The word phobia originates from the Greek word ‘phobos’ which means fear. A phobia is a type of anxiety which is related to an exaggerated perception of danger from a particular stimulus. As far back as mankind can go, we have developed general fears as part of our learning experience and these fears have been passed down and become an innate part of our survival instinct. Think of learning that lions or bears are dangerous, the same goes for cliff edges and poisonous insects etc.
Fear is still a useful part of our awareness in modern times as its primary function is to protect us from harm. However, if we have an irrational reaction of fear to an object or situation that in fact poses little real danger – then this is termed a phobia.
Specific phobias can generally be placed into one of the following categories:
- Fear of danger from animals/insects (dogs, snakes, spiders etc.)
- Fear of danger from environment (cliff edges, water, fire, thunderstorms etc.)
- Fear of danger from injury (blood, broken bones, medical, dentists etc.)
- Fear of danger from activities/situations (crossing bridges, flying, elevators etc.)
Phobias can be learned by watching the experience of significant others, but more than often, a phobia is created when a person endures a scary experience related to a specific object and/or situation. This experience would have included shock, danger, pain – singly or in combination. Then the subconscious mind relates that type of object or situation to possible danger and thus a reaction of fear is attached to any future situation that arises. It is important to note that the original situation does not necessarily include real danger, but a perceived element of danger – as is often the case of situations experienced by young children. Furthermore, the future situations do not necessarily even need the same object or situation to occur for the person to experience the anxiety related to it. Often just the thought of the object or situation having possibility to return is enough to induce the exact same reaction.
The reaction is most often an intensifying build-up of physical anxiety whereby the person cannot function normally. If the perceived danger persists or comes closer then a full panic response can occur. This will remain until the object/situation has been removed and the person is able to calm down and feel safe once again. Firstly, the person will do whatever they can to avoid the situation altogether.
To understand how phobias disrupt the sufferer’s life, we need to consider the difference between a real danger as in being in a jungle and faced with an angry cobra snake to that of being scared to drive to work past the local zoo due to knowing that a snake lives there. Another example might be being very cautious of going near an open rocky cliff edge as opposed to being able to sit on your friend’s balcony and enjoy a cup of coffee. Often, the sufferer knows that the fear is somewhat irrational but still finds themselves helpless to be able to control the response.
Common Phobias
There are numerous different phobias induced by specific stimuli. Here are some of the more common examples (note how we can understand them, even if we do not suffer from these):
Achluophobia – the fear of darkness
Acrophobia – the fear of heights
Aqua/hydrophobia – the fear of water
Aerophobia – the fear of flying
Agoraphobia – fear of being helpless
Algophobia – the fear of pain
Arachnophobia – the fear of spiders
Astraphobia – the fear of thunder & lightening
Autophobia – the fear of being alone
Claustrophobia – the fear of crowded or confined spaces
Hemophobia – the fear of blood
Ophidiophobia – the fear of snakes
Pyrophobia – the fear of fire
Zoophobia – the fear of animals
The most common of all reported phobias is Glossophobia – the fear of speaking in public.
(Please see the article devoted to this specific phobia by clicking here).
Another more general and common condition is sometimes referred to as ‘Social phobia’ which is a fear of places or situations where there are other people that may require some form of interaction. Another term for this is ‘Social anxiety disorder’.
There are many more phobias that tend to me much more unique and unusual.
Here is a list of some examples:
Alektorophobia – the fear of chickens
Anthophobia – the fear of flowers
Arithmophobia – the fear of numbers
Bibliophobia – the fear of books
Catoptrophobia – the fear of mirrors
Chronomentrophobia – the fear of clocks
Cryophobia – the fear of ice or being cold
Dendrophobia – the fear of trees
Heliophobia – the fear of the sun
Leukophobia – the fear of the colour white
Melanophobia – the fear of the colour black
Microphobia – the fear of small things
Necrophobia – the fear of death and/or dead things
Ombrophobia – the fear of rain
Papyrophobia – the fear of paper
Podophobia – the fear of feet
Pogonophobia – the fear of beards
Somniphobia – the fear of sleep
In actual fact, the list of phobias is limitless as virtually any stimuli can induce a phobic reaction. As time progresses new phobias arise too. Nomophobia is the fear of being without a computer or smartphone.
It is not hard to imagine then how if somebody has a deep fear of one or more of these objects or situations, how it can disrupt and limit the quality of their life (and also those around them). Good career opportunities are lost, holidays can be stressful or impossible, and in some cases the person may even end up being totally imprisoned within their own home as the only measure of avoidance. Additionally, severe phobias can also lead to other issues like depression and substance abuse.
Help is Here
Those that suffer from a very specific stimulus can sometimes go through life by learning how to avoid the object or situation, like taking a different route to town or work to avoid a bridge, or ensuring a career where no air travel is required. Others may find it more difficult and therefore need to seek professional phobia cure treatment.
Traditionally the treatment for phobias included anxiety reducing medication and psychotherapy. The latter would consist of a combination of talk therapy and gradual practical exercises to introduce limited exposure to the object or situation in order to desensitise, eventually decrease and hopefully eradicate the anxiety response attached. The downside to this treatment was the length of time required to achieve the results – often taking many sessions sometimes running into years of therapy.
The good news is that more recently there has been great advancement made in the treatment of phobias through other newer treatment methods. These methods are much less intense and can often see a reduction in the anxiety in a very short time. In many cases the phobia is cured altogether. My coaching toolbox of strategies includes applications that have very good success in treating phobias.
If you are suffering from some form of phobia, regardless of what it may be – please connect with me to find out how I can help you.