What Are Phobias? Understanding This Type Of Anxiety Disorder
Specific phobias or simple phobias They refer to disproportionate fears of specific stimuli. We can all have some type of phobia to a greater or lesser degree or know someone who has it.
In this article We will see what phobias are and what symptoms and characteristics they present.
Throughout our lives, especially in childhood, a stage in which we still do not know how to fully manage emotions, certain situations in which high fear, a feeling of disgust, unexpected scare has been felt etc., associated with an object, situation or living being, can be memorized or leave a trace that maintains that association in our brain.
In this way the appearance of the associated stimulus or any other stimulus related to it, generates the same sensation and in the same intensity as when we experienced the traumatic situation or unpleasant in the past.
Sometimes phobias can be so intense that they seriously limit the life of people who suffer from it; Let’s imagine a severe phobia of birds or any stimulus related to them, whether feathers, their song, etc. This disproportionate fear will not allow this person to go outside normally, take an excursion to the countryside or live in places close to nature.
Its types
We can differentiate between the following types of phobias
They refer to a wide range of species, which can cause extreme fear to the child or adolescent, such as dogs or cats, certain types of insects or reptiles, worms etc.
2. Environmental type
Fear of weather phenomena such as they may be lightning and storms, heights etc.
3. Blood type, injections and damage
They suggest an excessive fear or fear of objects, material and surgical procedures, which will generate intense anticipatory anxiety before a blood test, going to the dentist, gynecologist, or going to hospitals. Also there may be intense fear at the sight of blood or wounds (hematophobia), etc.
4. Situational type
As their name suggests, they take the form of a disproportionate and irrational fear of situations such as tunnels, bridges, elevators, buses, being alone, the dark, etc.
The phobias They are an example of the functioning of our survival system, tremendously powerful and related to our hormones and neurotransmitters in the brain. This intense memory of dangerous events experienced is our body’s reaction when it considers that it has to defend itself from that danger in the future.
Characteristics of these anxiety disorders
While fear is a proportionate reaction to the stimulus that triggers it, phobia is characterized by a disproportionate fear reaction to stimuli or situations that do not involve real danger
Even when the person is aware that their fear is irrational and disproportionate, they cannot control the fear, triggering physiological anxiety reactions such as tachycardia, nausea, dizziness, hyperventilation, cold sweats chills, knot in the stomach, etc.
The symptoms are so intense that many times Situations where the phobia may appear are avoided to the point of being limiting for daily life.
Your treatment
Psychology has developed techniques to overcome phobias; especially successful is cognitive-behavioral therapy with techniques developed for the “unlearning” of anxiety such as systematic desensitization, gradual exposure and cognitive restructuring.
The latest Advanced Therapies such as EMDR or ICT are giving very positive results in overcoming phobias and traumas, being today one of the most effective and innovative treatments along with the techniques of cognitive-behavioral psychology.
Due to our experience in the field of mental health, at Avance Psicologías we have verified that this type of anxiety disorders They can hardly be treated by going only to the logical and rational facet of the human mind The focus of the alteration is in the way in which emotional memory is experienced, and therefore a complete therapeutic approach must especially affect this component.
Authors: Laura Palomares Pérez and Sofía Rodríguez de la Plaza.
