We are all fearful in certain situations. Maybe someone runs a red light and almost hits your car. Maybe you’re walking down a dark street alone at night. Maybe spiders with all those legs just really freak you out. Whether your fear feels rational or irrational, you may want to better understand the role that phobias play in our lives and how therapy can help lessen the impact of specific phobias. In this blog, we’re going to dive into the deep waters of fears and phobias headfirst (hopefully no one has hydrophobia – that’s the fear of water).
What Are Specific Phobias?
Specific phobias, as you may guess from the name, are specific people, things, or activities that a person is afraid of. People can be afraid of almost anything you can imagine. From insects and animals to weather patterns or tourist destinations, if you can name it, someone’s probably afraid of it. Some of the most common specific phobias include:
- Achluophobia – fear of the dark
- Acrophobia – fear of heights
- Aerophobia – fear of flying
- Agoraphobia – fear of crowds
- Algophobia – fear of pain
- Arachnophobia – fear of spiders
- Claustrophobia – fear of confined spaces
- Coulrophobia – fear of clowns
- Dentophobia – fear of dentists
- Glossophobia – fear of public speaking
- Necrophobia – fear of death
What Symptoms Are Associated with Phobias?
People who are experiencing increased levels of fear may notice a variety of physiological and psychological symptoms including:
- Trembling or shaking
- Accelerated heart rate
- Tightness or pain in the chest
- Difficulty breathing
- Hot flashes and sweating
- Chills
- Upset stomach
- Headache
- Dizziness or feeling faint
- Dry mouth
- Difficulty swallowing
- Numbness
- Feeling confused or disoriented
- Pervasive sense of dread
- Inability to concentrate
- Negative thought cycles
- Catastrophizing situations related to the phobia
How Does Therapy Help with Phobias?
For many people, avoiding or limiting exposure to their phobias is simple and doesn’t dramatically impact their day to day lives. For others, the phobia can create unnecessary challenges and even become dangerous. When specific phobias begin to limit your ability to lead a healthy, happy, stable day-to-day life, it may be time to consider therapy. There are many different evidence-based therapy approaches that can help with specific phobias, but two of the most common approaches used to support people as they overcome specific phobias are cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and exposure therapy.
CBT is a style of therapy that helps people understand how the way we think about something impact the way we feel about and react toward it. Thinking, feeling, and acting are interconnected, so by changing our thoughts, feelings, or actions, we impact all three areas. For specific phobias, a person may take time to challenge negative thinking about their fear. By noticing and evaluating their thoughts about the phobia as they arise, the person can begin to change the way they feel and react to the fear. The same is true of observing and analyzing emotions and behaviors that arise in response to phobias.
Exposure therapy is a form of CBT, where you’ll work with your therapist to create safe scenarios to be exposed to your phobia. Clients are provided with calming/coping skills to help soothe their nervous system. They are then systematically and gradually exposed to their phobias, sometimes in real life and sometimes through visualization/imagery. A trained therapist will be present to help the client effectively navigate their fears, helping them utilize their calming skills to decrease anxiety. The ultimate goal is to decrease the fear and reduce avoidance.
How Do I Get Started?
If you’re ready to move past a fear you believe is holding you back, the Cedar Counseling & Wellness team is here for you. To get started, call our team at (443) 924-6344, email info@cedarcounselingandwellness.com, or complete our online inquiry form.
