Specific or simple phobias centre around a particular object, animal, situation or activity. They often develop during childhood or adolescence and may become less severe as you get older. Common examples of simple phobias include:
animal phobias – such as dogs, spiders, snakes or rodents
environmental phobias – such as heights, deep water and germs
situational phobias – such as visiting the dentist or flying
bodily phobias – such as blood, vomit or having injections
sexual phobias – such as performance anxiety or the fear of getting a sexually transmitted infection (sti).
A phobia is an irrational fear of something that’s unlikely to cause harm. The word itself comes from the greek word“phobos,” which means “fear” or “horror. ”hydrophobia, for example, literally translates to fear of water. When someone has a phobia, they experience intense fear of a certain object or situation. Phobias are different from regular fears because they cause significant distress, possibly interfering with life at home, work, or school. People with phobias actively avoid the phobic object or situation, or they endure it with intense fear or anxiety. In the diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders, 5th edition (dsm-5), the american psychiatric association outlines several of the most common phobias.
Specific or simple phobias
There are three main groups of phobias which include:
specific (simple) phobias, which are the most common and focus on specific objects
social phobia, which causes extreme anxiety in social or public situations, and
agoraphobia, which is the fear of being alone in public places from which there is no easy escape. Specific or simple phobias produce intense fear of a particular object or situation that is, in fact, relatively safe.
People who suffer from specific phobias are aware that their fear is irrational, but the thought of facing the object or situation often brings on a panic attack or severe anxiety.
Specific or simple phobias, such as a fear of heights (acrophobia), usually develop during childhood. Simple phobias can often be linked to an early negative childhood experience. For example, if you're trapped in a confined space when you're young, you may develop a fear of enclosed spaces (claustrophobia) when you're older. It's also thought that phobias can sometimes be "learnt" from an early age. For example, if someone in your family has a fear of spiders (arachnophobia), you may also develop the same fear yourself. Other factors in the family environment, such as having parents who are particularly anxious, may also affect the way you deal with anxiety later in life.
Social phobia is an anxiety disorder triggered by social events or interaction. Phobia is a type of anxiety disorder in human beings which is characterized by the persistent fear of objects and situations. Approximately 9% to 18% of people in the us are thought to struggle with one or more phobias. For a fear of an object or situation to be considered a phobia, it has to be long-lasting, for six months or more. Victims of phobia usually take caution and sometimes even dangerous measures to avoid contact and experience with their cause of fear. The fear is developed after a horrible experience, either to the victim or somebody else, the fear might be genetic and inborn, or it might develop after a negative experience.
The following medications are effective for the treatment of phobias. Beta blockers side effects may include an upset stomach , fatigue , insomnia , and cold fingers. Antidepressants serotonin reuptake inhibitors (ssris) are commonly prescribed for people with phobias. They affect serotonin levels in the brain, and this can result in better moods. Ssris may initially cause nausea, sleeping problems, and headaches. If the ssri does not work, the doctor may prescribe a monoamine oxidase inhibitor (maoi) for social phobia. Individuals on an maoi may have to avoid certain types of food. Side effects may initially include dizziness, an upset stomach, restlessness, headaches, and insomnia.