Arachnophobia, claustrophobia, trip phobi. You will have heard of all these irrational fears and, in fact, it is possible that you suffer from them too. These types of disorders, which can manifest in very different ways, are more common than one might think at first.
But how does a phobia develop? How do you get to the point of fearing something irrationally? We’ll tell you then.
Why and how does a phobia develop?
Fear is an instinct of man. It is normal to fear some situations or objects, especially those that pose a threat to us. Sometimes, certain circumstances are painted as fearsome and we let ourselves be carried away by general.
However, if this fear becomes irrational and affects our lives, it is considered that a phobia has developed. There are different causes that could have caused it:
In response to a childhood disorder
To find the cause of most phobias, you have to go back to childhood. It is at this time that most of the disorders that end up becoming, over time, phobias occur.
It is the case, for example, that a child lives that traumatizes him for the future. What he associates said bad moment with, be it an object or a situation, will cause him uncontrollable fear. If you do not follow some type of treatment, that terror could be maintained or manifested again during adulthood.
Overprotection and phobias
The fact that parents overprotect their children can make them excessively fearful. As their parents have taught them, anything can pose a danger to their physical form. As a consequence, these children can develop phobias to different situations.
Fear for learning
According to some experts, during childhood and youth it is possible to ‘learn. This is the case, for example, in which a son ends up fearing what his mother is afraid of by way of imitation. Unconsciously, the child interprets that if her parent fears something, it is because it is dangerous for survival.
A fear developed as an adult
At other times, the phobia develops during adulthood. This may be due to an unpleasant episode, which arouses some kind of fear with a certain object or situation. In most cases they develop as a response to trauma or due to a mismanagement of emotions.
Phobia due to a change in the brain
Certain changes in brain activity can affect the time when patients develop a phobia.
Phobia as a way to get attention
There are people who, in an attempt to get the attention of the people around them, come to develop different specific phobias. It is important to detect these cases, so as not to misinterpret them. In these cases, it is more difficult for the patient to overcome the phobia because, even though he is aware of it, he does not want to eliminate it.
Do I have a phobia or is it just fear?
As we have already explained to you, it is common to feel a certain fear or disgust in different situations. For example, it is normal that you do not like being or you may feel certain nervous when seeing a huge spider. In fact, fears are necessary since they help us detect threats that can put us in danger.
But, when these fears turn into terror and you are not able to control them, we speak of a phobia. In these cases, the people who suffer from them see their lives altered by the fear they feel.
It is common, for example, that people who suffer from fear of flying stop traveling despite one of life’s pleasures. In the case of those who are, they will avoid going up tall buildings in any way, even if this means losing a job, for example.
When this fear changes your behavior or your way of life, it is time to see a specialist to evaluate your case. It is also advisable when anxiety reaches very high levels and leads to negative consequences. In any case, it is important to know how to give the fair value to each disorder so as not to magnify the phobic problem.
Symptoms that reveal a phobia
Not all symptoms of phobias occur in all patients, as it depends on how the disorder is affecting you and how severe it is. However, these are some of the most common signs that a phobia has developed.
1 Fear when facing the the phobia. It can be a physical exhibition, but also visual.
2 As a consequence, a high level of anxiety is felt, which can lead to a panic attack.
3 Although you are aware that there is no reason to have that fear; it is inevitable to suffer it. Logic and reasoning stop guiding thoughts, which are carried away by fear of the phobic element.
4 Excessive nerves cause sweating, palpitations, chest pressure, shortness of breath, stiff muscles, headaches or stomach aches, etc. Nausea is also common and, in some types of phobias, fainting.
5 These symptoms, when they rise to a very high degree, can cause social isolation, since the affected person prefers to stay at home rather than face what they are afraid. At first, he tries to avoid anything that exposes him to the phobic stimulus, but as the disorder worsens, the patient prefers not to leave home.
6 Phobias can change the mood of the person who suffers from it. They can even end up in depression and other anxiety disorders. As a consequence, some people may develop addictions or think about suicide.
These are the different types of phobias
The number of existing phobias is almost endless, since any object or situation can give rise to someone developing an irrational fear of it. These are two of the
Social phobia
With one hand, we can talk about social phobia, which is what occurs when the patient has fears related to social relationships. In this classification would be the fear of speaking in public, eating in public, meetings, etc.
Specific phobia
On the other hand, specific phobias are those that are created from a specific object or situation. Among the most common is the fear of needles, the fear of blood or the phobia of clowns. The patient feels anxiety when exposed to the phobic stimulus.
Can phobias be avoided?
The best way to prevent a person from developing a phobia is by maintaining good mental health. For this, going to the consultation of a psychology professional can be highly recommended to prevent and cure mental. And you, have you developed some kind of fear? If you want to know everything about phobias, do not hesitate to consult our dictionary with the most common disorders.