Everyone is afraid of something – scared of living alone in a dark room, afraid of horror movies, fear of insects, fear flying in a lot of situations, or creepy objects like these often trigger fear in us. Fear is an emotional reaction to a real or perceived threat. Fears are common in all age groups and are often-normal reactions to objects or events. For example, many people are afraid of spiders - they experience a mild to moderate anxiety reaction when they see one.
However, fear becomes a phobia when it is out of proportion to the real level of danger in a situation, and when it leads to extreme reactions. For some people, phobias can have a significant impact on their lives and their happiness.
Phobias are the most common mental disorder. Phobias are a type of anxiety disorder that is distinctly different from normal fear. Phobias are defined, according to DSM-5 (American Psychiatric Association's Diagnostic and Statistical Manual, Fifth Edition), as fear or anxiety that is persistent (even when the object is not there), excessive, and out of proportion to the actual danger posed by the object of the phobia. If you have a phobia, though, you are likely to develop a fear of fear itself.
Few symptoms defining phobias:
Phobias occur when there is a dysfunction in the brain circuit which is responsible for the response to fear. They recognize non-dangerous objects or situations as imminent threats and experience excess fear and anxiety.
Different Types of Phobias
The clinical characteristics of phobias depend on the type of phobia, the degree of severity in a particular individual, and the amount that it interferes with the individual’s ability to function normally. However, common to all types of phobias is extreme fear or anxiety in response to a particular object or situation.
Seek treatment
Look for Professional Help if the fear seems to continue for a disproportionate amount of time. This might indicate the development of a phobia.
HopeQure's psychologists are available to help you cope with the distress and discomfort which is caused by such conditions. Do not let phobia ruin your life.
