Phobia: Types, Symptoms, Causes and Treatment

What are Phobias?

Types of Phobias

Diagnosis of Phobias

Causes

Risk Factors

Signs and Symptoms of Phobias

Physical Symptoms

Psychological Symptoms

Behavioral Symptoms

Phobias Treatment Options

Medical Treatment

Psychotherapy

Systematic Desensitization

Inpatient Treatment vs. Outpatient Treatment

Home treatment for panic attacks - is it possible?

Process and Stages of Phobias Treatment in Vip Vorobjev Clinic

Is it possible to get rid of phobias on your own?

Average Duration of Treatment of Phobias

Effectiveness of Phobias Treatment

What are Phobias?

Phobia comes from the Greek word phóbos which means "fear" or "horror." True to its origin, a phobia is an intense, irrational, and persistent fear of a particular object, person, activity, or situation. This fear can be so overpowering that it can cause anxiety attacks or great distress and disrupt a person's way of life.

Types of Phobias

There are hundreds of known phobias categorized into three categories: specific phobias, social phobias, and agoraphobia.

Specific Phobias: as the term suggests, the phobia is particular to a certain object or situation. Specific phobias are divided into five types; animals, environment, injury, situation, and others (fear of choking, contracting an illness). According to the American Psychiatric Association, 75% of people with specific phobias tend to fear more than one object or situation. Some examples of these phobias are flying phobia, sex phobia, vomiting phobia, flooding phobia and weather phobia.

Social Phobias: this is a type of phobia where a normal social situation elicits extreme anxiety and unrealistic fear. Some of these are public speaking, eating or drinking in front of others, or fear of social contact in general. An example of a social phobia is school phobia.

Agoraphobia is an anxiety disorder where you fear being alone in public places. You feel trapped or unable to escape when no real danger is involved. You then experience overwhelming embarrassment, withdrawal, and even panic attacks.

Diagnosis of Phobias

Knowing the difference between a simple fear and a phobia is essential. Everyone will feel fear at some point in their lives. It is expected, especially when faced with an unfamiliar and dangerous situation. However, in contrast to phobia, fear is short-lived and does not affect your way of life.

Phobias are diagnosed through a tool used by mental health professionals worldwide called the DSM-5 (Diagnostic Statistical Manual, 5th Edition), authored by the American Psychiatric Association. The DSM-V provides the following criteria to diagnose phobia:

• Marked fear or anxiety about a specific object or situation.

• The phobic object or situation almost always provokes immediate fear or anxiety.

• The fear or anxiety is out of proportion to the actual danger posed by the specific object or situation and to the sociocultural context.

• The phobic object or situation is actively avoided or endured with intense fear or anxiety.

• The fear, anxiety, or avoidance causes clinically significant distress or impairment in social, occupational, or other important areas of functioning.

• The fear, anxiety, or avoidance is persistent, typically lasting six months or more.

• The disturbance is not better explained by the symptoms of another mental disorder, including fear, anxiety, and avoidance of situations associated with panic-like signs or other incapacitating symptoms; objects or situations related to obsessions; reminders of traumatic events; separation from home or attachment figures; or social situations.

Extracted from the DSM-V manual via https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK519704/table/ch3.t11/

Causes

There is not one identifiable cause of phobias. Instead, multiple factors are in play that contributes to a phobia's development. Some of these factors are:

• Distressing past events such as being confined in a small space, near-death experience, physical or sexual abuse, or life-threatening encounters with animals.

• Learned behaviour: your phobia might have been influenced by factors in your childhood environment. For example, you might have overprotective parents. This may significantly affect how you deal with stress and anxiety later in life.

• Long-term Stress: When you are stressed for a very long time, it can induce feelings of anxiety and even depression. You could withdraw yourself from others, making you prone to develop social phobia.

• Genetics: studies suggest that some people are more likely to develop a phobia than the others

Risk Factors

The risk factors for developing phobias are behavioural, environmental, and genetic. For example, traumatic encounters with environmental risk factors and dysfunctional family dynamics leading to emotional damage can increase the likelihood of an individual developing a particular phobia. Many phobias may also be caused by an interplay between genetics and various life experiences.

It was also observed that people with underlying medical conditions often exhibit phobias. For example, in recent studies, a history of traumatic brain injury increased the likelihood of having a social phobia and a specific phobia related to heights. Substance use is also implicated in the development of a phobia.

Signs and Symptoms of Phobias

Regardless of your phobia, you are likely to exhibit the same signs and symptoms. The physical symptoms in patients with a phobia are brought about by the release of adrenaline in the bloodstream, which brings them to a state of "fight or flight". On the other hand, the psychological and behavioural symptoms are fueled by the patient's anxiety. Some of these are discussed below.

Physical Symptoms

Sweating

Trembling

Increased heart rate or blood pressure

Shortness of breath

Feeling nauseous or dizzy

Difficulty of breathing

Dry mouth

Chest pain

Psychological Symptoms

A sudden feeling of intense fear/panic just by the thought of it or upon exposure

Worsening anxiety as the object/situation gets closer

Recognizing the fear is irrational but feeling powerless over it

Feelings of dread

Fear of dying

Behavioral Symptoms

Avoidance of the object or situation

Difficulty functioning normally because of the fear

Tantrums (in children)

Phobias Treatment Options

VIP Vorobjev Clinic is one of the leading institutions in the management of phobias. We adopt an individualized approach wherein the chosen therapy depends on the severity of the condition and the patient's readiness. There are various treatment options for the management of phobias. We have mental health professionals in these areas who are regarded as experts in their field, employing evidence-based treatments at our first-rate facility. The main treatment options revolve around phobia treatment psychology and are discussed below.

Medical Treatment of Phobias

Medications are not often used in treating phobias. However, medical therapy may be prescribed to treat the effects of phobias such as anxiety or panic attacks. These are some of the medications that may be prescribed:

Antidepressants: these are often prescribed to reduce anxiety in social phobia, panic attacks and agoraphobia. Your doctor will usually start with a low dose of SSRIs (Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors), which increases the availability of a "feel-good" chemical in your brain called serotonin. Examples of these medications are Prozac (Fluoxetine) and Zoloft (Sertraline).

Tranquillizers: Benzodiazepines can also be prescribed, which induce relaxation by reducing the brain's activity. Common benzodiazepines include Xanax (Alprazolam) and Valium (Diazepam).

Beta Blockers: these medications are often used in treating cardiovascular problems, but your doctor may prescribe these to address the palpitations or increased blood pressure resulting from anxiety. One of the most common beta blockers is Propranolol (Inderal).

In general, the use of these medications for anxiety is considered effective and safe as long as they are taken as prescribed.

Psychotherapy

Psychotherapy, also known as "talk therapy", has been proven to help in a wide range of psychiatric disorders. One of the common types of psychotherapy is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). In CBT, the therapist will identify unhealthy thoughts and behaviours so underlying issues fueling your fear may be addressed. CBT is highly effective in the treatment of social phobias and specific phobias such as driving phobia and commitment phobia.

Systematic Desensitization

Systematic desensitization is often utilized in the treatment of specific phobias such as dog phobia. This technique is used to induce relaxation when faced with a specific phobia, for example, the fear of spiders. Systematic desensitization follows a systematic process involving breathing control and relaxation techniques together with the introduction and the gradual exposure of the specific phobia over some time.

Inpatient Treatment vs. Outpatient Treatment

Inpatient Treatment

Patients receiving inpatient care must stay at our clinic facility under the constant supervision of a clinician. Throughout this procedure, our patients will undergo diagnostic tests and psychological evaluations to determine the extent of the phobia. Our specialists then follow an individualized treatment plan to help our patients recover. Our clinic also provides a stress-free environment with first-rate amenities for relaxation and keeping your mind and body in tune. At Vip Vorobjev, our facility boasts a vacation-like ambiance where you can be free and cope with your phobia.

Outpatient Treatment

For people with mild to moderate symptoms, outpatient treatment of phobias is ideal. Psychotherapy and, at times, medication is part of this treatment. For both psychological and physical checkups, the patient is required to come to our clinic as directed by the clinician.

Home treatment for panic attacks - is it possible?

Most panic attacks last from five minutes to one hour. Most of the symptoms are not life-threatening, but they can be frightening. There are ways to reduce panic attacks in the comfort of your home. Some of these are breathing exercises, taking medications, and practicing mindfulness. However, if your panic attacks are happening from time to time, or the attacks constitute chest pain or a feeling of choking, seek medical care right away.

Process and Stages of Phobias Treatment in Vip Vorobjev Clinic

At Vip Vorobjev Clinic, we help you every step of the way towards achieving improved health and overall quality of life. Our team has transformed many individuals' lives and will do whatever it takes to expedite your recovery. We both employ cutting-edge, evidence-based therapy to aid in your recovery and enable you to live a normal life.

Initiation

This procedure includes an initial interview to obtain information and gain a general overview of the patient's case.

Screening and Assessment

This phase involves a comprehensive screening test that includes a series of physical and psychological evaluations and an optimal selection of diagnostic tests to ensure you are physiologically healthy and rule out the need for immediate intervention.

Evaluation

The evaluation process begins with gathering a history of how the phobia developed, including past personal, family, social and environmental history. Aside from assessing your symptoms, the specialist may also gather information about factors that may significantly impact your treatment and recovery, such as underlying medical conditions, interpersonal issues, and socioeconomic burdens you are bearing.

Developing the Preferred Plan

We develop an individualized treatment plan that caters to your needs.

You are a part of the entire process, and we establish pertinent, time-based, and measurable goals to keep you motivated and engaged throughout therapy.

Is it possible to get rid of phobias on your own?

Studies show that the most effective way to overcome your phobia is through psychotherapy and exposure therapy in controlled and safe conditions. Mental health professionals must facilitate these forms of treatment. So, is it possible to do it on your own? Most likely, it is best to seek professional help, especially if you've had a phobia for years already.

Average Duration of Treatment of Phobias

There are only about fewer than 10% of people with phobias who seek treatment. Determinants of recovery should be kept in mind, such as types of phobia, psychiatric or medical co-morbid disorders, the onset of phobia, socio-demographic factors etc. Most phobias have been occurring for years or even decades before patients decide to seek help. The average treatment regimen for specific phobia may take weeks and up to 12 months. However, for more severe phobias such as social phobia and agoraphobia, recovery may take years.

Effectiveness of Phobias Treatment

Our top medical professionals will ensure you receive the treatment you need when you need it. The efficacy of the treatment options we use is evidence-based and well-proven. However, recovery varies from patient to patient depending on the factors involved in the phobia's causation. Factors such as environmental, and interpersonal relationships must be considered. This is why in some forms of treatment, family members or friends are involved in therapy.