By Dennis Kwan
What are phobias?
A phobia is a prolonged, irrational fear of something, someone, an animal, an activity, or a circumstance. It's an anxiety disorder of some sort. A person with a phobia either seeks to avoid or endures the item that causes the dread with tremendous anxiety and distress.
Three main types of phobia:
Specific phobia; also known as simple phobia.
These are extreme and irrational fears about objects or circumstances that represent no genuine threat but cause anxiety and avoidance. Cynophobia (a fear of dogs) and nyctophobia (fear of darkness) are two examples. These disorders appear to run in families and are at least partially genetic (inherited).
Social anxiety disorder
The fear of being observed and judged by others is known as social anxiety disorder. Work, school, and other daily activities may be harmed as a result of this dread. Additionally, children who are teased, bullied, rejected, ridiculed, or humiliated are more likely to develop social anxiety disorder. Other unpleasant life events, such as family conflict, trauma, or abuse, may also be linked to this disorder.
Agoraphobia
Agoraphobia is a dread of being in public areas when exiting quickly would be difficult or embarrassing. Many individuals who suffer from agoraphobia also suffer from panic attacks or panic disorder (which involves intense fear plus uncomfortable physical symptoms, such as trembling, heart palpitations and sweating).
Causes of phobia:
Phobias can be caused by both genetic and environmental factors.
Children who have a close relative who suffers from an anxiety problem are more likely to develop a phobia. A phobia can develop as a result of a traumatic occurrence, such as being lost or isolated.
People who have continuous medical issues or health worries are more likely to have phobias. People who have suffered catastrophic brain injuries are also more likely to develop phobias.
Phobias are often linked to substance addiction and depression.
Phobias exhibit symptoms that differ from those of serious mental diseases such as schizophrenia. Visual and auditory hallucinations, delusions, paranoia, negative symptoms such as anhedonia, and disorganized symptoms are all symptoms of schizophrenia.
Phobia and the brain:
According to functional imaging studies, phobias are associated with significant changes in brain activity. When people with phobias are exposed to phobia-inducing stimuli, functional MRI has demonstrated that their amygdala activity increases. The amygdala is linked to emotional responses. One finding is that the right amygdala is more reactive to negative emotions, such as those associated with phobias, whereas the left amygdala is more firmly associated with pleasurable emotional experiences. One study found that the more the right amygdala is activated, the more distress the fear trigger causes.
Testing and Phobia inducing objects:
For individuals who were exposed to phobia-inducing photos for a long time in an experimental context, the stria terminalis, anterior cingulate cortex, and insula were found to be hyperactivated. This implies that, contrary to popular belief, extended exposure to phobia-inducing stimuli does not necessarily 'calm down' brain activity, but instead involves additional brain areas.
References
Parks, C. (n.d.). What Are Phobias and How Are They Treated? Retrieved from https://www.brainfacts.org/diseases-and-disorders/mental-health/2018/what-are-phobias-and-how-are-they-treated-071018
Parks, C. (n.d.). What Are Phobias and How Are They Treated? Retrieved from https://www.brainfacts.org/diseases-and-disorders/mental-health/2018/what-are-phobias-and-how-are-they-treated-071018
Phobias: Symptoms, types, causes, and treatment. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/249347#what-is-a-phobia
Wodele, A. (2019, March 23). Phobias: Causes, Types, Treatment, Symptoms & More. Retrieved from https://www.healthline.com/health/phobia-simple-specific
Bình luận