What is a Phobia?
A phobia is an excessive fear that occurs in a person towards a certain situation or object. The majority of people with phobias realize that their fear is excessive, but they still cannot control it.
Excessive fear of something called phobia often causes severe depression, anxiety, and panic. That is why they choose to avoid the object or situation they fear. This condition is what distinguishes excessive fear from ordinary fear.
Everyone can have a fear of an object or situation. However, this fear is included in the phobia if:
- The fear felt is not commensurate with the danger that could occur due to a particular situation or object.
- Lasting more than six months.
- The fear experienced has a direct impact on mental health conditions and daily activities.
What are the Signs of Phobia?
Phobias do not only appear with psychological symptoms such as fear because this mental disorder can also affect physical conditions.
Here are some physical symptoms that can occur in sufferers:
- Disorientation or confusion.
- Dizziness and headache.
- Chest feels tight and painful.
- Hard to breathe.
- Heart rate increases.
- Body shaking and sweating.
- Ears ringing.
- The sensation of always needing to urinate.
- Mouth feels dry.
Not a few people often underestimate phobia sufferers. In fact, some often make jokes by scaring them.
In fact, the danger of scaring someone who has a phobia can be very fatal for the sufferer.
Phobia Risk Factors
Excessive fear can happen to anyone. However, there are several factors that can make someone more at risk of experiencing this condition, namely:
- Family history or genetic factors.
- Psychological injury or traumatic event.
- Personal characteristics, a person is likely to suffer from this problem if they are too shy, pessimistic about life, or sensitive.
- Age, excessive fear is more often experienced by those who are still young, for example, children or teenagers aged 13 years.
- Hearing something or receiving frightening information, such as a plane crash.
Types of Phobias
Broadly speaking, there are two main types of phobias, namely:
1. Specific phobia
Specific phobias generally develop since the sufferer is a child or teenager. For example, excessive fear of animals (spiders or snakes), fear of contracting sexually transmitted diseases (sexual phobia), fear of needles (physical phobia), fear of the environment (heights), or situational phobia (fear of visiting the doctor).
Types of specific phobias include:
- Aerophobia or aviophobia, is the fear of flying.
- Acrophobia, fear of heights. Sufferers usually avoid high areas such as mountains, bridges, and tall buildings. Symptoms include vertigo, dizziness, sweating, and decreased consciousness.
- Anuptaphobia, this condition makes sufferers afraid of being alone (not being able to live alone) or not having a life partner.
- Ablutophobia, phobia of bathing. This problem makes someone afraid when having to wash their face, clean their body, or take a bath.
- Astraphobia, fear of thunder or lightning to the point where sufferers experience panic attacks with symptoms of sweating, chest pain, nausea, numbness, heart palpitations, and difficulty breathing.
- Claustrophobia, the fear that arises excessively when being in a narrow place. Recognize the Signs of Claustrophobia That Need to Be Understandable.
- Latrophobia, a type of phobia that causes irrational fear and makes a person avoid going to the doctor.
- Ombrophobia, excessive fear of lightning and rain. People with this type of phobia usually consider rain or dark clouds as something dangerous that can bring disaster.
- Pagophobia, the fear of ice or cold, frozen objects.
- Pogonophobia, excessive fear of beards.
- Nomophobia, an abnormal fear of being away from or not using gadgets.
- Trypophobia, an excessive fear of holes that are close together.
2. Phobia complex
Complex phobias have a more disruptive impact than specific ones. This condition usually develops as a person enters adulthood.
There are two types of complex phobias that are most common, namely:
• Social phobia
Sufferers will feel afraid in social situations, so they often avoid various social situations that occur.
This is because they may experience excessive worry about the current social situation.
Excessive fear in social circles often makes it difficult to carry out daily life, such as speaking in groups, meeting new people, going to crowded places, and eating and drinking with many people.
In addition, this condition can also affect a person’s self-confidence, making it difficult for them to develop, and even hindering their ability to work.
• Agoraphobia
Next is agoraphobia or excessive fear of open spaces.
People with this mental disorder will feel excessive anxiety when in public places, closed rooms, crowds, or situations that make it difficult for them to get help.
In addition, this condition can also cause problems in the sufferer’s life, such as a decrease in the quality of life.
It is not surprising that many sufferers find it difficult to leave their homes.
Causes of Phobias
Excessive fear of something can occur due to many conditions, for example:
1. Traumatic events
A situation that has occurred can cause someone to experience trauma, resulting in excessive fear of certain situations, objects or places.
For example, if the sufferer has experienced very severe turbulence while on a plane, this condition can trigger a fear of flying or being in a closed space.
2. Environment
Phobias can also arise as a response to environmental conditions.
For example, if a sufferer has a parent or close relative with a particular fear condition, this can affect other family members.
3. Improper stress management
Stress can trigger anxiety and depression. This can reduce a person’s ability to adapt to situations or places that trigger it.
If left untreated, this condition causes anxiety and depression that is worse than before. This is what can trigger the emergence of fear in certain situations or places.
Diagnosis of Phobia
In order to get an accurate diagnosis, the doctor will conduct a medical interview regarding the symptoms that appear in the sufferer.
Next, the doctor will determine whether the symptoms point to excessive fear or not.
In addition, to help establish a diagnosis, the doctor also asks about the patient’s medical history (including mental illness), the patient’s social life, and history of drug use.
Phobia Treatment
Usually, doctors will use a combination of medication and psychotherapy to treat it. Psychotherapy can be:
- Exposure therapy, to change perspective on a fearful subject or situation.
- Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) which combines exposure therapy with other therapies.
The CBT psychotherapy method focuses more on how to control the sufferer’s thoughts and feelings.
In addition, treatment for this problem can also be done by administering medication which is expected to help reduce the symptoms that appear.
In addition, doctors also recommend home care to overcome this disorder by doing relaxation techniques.
The goal is for sufferers to be able to suppress and control the feelings of anxiety and fear that occur.
Then, sufferers can also try doing breathing exercises when problems arise to help overcome them. Click the banner below to talk to a doctor about home care that can be done.
Complications of Phobia
Excessive fear that is not handled can lead to excessive anxiety disorders, stress, and depression.
This can then lead to the following conditions:
• Mental health disorders
Untreated phobias can lead to serious mental health disorders, such as generalized anxiety disorder, depression, or panic disorder.
Constant fear and excessive feelings of anxiety then affect a person’s overall quality of life.
• Social limitations
This condition can also cause significant social limitations. Individuals who suffer from it will always avoid certain situations or places that trigger their fear.
This can limit their opportunities to interact with others, form social relationships, or participate in everyday activities.
• Job Problems
Phobias can also affect a person’s career, especially if the fear is related to a particular job or object.
Sufferers will have difficulty completing tasks or attending important meetings.
This can have a negative impact on career advancement and opportunities to reach full potential.
• Isolasi
Due to fear and anxiety, sufferers become more isolated. They may avoid social activities, family events, or gatherings with friends to avoid situations that trigger their fears.
This isolation can lead to feelings of loneliness, frustration, and decreased quality of life.
• Physical disorders
Phobias that are too severe can also cause significant physical symptoms, such as rapid heartbeat, shortness of breath, excessive sweating, dizziness, or even fainting.
These symptoms can occur when an individual is exposed to the object or situation that triggers their phobia.
Prevention of Phobias
In fact, there is no effective way to prevent this mental disorder.
However, if you have a specific phobia, consider seeking help from a psychologist, especially if you already have children.
Because genetic factors tend to play a role in the development of specific excessive fears. In addition, children who repeatedly see their parents’ phobic reactions have a high risk of developing specific phobias in themselves.