Phobias

Whether it be spiders, snakes, flying, syringes & needles, dentists.. phobias are very common anxiety related disorders that affect around 10% of us.

So what are Phobias and how do they develop?

A phobia is an anxiety disorder focused on an overwhelming irrational fear of something that is unlikely to harm you, experienced as an intense anxious response to a particular object or situation. This reaction differs from your every day fears in that they cause great distress, often repeatedly, can lead to a panic attack, and can interfere greatly with daily life. Associated behaviours include avoidance: The phobic individual goes out of their way to try to avoid exposure to their trigger – the thing they are phobic to.

Phobias usually develop in childhood or adolescence and are carried forward into adulthood. They are quite common and generally effect around twice as many women as they do men. The list of potential phobias is endless but the most common phobias include:

It is also possible to develop a phobia of phobias known as Phobophobia, which is the fear of fear, or the fear of having a phobic response to the object of your fears. For example, you develop a fear of your response to seeing a spider. This is ultimately a self-fulfilling prophecy because being fearful of fears can itself lead to developing a phobia, such as agoraphobia.

Fortunately phobias are well understood and there are several well-developed treatment strategies that are often very successful in tackling phobias. A discussion with a Counsellor or Psychotherapist can help you identify a tailored treatment strategy for you and set you on the path to overcoming your phobia.

If you would like to talk about a phobia, whether it be for yourself or someone you know, feel free to contact BroadMinds Therapy for help & advice. We offer a free consultation with no obligation to book further sessions. Call (+353) 0899420568, email help@broadmindstherapy.org , message us via this website, or visit our facebook page http://www.facebook.com/jpbroad for more information.

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