Most of us use the ‘word’ phobia rather casually. We often hear such exclamations as, “I really hate Maths… I think I have a phobia of numbers!” or “I don’t socialize much- It’s like I have social phobia!” But what really is a phobia, and how is it different from the more generic, everyday fear we experience?
Psychologists would describe a phobia as a type of anxiety disorder where one has an irrational and excessive fear of an object or situation. Someone with a phobia will experience distress so intense, that they will go to any lengths to avoid the source of the fear. On the other hand, fear, in the generic sense of the the word, is a survival mechanism hardwired into our brains, that helps us react to danger and protect ourselves from harm. Unlike phobias, fear is a normal part of our daily lives and does not usually debilitate an individual.
Phobias may be specific, that is, involving particular objects, like spiders, dogs or needles, or they may be linked to certain events or circumstances, such as social situations.
Some common phobias (with their fancy names) include:
- Social phobia – fear of being in places with a lot of people
- Agoraphobia – fear of being somewhere with no support, away from home, open spaces
- Claustrophobia – fear of being in constricted, confined spaces
- Aerophobia – fear of flying
- Arachnophobia – fear of spiders
Living with a phobia can be an extremely challenging task. When faced with the object of their phobia, a person may experience tremendous feelings of dread, sweating, shortness of breath, trembling and nausea. Some may even experience a fear of dying, or a sense of unreality. Further, one may end up missing out on opportunities in life, simply to avoid the unpleasantness of anxiety.
What Happens to Someone with a Phobia?
There are two ways in which a person with a phobia may react to the source of their fear. This also helps differentiate a phobia from a generic, less severe fear.
Experience Severe and Incapacitating Distress and Anxiety
Take glossophobia, for example. Glossophobia is the extreme fear of public speaking, or of speaking in general. This extends beyond the classroom fear that had us all praying that the teacher wouldn’t pick on us to answer that trigonometry problem. A person with glossophobia would panic at the mere thought of communication with even a small group of people. Granted, a person with “normal” stage fright would also experience some anxiety before making a boardroom presentation, for example, but they would be able to deliver despite this fear. In contrast, one with glossophobia could experience symptoms like hyperventilation, trembling, sweating, and stammering. Needless to say, such an emotional state would not allow for a very effective conference-room presentation, and could be extremely embarrassing for the individual dealing with the phobia.
Engage in Avoidant Behaviours, and Evade the Feared Object Completely:
So How do you deal with a Phobia?
“The first step toward change is awareness. The second step is acceptance.” -Nathaniel Branden
In order to get over a phobia, it is important to first acknowledge and accept your fears. No matter how out-of-control your fears seem, know that it is well within your reach to control, if not completely overcome your phobia, with the help of adequate support and curative measures. Stay tuned for our next post that will talk about managing and overcoming a phobia.
Do let us know what you think about fears and phobias, what your experiences have been like here
Post Contributed By: Suneha Sethi
Suneha is a student of psychology and is currently interning with us. At Inner Space, she helps in writing blog posts and articles that could be helpful. She also helps in sharing meaningful content on social media.
