Phobias

Phobia is a type of anxiety disorder. It is a strong irrational fear of a particular object, activity or situation. People suffering from this disorder may feel:
· Panic and fear;
· Rapid heartbeat;
· Shortness of breath;
· Strong desire to get away;

One survey has showed that fears of crowds, death, injury, illness and separation are more common among people in their sixties. In compare, fears of snakes, heights, storm, enclosures or social situations are prevalent among 20-year olds. As we can see, fears become more reasonable as the years pass.

Another interesting data shows that women have much more phobias than men do. Also, Latin Americans twice as many of them as white Americans.

The reason of all phobias is held in behavioral psychology. It is believed that fears are learned through classical conditioning – two events that occur close together in time become closely associated in a persons mind. If one event triggers a fear response, the other may also raise it.

The first phobia I would like to introduce is arachnophobia. It is a fear of spiders. People suffering from this phobia try to avoid any area they can meet spiders or their webs. Reason for this phobia is held in evolutionary psychology. It is believed that fear was transmitted genetically. Ancestors who avoid venomous animals like spiders tend to survive longer.

Another phobia I would like to talk is very common in these days. Agoraphobia – fear of situations in which escape is difficult. This phobia may include crowded areas or open spaces. Moreover agoraphobia is usually experienced in conjunction with panic attacks.

So it would be interesting to know how phobias are treated. Every theoretical model has its own approach to treat phobias but behavioral techniques are more widely used.
The first technique is systematic desensitization. People learn to relax gradually facing the objects or situations they are afraid.
Another way is flooding. Clients are forced to face their feared objects or situations without relaxation training.
And the last way to treat specific phobias is modeling. A therapist confronts the fear objects and shows that there is no danger.
However, treatment of social fears was successful only the recent years. The patients are given medication or they have to develop social skills.

Even though you have a phobia, don’t be upset. Many famous people had really irrational fears. Queen Elizabeth I was afraid of roses, Napoleon Bonaparte, Cesar and Alexander the great had a phobia of cats.

All in all phobias is not very serious disorder, until it doesn’t damage your life.

References: Comer, Ronald J. „Abnormal psychology“