Phobia is a neurotic disorder. Fear is a natural and welcome response to an emergency. And it can save our lives. However, it also happens that it completely paralyzes them. How to distinguish good fear from phobias?

What isphobia ? Science classifies it asnervous disorder . It isanxietyrelated to a specific object, situation or even image, remaining in extreme disproportion to the scale of the threat. A phobia, then, would be a mere fear if there were an external factor justifying such a strong emotional response. Meanwhile, the patient is aware of the inadequacy of his behavior to the situation, but he is unable to control his fear. Therefore, he begins to avoid situations that provoke him. And in extreme cases, a phobia can completely paralyze his life.

Phobia is a disease

Anxiety disorders are the most common mental he alth problems. It is assumed that they affect every 10 people, and according to pessimistic estimates, they affect every 5 people in Poland, much more often women than men.

Phobia - different faces of fear

Under the name phobias there are various behaviors, and these are also the causes of anxiety, often completely incomprehensible to outside observers. Basically, phobias are divided into two groups: social phobia and specific phobias. The former, commonly known as morbid shyness, is related to social situations. Affected people fear that in the presence of others they will do something that will ridicule them, humiliate them or embarrass them. Being the center of attention is a highly uncomfortable situation for them. Therefore, they start to avoid people and exclude themselves from social or professional life.

It is estimated that this problem affects 2-5 percent of the population. Among the specific phobias, agoraphobia is the most common. It means fear of open space, but also of human communities, public transport, and shopping centers. People suffering from it fear that in any critical situation they will not be able to escape in time, avoid the threat. For this reason, they often fall into isolation.

Many of us, especially those who are not affected by the problem, try to downplay it: "Oh, that's fear …" - they think dismissively. Meanwhile, one should realize that a phobia is a disease that, like any otheranother must first be diagnosed and then treated. The more so that medicine and psychotherapy are able to effectively help people struggling with anxiety paralyzing their lives.

Phobia - at the root of the disease

Psychiatrists see the causes of phobias in trauma, sometimes going back to childhood, experiences that an adult may not even remember. The well-known psychologist Abraham P. Sperling promoted the view that at the source of phobias lies the so-called the repression mechanism by which sufferers try to deal with fear. This fear, when transferred to an object or a specific situation, causes a phobia, leading over time to states that prevent normal existence.

Phobia - face her

Man is willing to defend himself against suffering in any way that is most easily accessible. Therefore, in the event of a phobia, it avoids situations that cause fear and dread. This does not however solve the problem. Each escape goes to time. When it turns out to be impossible, the phobia strikes with redoubled force, causing unbearable panic, sometimes life-threatening and even he alth-threatening. So this is definitely not the way.

As in many other ailments, it is important to “entrust” your fear to specialists at the earliest possible stage. Most often, a patient seeking help from a psychiatrist requires pharmacotherapy first. By reducing anxiety and suffering, it enables cooperation with the therapist.

Important

What are we afraid of, or the types of phobias

  • aerophobia - fear of leaving the earth's surface; not only before flying by plane, but also using the elevator
  • agoraphobia - fear of open space and leaving the house
  • acrophobia - fear of heights
  • arachnophobia - fear of spiders
  • brontophobia - fear of lightning
  • dromophobia - fear of traveling
  • insectophobia - fear of insects
  • carcinophobia - fear of getting cancer
  • claustrophobia - fear of tight spaces and narrow passages
  • xenophobia - fear of strangers
  • myzophobia - fear of getting dirty
  • Nyctophobia - fear of the dark
  • ochlophobia - fear of crowds
  • thanatophobia - fear of death
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Category:

Psychiatry