"The Fear of being out of control?"
Phobia and Phobia Treatment
The whole purpose of our web site is to help educate and guide you in your search for answers. We want to teach you how to take control of your anxiety symptoms whether they come in the form of panic attacks, agoraphobia, a phobia, or obsessive compulsive disorder.
Behind all these anxiety symptoms is the issue of fear - the fear of being out of control over some person place or thing. We find ourselves overwhelmed and shaken because of real or perceived trauma or personal crises. We feel a sense of dread or feel out of control.
One of the most important things I can do is help you understand fear, which brings us to the discussion of phobias.
What is a phobia and how we go about offering phobia treatment?
A phobia is a strong, persistent fear of a situation, object, person, place or activity which has become excessive, and causes a person to avoid the feared subject. When the fear reaches a point where it is beyond one's control, or if the fear interferes with daily life, a diagnosis of phobia under what we call anxiety disorders can be made. Phobia treatment is a specialized procedure. Phobia treatment involves teaching the client to learn how to face their fears. We carefully lay out reasonable steps, rather than excessive exposure, with persistent and frequent exposure to their source of fear.. Phobia treatment also requires you understand the nature of the client's personality. How a client has learned to see the world and deal with that world from childhood has huge implications as to the development of fear or a phobia. If phobia treatment does not include investigating the sources of the fear or phobia and then deal with its symptoms, the phobias can return and may present in another form. Phobia treatment must be focused. Phobia treatment must be individualized and tailored to the client's individual needs, issues and conflicts. You can follow the links below for more information about phobias and phobia treatment.
More about phobias
Why do we develop a phobia? In many cases it appears a phobia develops from a combination of external events and internal predispositions. The fear of snakes, {ophidiphobia}, or the fear of spiders, {arachnophobia}, are very common and may be rooted in an evolutionary trait that conditioned humans to fear certain creatures that pose harm.
Research indicates, in more severe anxiety disorder issues, there may be a lack of Serotonin in the brain which effects one's cognitive acquity, affective stability and impulse control. I always stop to consider genetic, chemical or other physiological factors that would impact one's susceptibility to anxiety disorders, in this case, a phobia. I carefully evaluate all factors when I assess and treat each client.
Of course there is the reality some people have "learned" to fear things they do not understand or have been taught to fear. Witness a man such as the late Steve Irwin, the "Crocodile Hunter" whose daughter may not have a predisposed fear because she has been exposed to reptiles etc. since infancy.
In my practice, some of the many phobias I have seen can be traced back to a specific triggering event. Usually this event is a trauma that was experienced at some early age, where one felt out of control. Look at the high incidence of phobia to elevators or flying. In some cases, the individuals actually experienced a trauma in an elevator or plane thus triggering such a phobia. Some may have a predisposition to feel confined or trapped. In many cases, the phobia actually developed because the anxiety experienced in these places or situations was caused by other issues and conflicts in their lives. In other words, a person may be in an elevator, alone with their thoughts and begin to feel so out of control or overwhelmed because of personal crises in their lives. These thoughts bring about a flood of anxiety. Since this anxiety occurred in an elevator they develop a phobia, or fear of elevators.
A social phobia is more complex. Social phobia may have genetic or heredity factors included as well as many learned fears.
Agoraphobia, a phobia I spend at least forty percent of my practice treating, occurs when one's fear of experiencing anxiety or panic feelings leads one to avoid situations more and more, eventually leading them to become housebound. Agoraphobia has more complex causes that are not entirely known at this time.
It is my belief learned experiences combined with a society that does not prepare or teach its youth to deal with change, difficult situations, or think through conflicts plays a major role in the development of anxiety disorders and phobias.
More about Phobia Treatment
Phobia treatment usually includes a combination of approaches. In most cases, a phobia can be effectively treated through "systematic desensitization." Systematic desensitization is a process whereby a person is exposed to what they fear in small, controllable bites. This is less overwhelming but still allows him to feel some anxiety. They soon realize they can work through their anxiety until the fear dissipates. In other words, the person gradually feels control over the phobia.
Another effective technique for phobia treatment is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. CBT is an approach I use to enable clients to understand and break the cycle of negative thought patterns and teaches them to change these thought patterns.
Phobia treatment may also include anti-anxiety medications such as the Benzodiazepines {Xanax} and/or anti-depressants such as the SSRIs [Zoloft, Paxil, Celexa]. These medications can hopefully be used for the short term.
These phobia treatment options are not mutually exclusive. I work closely with primary care physicians and psychiatrists to set up a phobia treatment plan.