Some phobic reactions appear to the non-phobic onlooker to be absurd, but, to the sufferer it can be a truly horrifying experience indeed. An acquaintance of mine is dreadfully phobic of green tree frogs (a la Kermit). To the onlooker, non-phobic of these tiny creatures, the reaction may appear extreme indeed. Screaming, perspiring, pale, almost cataleptic and totally terrified. People have been known to faint during these episodes of terror, mother natures way of protecting us from pain and horror.
It is not always known where the individuals phobia developed, or at what point in life the seed of irrational fear became implanted in that part of the mind responsible for such things. At other times, its easier, after some analysis, to decipher when and whence it came.
Here is a brief example that eminates from an experience I had with a client who was phobic about syringes and injections, that is, trypanophobia. As a youngster he was taken to the doctors for the normal vaccinations that we have in early life. He was afraid, as is quite natural. A combination of things then unfolded which lay the grounds for a future phobia. He was anxious and crying, the doctor was, I'm told, less than understanding, and indicated to the parents that he should be firmly held and restrained firmly during the procedure. The father was shouting, mother almost hysterical and in tears. Due to the muscular tensions developed during this minor tussle, the injection was far more painful than it could have been. Ergo, there we have it, the seed of a future pattern for the reaction to a simple injection. It stands to reason from a child's perspective that if a grown up is distraught in such a situation, then it must be terrifying indeed! After all, grown ups know best, do they not?
Most professionals classify phobias into three categories:
- Social phobia, also known as social anxiety disorder - fears involving other people or social situations such as performance anxiety or fears of embarrassment by scrutiny of others, such as eating in public. Social phobia may be further subdivided into
- generalized social phobia, and
- specific social phobia, which are cases of anxiety triggered only in specific situations.
- The symptoms may extend to psychosomatic manifestation of physical problems. For example, sufferers of paruresis find it difficult or impossible to urinate in reduced levels of privacy. That goes beyond mere preference. If the condition triggers, the person physically cannot empty their bladder.
- Specific phobias - fear of a single specific panic trigger such as spiders, snakes, dogs, elevators, water, waves, flying, balloons, catching a specific illness, etc.
- Agoraphobia - a generalized fear of leaving home or a small familiar 'safe' area, and of possible panic attacks that might follow.
According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition (DSM-IV), social phobia, specific phobia, and agoraphobia are sub-groups of anxiety disorder.
Many of the specific phobias, such as fear of dogs, heights, spiders and so forth, are extensions of fears that a lot of people have. People with these phobias specifically avoid the entity they fear.
Phobias vary in severity among individuals. Some individuals can simply avoid the subject of their fear and suffer only relatively mild anxiety over that fear. Others suffer fully-fledged panic attacks with all the associated disabling symptoms. Most individuals understand that they are suffering from an irrational fear, but are powerless to override their initial panic reaction.
Hypnotherapy is an excellent modality which is used to remove the associations that trigger a phobic reaction.
Some therapists use virtual reality or imagery exercise to desensitize patients to the feared entity. These are parts of systematic desensitization therapy.
Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) can be beneficial. Cognitive behavioral therapy lets the patient understand the cycle of negative thought patterns, and ways to change these thought patterns. CBT may be conducted in a group setting. Gradual desensitisation treatment and CBT are often successful, provided the patient is willing to endure some discomfort and to make a continuous effort over a long period of time.
Below you will find a link to a comprehensive list of phobias, maybe you'll discover one that you have that you didnt even know existed!!!
http://www.phobialist.com/reverse.html
All the best for now .... see you at www.cqhypnosis.com
Dan
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