One of the most frequent types of anxiety disorders are phobias, which, according to the American Psychological Association (APA), is a persistent and very marked fear of certain objects or situations. This fear comes to produce great discomfort in those who suffer from it and can even affect the normal development of their daily lives.
For the treatment of phobias, various approach methodologies have been tested, the most effective being cognitive behavioral therapy, which has proven to be the most effective for treating phobias and, in many cases, curing them. we tell you everything you need to know about this psychological therapy.
What exactly is a phobia?
Before entering the therapy of phobias, let’s get to know this concept a little better. Phobias are irrational and exaggerated fears towards certain objects, situations or even people, which may represent a certain danger, but not so significant as to cause terror, although the person with the phobia experiences it that way.
When a person with a phobia is exposed to the situations they fear, their response is a significant increase in anxiety, which can lead to panic attacks, as indicated by Badu’s (2001).
According to the authors Aguilera, Osorio and Toledo, there is no single cause for the appearance of a phobia, being this multifactorial. However, they state that in most cases, there is a previous negative basic experience that gives rise to its appearance.
In this sense, the experiences of third parties that have been witnessed or that have been told, and the reactions of others to the object or situation that produces anxiety, May also influence, have a learned behavioral factor.
It is important that you understand that people with phobias cannot control their reactions to the triggering stimuli of their fear, and that it is a condition of chronic evolution. Although it may appear to improve for periods of time, it is a temporary remission unless it is treated with cognitive behavioral therapy.
The different types of phobias that can be suffered
Phobias are classified into different subtypes, and these are the following:
- Environmental. It refers to irrational fears related to nature and the environment, such as rain, heights, etc.
- Situational. It refers to the irrational fear of certain situations, such as being in closed spaces, traveling by car or having to take a flight.
- Physical damage. Irrational fear of blood, medical, dental procedures, injections, etc.
- Animal. It refers to the irrational fear of certain animals, the most common being spiders, rodents, dogs, cats, etc.
What is cognitive behavioral therapy about?
Cognitive behavioral therapy is a style of approach that focuses on the study of thoughts and their consequent behaviors in individuals. For the treatment of phobias, systematic exposure is one of the most efficient tools to reduce related symptoms. With this type of therapy, it is sought that the person who has a phobia can systematically learn that there are other ways of experiencing and seeing the object that causes her fear.
It seeks to become fully aware of the discomfort that this phobia generates, without letting it dominate you completely so that, once you are aware of it, you can experience it differently, making changes in the type of thoughts and feelings you have.
This will eventually help to lessen the discomfort and there will be behavioral changes. This type of therapy can last quite a long time, depending on the severity of the phobia, since it is necessary to remember that the process develops gradually.
Exposure to the cause of the phobia is not done abruptly nor is the patient forced to experience immediate closeness, but rather it is given slowly but regularly in order to evolve in therapy. The key is consistency. This type of approach involves 6 phases:
Phase 1. The initial interview in which you meet your therapist. Here you must explain to him what is happening to you and he will ask you certain questions, the idea is to be able to have a context of what your regular life is like.
Phase 2. A hypothesis of what may be happening to you is established. It is in this phase that the therapist can talk to you about a possible phobia.
Phase 3. Together with your therapist they will establish goals or objectives to achieve. Surely they will not have a date, since the process can vary from person to person.
Phase 4. Therapeutic approach techniques are used to restructure dysfunctional beliefs that you may have related to what causes your phobia.
Phase 5. Generally, in this phase the work of systematic exposure to the object causing your phobia begins, all in a controlled environment and progressively.
Phase 6. End of therapy . Here we work on a closure by reviewing everything that has been achieved with the therapy from the moment it began to the present and evaluating the capacity that has been acquired to live without fear taking over us.
Cognitive-behavioral therapy in the treatment of phobias
Cognitive-behavioral therapy has proven to be very effective in helping to manage phobias, with a high success rate in the patient’s total recovery. Its most widely used technique is based on gradual exposure, in a regulated environment, to the object that causes fear in order to desensitize the person so that anxiety levels gradually decrease.
In therapy, the way you feel when facing what scares you is evaluated. You become aware of bodily sensations, thoughts and feelings that arise and work based on them. The way in which the phobia has affected or currently affects your life is also evaluated, and strategies are generated to be able to work in order to strengthen self-confidence.
One of the goals of therapy is to determine the root of the phobia in order to address it and heal. Understand that fear can be diminished and help you understand that there is a life beyond the phobia, and that this fear does not have to dominate you.
On some occasions, the specialists who apply cognitive-behavioral therapy may determine that it is necessary to use some anxiolytic drugs to help you regulate the symptoms when they are very strong. This type of medication is done gradually and is eliminated in the same way.
Keep in mind that the therapy must be applied by a qualified person, an expert in mental health, either a psychologist or a psychiatrist , and that the latter is the only one who can indicate drug therapy. Don’t leave your mental health in the hands of unqualified people.
“The problem with most therapies is that it helps you feel better. But you don’t get better. You have to back it up with action, action, action.”