Specific Phobia

An extreme, lasting, illogical fear of something that presents little to no real risk or danger is known as a specific phobia. Even though people with phobias may be aware that their anxiety and fears are irrational, the mere thought of confronting the feared object or situation causes excruciating anxiety symptoms. Specific phobias, as opposed to the temporary anxiety felt before giving a speech or passing an exam, are long-lasting, produce strong physical and psychological reactions, and might impair one’s ability to function regularly at work, at school, or in social situations.

An extreme, pervasive fear of a specific object or circumstance that is disproportionate to the real risk is known as a specific phobia. There are many different kinds of phobias, and it's common to have a particular phobia about more than one object or situation.  

There exists a number of common categories for specific phobias, and these include a fear of:

  • Certain situations such as flying in a plane, driving, being in confined spaces, or going to school
  • Natural environment phobias, such as thunderstorms, water, or heights  
  • Animals or insects, such as cats, snakes, or spiders  
  • Blood, injection or injury, such as needles, accidents or medical procedures
  • Others, such as loud noises, clowns, choking, or vomiting  

Symptoms

  • Marked fear or anxiety in response to being exposed to or thinking of a specific object or circumstance (such as flying, heights, animals, getting an injection, or witnessing blood). Children may cry, throw fits, freeze, or cling as a way of expressing their fear or anxiety.
  • Almost always, the phobic object or circumstance causes immediate fear or anxiety.
  • The phobic object or situation is actively avoided or endured with intense 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 socio-cultural context.  
  • The fear, anxiety, or avoidance causes clinically significant distress or impairment in social, occupational, or other important areas of functioning.
  • Awareness that the fears are illogical or exaggerated but being unable to control them.
  • Physical reactions can be experienced such as sweating, increased heart rate, tight chest, or breathing difficulties.  
  • For blood or injury phobias, clients may experience nausea, dizziness, or fainting.

Prevalence

The 12-month community prevalence estimate for specific phobia in the United States is between 8 and 12 percent. Although prevalence rates are typically lower in Asian, African, and Latin American countries, they are generally similar to those in European countries (e.g., around 6%).

Prognosis

When left untreated, phobias can last a lifetime; however, studies show that phobias tend to fade on their own over time. The prognosis is good with the appropriate treatment using psychotherapy and medications.

When to seek help

Any fear can cause annoyances in one’s life, such as avoiding visiting the zoo due to a fear of a certain animal, however, the fear is not considered a specific phobia unless it is significantly affecting their daily functioning for example in their work, school, social situations. If the anxious feelings are significantly impacting your life, seek help from a mental health professional.

Treatment

One of the most prevalent types of anxiety disorders is specific phobia, while not all of them require therapy, some may affect the clients’ day-to-day activities. This is why there are a number of therapies that might assist them in overcoming their worries if a particular phobia interferes with their everyday life.

 Psychotherapy:      

The use of psychotherapy is critical because it helps clients become aware of their disorder, including its symptoms and causes, as well as how to manage them on a long-term basis. Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) is one of the most widely used treatments for specific phobias. Rather than feeling overwhelmed by your thoughts and feelings, CBT emphasises learning to develop a sense of mastery and confidence with them. CBT can help clients better understand their phobias and reduce their fear of them. CBT may also use exposure methods to assist clients in confronting their fears or beliefs associated with the phobia, which would then assist them in decreasing their avoidance behaviour. Gradual, repeated exposure to the source of the phobia, as well as the associated thoughts, feelings, and physical symptoms, help to assist clients in learning to manage their anxiety. The exposure process is conducted using systematic desensitization through a fear hierarchy. Clients are first exposed to the least feared object and learn how to manage their anxieties by using relaxation techniques. For example, if a client has a phobia of flying on a plane, he will first start by watching videos of aeroplanes flying, then imagine themselves on a plane or just sit on an actual plane without flying, and finally, they may try to fly on a plane.

Medications:  

Short-acting sedative-hypnotics (benzodiazepines) may be prescribed on an as-needed basis to help treat the anticipatory anxiety for situational phobias that produce intense, but short-term anxiety (for example, a phobia of flying). Long-term or daily medications are not often used unless there are other conditions that accompany the phobia such as depression or panic disorder. At times, serotonergic antidepressants like paroxetine, fluoxetine, and escitalopram oxalate may be beneficial for some patients. Beta-blockers, which are common blood pressure medications, have recently been used to treat anxiety-related to specific phobias.