Identifying And Overcoming Phobias

by
Filed under: Coping and Overcoming Anxiety 

Many phobias have their roots in childhood. It could be something you were scared of as a child, both real or imagined. Fear of the dark, fear of spider, fear of the unknown – these are all common childhood fears and they all have adult phobias associated with them. These types of fears are normal for children, but they can cause problems when they remain with us into adulthood.

A phobia is defined as an irrational dread, terror or fear that occurs during a relatively benign situation. Many people realize their fears are unfounded and irrational for the situation, but they are not able to overcome them.

Some of the common symptoms of phobias include:

- Racing heartrate
- Shortness of breath
- Sweaty hands
- The urge to flee

If left unchecked, a phobia can gradually get worse, resulting in more serious problems like anxiety disorders, panic attacks and extreme stress.

Severe phobias can have a negative affect on your day-to-day life. They can develop into social disorders, where a person avoid social contact for fear of their phobia being set off. They can also cause you to miss out on many great experiences.

For example, a person who has a fear of heights may never get to see the view from the top of the Eiffel Tower or the Grand Canyon. They may never travel far from home because they are unwilling to get on an airplane.

Phobias can be overcome with methods of dealing with the underlying fears. The way you’ve responded to something in the past doesn’t have to be the way you do so now or in the future.

If you’re dealing with an irrational fear and just are not able to overcome it, it would be wise to discuss it with your doctor or another qualified medical professional. They can offer some insight into the causes and offer the most effective treatment, given your particular situation.

Shane Baxter
http://www.articlesbase.com/medicine-articles/identifying-and-overcoming-phobias-102681.html

Similar Posts:

Tags: , , , ,

Comments

10 Comments on Identifying And Overcoming Phobias

  1. Layla on Sun, 15th Nov 2009 2:57 pm

    2. Well my friend is afraid of people throwing up? She still isn’t over it. I think it is something that goes away with time.
    References :

  2. Daisy® on Sun, 15th Nov 2009 2:59 pm

    3. i saw this thing on tv of a woman who was deathly afraid of fish.
    they used a systematic desensitization technique to gradually get her used to fish so that she could overcome the fear.
    it was fascinating

    i personally have phobias of centipedes and large chunks of ice. not sure why… haven’t had therapy because they don’t interefere too much with my day to day life
    References :

  3. Fatdude427 on Sun, 15th Nov 2009 3:01 pm

    4. I have a phobia of mayonnaise. Not kidding. I have OCD.

    I have heard of lots of different, strange phobias before. Someone I heard about years ago was afraid of bananas.

    Some people are afraid or have phobias of mustard, or moths, or insects.

    ERP therapy (exposure/response prevention) and total immersion techniques are effective for defeating phobias. I still have my mayo phobia…but I haven’t gone through all the stages of therapy yet.

    I hope to be rid of my phobias one day.
    References :

  4. Rockstar92 on Sun, 15th Nov 2009 3:03 pm

    5. tretnaphobia or something like that its the fear of the number 13 and as far as i know i have no clue how they cure it its just wierd and superstitous and drives ppl insane
    References :

  5. Erika M on Sun, 15th Nov 2009 3:05 pm

    6. I have a phobia of claymation….I don’t have any idea why….I have panic attacks when I watch it….I can’t even watch Rudolph at Christmas time. My husband & kids love it though…so, I try to watch a little more each year….I have gotten through 15 minutes this last Christmas :-)
    References :

  6. Smartassawhip on Sun, 15th Nov 2009 3:07 pm

    7. I don’t know about "the most unusual phobia" but I don’t think that matters. I worked as a RN in psychiatry and took many post grad courses in psychology. Phobias are all irrational but they are the easiest problem for a psychologist to help with.

    Systematic desensitization is the treatment method used and it is extremely effective. The issue is, does the phobia interfere with your life. I have a fear of heights but it doesn’t stop me from doing anything I have to do or anything I want to do.

    I will never be able to sky dive, but so what? If the phobia interferes with your life or with your enjoyment of life, then it’s time to get treatment for it.
    References :

  7. V H B on Sun, 15th Nov 2009 3:09 pm

    8. Ablutophobia is the fear of bathing or washing. People who have this usual have had a bad experience in the bath. It is a really difficult phobia to overcome because you have to become sort of immune to the fear and the only way to do that is to do it. So you have to start off slowly like get close to a wash cloth then the next time the wash cloth will be wet. Then add soap to the wet wash cloth and slowly get used to the idea. Eventually after a while getting in a bath will be easy but it will take a while.
    References :

  8. x.yakusoku on Sun, 15th Nov 2009 3:11 pm

    9. In a movie called "Awakenings" this woman was afraid of pens, and whenever she saw them she would start screaming.
    References :

  9. Shon on Sun, 15th Nov 2009 3:13 pm

    10. there is research that shows exposure therapy is the most effective form of treatment, its a gradual process of exposure to the phobia, but should not be done indpendently but under suppervision of a trained therapist. but for simple fears that are not all that tramatic you just gotta cowboy up and face your fear, but remember some fears are natural and have a self preservation quality to them.
    References :
    psych grad student, have worked in mental health field for 6 years

  10. Rhonda on Sun, 15th Nov 2009 10:55 pm

    11. Unusual phobias, identify, overcome, how?
    What’s the most unusual phobia that you have ever heard of and do you know if the person was cured of his/her phobia and if yes, how?

Tell me what you're thinking...
and oh, if you want a pic to show with your comment, go get a gravatar!





 

Spam Protection by WP-SpamFree

category=32