Happy Sunday guys ^^
Whoaaaa…..
It’s a lovely day for blogging. Hmm….hmmm…. It’s been a while since I posted the
last article. Today, I’m thinking to share an article about phobia. You know, PHOBIA!!!
Well, I have my own interest about this kind of anxiety disorder. FYI, I’ve
been suffering from this a lot. Yeah, a lot, I mean it. I’m scoleciphobic. “Skolex”
means worm, maggot, or grub, and "phobos" means fear. So, worms plus
fear equals fear of worms. Yep, I have an extreme fear of worm, earthworms, in particular.
Anyway… What are phobias exactly??? Here you
go~~~~~~
What are Phobias?
A phobia is an excessive and irrational fear reaction. It is an abnormally fearful response to a danger
that is imagined or is irrationally exaggerated. The fear can be of a certain place,
situation, or object. Unlike general
anxiety disorders, a phobia is usually connected to something
specific.
Phobias affect people of all ages, from all walks of life, and
in every part of the world. People with phobias often realize their fear is
irrational, but are unable to do anything about it. They will experience a deep sense of dread,
and sometimes panic, upon encountering the source of your fear.
(That’s
IT!!! I do know it sounds ridiculous. How come you afraid of those tiny
disgusting things?? But that’s what I feel; irrational fear of worms. Even the
thought of them really freaked me out. And I just can’t explain why. +____+)
Phobias can be caused by genetic and environmental reasons.
Children who have a close relative with an anxiety disorder are at risk for
developing a phobia. Distressing events can bring on a phobia. Exposure to confined
spaces, extreme temperatures, nearly drowning, or an animal or insect bite can
all be sources of phobias.
Those with a genetic predisposition for anxiety are at a high
risk for phobias. Age, socioeconomic status, and gender only seem to be risk factors for certain
phobias. For example: women are more likely to have animal phobias. Children or
people with low socioeconomic status often have social phobias. Men make up the
majority of those with dentist and doctor phobias.
(To
be frank, I am not sure when and how or why I developed this phobia, but it has
gotten worse and worse. It embarrassed me soooo soooo much. My friends find it
hilarious, but of course, I Do Not. I remember it clearly. The doom days when
the phobia really freaked me out. It happened when I was in senior high school.
Holy gee!!! I didn’t know how biology class turned to gardening class. I’ve
tried my best to hide this fact, but I lost my defense when those stupid
friends hold the earthworms
in the air and started throwing them at me. It
was no joke!!! Really!)
What are the Symptoms of Phobias?
Phobias are emotional and physical reactions
to feared objects or situations. Phobic
symptoms can occur through exposure to the fear object or situation, or
sometimes simply thinking about the feared object can lead to a response. The most common and disabling symptom of a
phobia is a panic attack. Features of a panic attack include:
- dizziness or lightheadedness
- breathlessness
- upset stomach or nausea
- fear of dying
- feelings of panic, dread, horror, or terror
- pounding or racing heart
- rapid speech or inability to speak
- dry mouth
- elevated blood pressure
- trembling or shaking
- chest pain or tightness
- choking sensation
- profuse sweating
- sense of impending doom
A person with a phobia does not have to
have panic attacks for accurate diagnosis. The intensity of anxiety can vary
among those with phobias.
(During
those holy spooky creepy days, when I was about to cry, and started screaming
and running here and there, those crazy friends enjoyed the show. They found it
amusing, while I was about to die *hiks* They were no help at all =___=” . The
experience of phobia is really awful. I start feeling panic, horror, and
trembling. I really can’t control myself of being dreadful.)
Different Types of Phobias
Phobias are divided into categories according to the
cause of the reaction and avoidance.
- Agoraphobia
Agoraphobia is the fear of being alone in any
place or situation where it seems escape would be difficult or help unavailable
should the need arise. People with agoraphobia may avoid being on bridges, busy
streets or in crowded stores. Some people with agoraphobia become so disabled
they literally will not leave their homes. If they do, it is only with great
distress or when accompanied by a friend or family member.
- Social Phobia
A person with social phobia
fears being watched or humiliated while doing something in front of others. The
activity is often as mundane as signing a personal check or eating a meal. The
most common social phobia is the fear of speaking in public. Many people have a
generalized form of social phobia, in which they fear and avoid interpersonal
interactions. This makes it difficult for them to go to work or school or to
socialize at all. Social phobias generally develop after puberty and, without
treatment, can be lifelong.
- Specific Phobia
As the name implies, people
with a specific phobia generally have an irrational fear of specific objects or
situations. The disability caused by this phobia can be severe if the feared
object or situation is a common one. The most common specific phobia in the
general population is fear of animals—particularly dogs, snakes, insects, and
mice. Other specific phobias are fear of closed spaces (claustrophobia) and
fear of heights (acrophobia). Most simple phobias develop during childhood and
eventually disappear. Those that persist into adulthood rarely go away without
treatment.
(Aaahhh… I see… So, I’m
included to those who suffer specific phobias. I can’t help myself if I experience
agoraphobia or social phobia.)
Treatment for Phobias
There are a number of treatment approaches for
phobias. The effectiveness of a treatment depends on the individual and the
type of phobia. These are just a few potential phobia treatments:
- Exposure
treatment
In exposure treatments,
the patient is exposed to the fear object in order to help them overcome their
fear. One type of exposure treatment is flooding, in which the patient
is confronted by the fear object for an extended length of time without the
opportunity to escape. The goal of this method is to help the individual face
their fear and realize that the fear object will not harm them.
- Counter-conditioning
method
Another method often used in
phobia treatment is counter-conditioning.
In this method, the patient is taught a new response to the fear object. Rather
that panic in the face of the feared object or situation, the client learns
relaxation techniques to replace anxiety and fear. This new behavior is
incompatible with the previous panicked response, so the phobic response
gradually fades. Counter-conditioning is often used with patients who are
unable to handle exposure treatments.
The other ways to get effective relief can be gained
through either cognitive behavior therapy, medication, or a combination of both.
(If
I’m not mistaken, I’ve done exposure treatment once, by the help of a friend. I
asked her dig the soil and find that thing. It didn’t work because I just did
it for a couple of minutes. I couldn’t bear having face to face meeting with
it. I just let it go. I still experience this phobia until now. I don’t do any
treatment to get rid of this anxiety disorder. All I can do for avoiding the
reunion with those little creatures, I try to keep away from any things which
has to do with soil. And I don’t experience many doom days as before. As long
as I don’t see them, it is OK. I just hope this phobia doesn’t trouble me a
lot.)
Okaaayy…. That’s all the
information about phobias. If you have people with this psychological problem,
please treat them well. Don’t take their phobias as joke which you can laugh
at. It’s totally unfunny joke. Anyway… thanks for reading ^^
Cr::
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