Phobias - What Scares You?
With World Mental Health Day on October 10th we are looking at a variety of issues which affect nearly every one of us at one time or another during our lives.
The first stop - Phobias...
So what is a phobia: -
"Phobias are particular fears that are out of proportion to real dangers.
It's possible to develop a phobia to almost any situation or thing, but the most common include: -
social phobia - anxiety about how you are seen and judged by other people or fear of being humiliated in social situations or at times when you are on show, speaking or performing in public
agoraphobia - fear of leaving home; going into shops, crowds and public places or travelling alone in trains, buses or planes
Fears attached to specific things - such as fear of heights, spiders, mice, enclosed spaces (claustrophobia), needles, thunder, darkness, flying, dentistry, using public toilets, eating certain foods or the sight of blood or injury.
People with a phobia will try to avoid the object or situation they fear.
For example, someone with agoraphobia may find it very difficult to leave their house at all.
How common are phobias
Phobias are the most common type of anxiety disorder. In the UK, an estimated 10 million people have phobias. Phobias can affect anyone, regardless of age, sex and social background.
Simple phobias, such as a fear of going to the dentist, usually start during early childhood, often between the ages of four and eight. Simple phobias often disappear on their own as the child gets older and usually do not cause problems in adulthood.
Complex phobias such as agoraphobia and social phobia usually start later in life. Social phobias often begin during puberty and agoraphobia in the late teens to early twenties. Sometimes, complex phobias continue for many years.
Almost all phobias can be successfully treated and cured.
Treating simple phobias involves gradually becoming exposed to the animal, object, place or situation that causes fear. This process is known as desensitisation or self-exposure therapy.
Treating complex phobias often takes longer and involves talking therapies, such as counselling, psychotherapy and cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT).
Medication is not usually used to treat phobias. However, it is sometimes prescribed to help people cope with the effects of anxiety.
For more information on Phobias and how to treat them visit the following useful resources: -
www.nhs.uk
www.mentalhealth.org.uk
Comments Competition - October 2011
The Source Needs You - This month our comments competition will be based on Phobias.
Tell us what your phobias are, however big or small. Have you had a phobia and managed to overcome it?
We want to know how.
Log in and tell us all about it by posting a comment below on this article and you could be in with a chance of winning a £20 high street voucher courtesy of The Park Group.