Phobia:Manage and Treatment

 Phobia is an irrational, intense and persistent fear of a specific object, activity or situation.
Fear comes in different forms and types and is no respecter of personality. Phobias affects about 50 to 100 persons in 1000. An estimated 20million Americans suffer from different types of phobias and millions more worldwide suffers for different types of phobias. However because of this extreme and persistent fear, the phobic individual often lives a constricted and streamlined life.

Types of phobias

Acrophobia: The fear of heights. This particular phobia affects about five percent of the general population. These individuals tend to avoid tall places.

Agoraphobia: The fear of open, public places, such as market places, public vehicles and crowded mall. Agoraphobics often avoid these places until they eventually become housebound. Agoraphobia  begins in late adolescence or early adulthood.

Ophidiophobia: The fear of snakes. Snake phobics avoid certain places and environments.

Cynophobia: The fear of dogs. This people avoid everything that barks from small Poodles to large Great Danes. These individuals are terrified at the sight of dogs and most times they are afraid the dog might bite them.

Catoptrophobia: The fear of mirrors. Being afraid of what you might see in the mirror.

Agliophobia: The fear of pain. The fear of something painful, this people sometimes avoids beneficial situations or things with the fear it might be painful.

Arachnophobia: The fear of spiders. This affects women four times more than men. It is believed to affect about 48% women and 12% men.

Gerascophobia: The fear of getting old.  Some just want to be young forever, aging is natural and inevitable, however many just dont want to grow old.

Nosocomephobia: The fear of hospitals. Hospitals are places where a lot happens, especially those who dont like seeing blood, its a no go area. Except youre a health professional nobody seems to find hospitals fascinating.

Tokophobia: The fear of pregnancy. Although it is a joyful thing, it still scares some people. This involves giving birth or having children as the case may be.

Bathophobia: The fear of depths. It can be holes, deep waters, tunnels, caves. Etc.

Cacomorphobia: The fear of fat people. Being excessively fat scares some people. Watch your weight so you dont become an object of fear to cacomorphobics.

Mysophobia: The fear of germs. Also called Germophobia or Bacterophobia. Some people are just scared of germs. To avoid germs, make good hand washing a habit and use hand sanitizers.

Aphenphosmphobia: The fear of intimacy, these individuals are scared of being touched and love.

Astraphobia: The fear of thunder/lightning. Astraphobics are terrified by situations that can cause thunder or lightning e.g. rain.

Zoophobia: The fear of animals. Applies to all animals, big or small, dangerous or harmless.

Scelerophobia: Everybody is in a way scelerophobics which is the fear of crimes, being attacked by burglars, arm robbers or crimes in general.

Phasmophobia: The fear of ghosts.

Musophobia: The fear of mice.

Claustrophobia: The fear of small spaces like rooms, elevators and other enclosed spaces.

What Causes Phobias?

• Genetic factor

• Environmental factors

• Distressing events and Excessive Exposure to phobia prone situations.

• Medical factors

• Accident

• Substance abuse

• Depression

Symptoms of Phobias

List of common symptoms associated with phobias and disabling symptom of a phobia:

• Racing heart

• Shortness of breath

• Rapid speech or inability to speak

• Dry mouth

• Nausea

• Increase blood pressure

• Shaking

• Tightness in the chest

• Choking sensation

• Dizziness

• Profuse sweating

Treatments of phobias

• Medications

Medications have also been proved to be effective in the management of phobia Anti-anxiety drugs and Antidepressant drugs have also proved successful in treating some phobias.

• Systematic desensitization

This type of treatment and management of phobia involves gradually and progressively introducing the phobic person to objects, things and situations that are similar to the feared ones. However this must be done in a controlled setting and assures this situation is not harmful. This gradually fades and eliminates the fear.

Phobias can be treated and managed. If you're having any of the above symptoms it is advised you go for proper diagnosis. However if you're suffering from any type of phobia, it’s important  that you seek medical advice and treatment.