you quietly make sure they are okay, brush them off and continue like nothing was wrong, typically they smile (unless they are really hurt) and continue what they were doing.
I'd have to venture a guess and say that same rule applies to phobias. If you feed your fear, it continues to grow.
I used the heights example above, but I also fear bugs. When I was a child, I admit was a little Tom boy. I liked playing with frogs, making little outfits for them (that they never wore), I liked turtles and most of all I liked worms. Yes, worms. Caterpillars, inch worms, earthworms- you name it. I built them little houses using old cool whip containers filled with dirt. I included nuts and bolts as their tables and chairs and then lifted up the worms, put them in there and watched them crawl out. (Yes, I had a vivid imagination). Don't worry, they were always safe, except when I accidentally sat on one, but that's another story.
Now, as an adult, I hate bugs. Detest them. The thought of picking up a worm sends chills down my spine. Nothing bad ever happened to me where bugs were involved, but I wouldn't touch one if you paid me. Learned response? I think so.
So, What is the Cure for Phobias?
There are many different techniques to try to cure this, most involving counseling and step-by-step programs. If you remember the movie, "What About Bob?" Richard Dreyfus preaches Baby Steps to Bill Murray. While it was a comedy, that is one way to try to cure it!
Sometimes it is necessary to seek professional help, but there are ways to try to combat phobias on your own.
Start Small. Try to overcome one aspect of your phobia at a time. If you're afraid of spiders, perhaps read up on them and try to find the positive things about them.
Get to the root of why you are scared.
Breathe. This sounds like common sense, but breathing slowly will send signals to the brain that you are calm.
Take a friend. If you are afraid of heights, ask a friend to be with you climb a small stairway, mountain, or even a hill. Go a little higher each time, but don't force it. Take it slow!
Research. Find information about whatever you are afraid of. If you're afraid to fly, research all the reasons why flying is considered safe.
Positive Reinforcement. I preach about this for dog training, but we deserve affirmations too. Give yourself a reward whenever you conquer even a small feat!
Timing. Allow yourself fifteen minutes of negative thinking. Then, tell yourself the rest of the day is only for positive thoughts.
Exercise. Exercise is known to reduce anxiety. Tire yourself out and then conquer a small part of your fear. (Again, I use this technique with dog training, why not use it for us too)!
Imagination. Spend a few minutes each day imagining that you are over your fear. Soon, your mind might believe you!
Seek help if the fear is too strong to overcome. Specialists have techniques to help you overcome your phobias. They can also prescribe medications that may help, as well!
Should You Reveal Your Phobias to Strangers? Well, if you are Matt Brewer in my book, Phobia, you definitely shouldn't. But in a normal world, with sane people, I don't think there's any harm in that.
Do you have any phobias mentioned above? How do you deal with them?
View the trailer for Phobia, below
Note: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Comentarios