More than 10 million adults in the united states suffer from some sort of phobia, according to the national institute of mental health. These exaggerated fears--whether of spiders, needles ( see page 100 ), snakes, heights, social situations ( see page 92 ) or even public spaces ( see page 94 )--can become so all-consuming that they interfere with daily life. The good news is that over the past several decades, psychologists and other researchers have developed some effective behavioral and pharmacological treatments for phobia, as well as technological interventions.
Now researchers are taking the next step, says psychologist and phobia researcher arne öhman, phd, of the clinical neuroscience department at the karolinska institute in sweden.
These phobias often surround more everyday activities and can impact a person’s life more than specific phobias. They tend to develop when we’re adults and stem from deep-rooted anxiety about a particular situation or circumstance. Two of the most common complex phobias are: agoraphobia - this is when someone feels anxious about being in a certain place or situation where it’s difficult for them to escape if they have a panic attack. This can lead them to avoid busy or crowded environments, travelling on public transport or even being alone. Social phobia - also known as social anxiety disorder, this phobia centres around social situations and interactions.
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Much is still unknown about the actual cause of specific phobias. Causes may include:
negative experiences: many phobias develop as a result of having a negative experience or panic attack related to a specific object or situation. Genetics and environment: there may be a link between your own specific phobia and the phobia or anxiety of your parents — this could be due to genetics or learned behavior. Brain function: changes in brain functioning also may play a role in developing specific phobias.
What are the risk factors of developing specific phobia?
these factors may increase your risk of specific phobias:
your age: specific phobias can first appear in childhood, usually by age 10, but can occur later in life.
Specific phobias are persistent fears of specific situations, objects, people or activities that are considered irrational and excessive (e. G. The sight of blood, insects, flying, heights). Unlike experiencing brief fear, anxiety, or discomfort provoked by certain situations (e. G. Giving a presentation) or objects (e. G. Seeing a spider), specific phobias are long lasting, produce intense psychological and physical reactions and can even trigger excessive anxiety by just thinking about the source of the phobia. These phobias can often be accompanied by a sense of danger that is irrational or exaggerated. Individuals with specific phobias will often go to great lengths to avoid situations where they may have to face the source of the specific phobia in a way that can severely restrict and impact their daily life.
A specific phobia is an anxiety or fear linked to a specific situation or trigger. Phobias are excessive, irrational, persistent fears that can interfere with the way people live their lives. Most people have some form of phobia or fear, for example spiders, snakes, flying or heights. Although people can often either manage their fears or avoid the situations that trigger them, for others the phobias can cause much more of a problem. For example: avoiding walking down the street because of a fear of dogs avoiding needles and injections even when ill avoiding certain types of food causing an unhealthy diet.