How Do You Treat A Phobia
Phobias can be hard to treat but not impossible. The best way to overcome a phobia is to present it to the afflicted in a safe environment. This would need to be done repeatedly and would show the person that there is no reason to be scared of their phobia. One of the best ways to replace bad memories is to drown them out with more pleasant ones.
Most Common Phobias And Their Definitions
by Yen Cabag |
When children are afraid of things like snakes. spiders, or even the dark, we usually find it quite normal. But as adults, many of those fears dont completely disappear, and some of them can seem completely irrational, especially when they become debilitating.
When your fears paralyze you and stop you from doing the things we love or need to do, you may be suffering from a phobia.
Claustrophobia: Needing A Way Out
Claustrophobia, an abnormal fear of being in enclosed spaces, is a common specific phobia. A person with claustrophobia can’t ride in elevators or go through tunnels without extreme anxiety. Afraid of suffocating or being trapped, the person will avoid tight spaces and often engage in “safety seeking behavior,” such as opening windows or sitting near an exit. That may make the situation tolerable, but it doesn’t relieve the fear.
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Agoraphobia: Fear Of Leaving Home
Fear of being alone outside your home, where escape and assistance might be difficult, is called agoraphobia. This phobia may involve fear of being on a bridge, a busy street, or in a crowded mall or elevator. People with agoraphobia may only be able to leave home with friends or a family member. In severe cases, they may not be able to leave home at all, feeling that it is the only safe place to be. This phobia usually starts around age 30 with severe panic attacks.
Humankinds 10 Most Common Fears
Real-life fears are much scarier than embellished scenes from a horror film, like a serial killer doll or flesh eating zombies. The most common fears cause more discomfort than your average spook and are more real and complex. For the person with the fear, it can be debilitating, preventing the sufferer from living wholly or causing him or her to create a routine focused on avoiding the fear triggers. Tolerating the sensations that come from triggers isnt even a question, as they are known to make the individual feel like he or she is in a life-threatening situation.
Some of humanitys most common fears are well known, like fear of heights or the dark. Others, however, are less talked-about, like the fear of speaking to strangers due to thoughts of what they might think of you. To free yourself of these fears, its not enough to change the channel or end the conversation. Its necessary to understand and get to know them better.
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Mysophobia Fear Of Germs
Mysophobia is an extreme fear of dirt and of germs. Mysophobes will do their best to avoid any exposure to germs, and take measures to clean and disinfect themselves if they believe they have been exposed to germs. When in public, they often carry sanitizing gel or wipes, and will wash their hands frequently. They may wear gloves and refuse to make direct hand-to-hand contact with other people, or make contact with objects that are likely to have been touched by other people. When mysophobia is extremely severe it can, like agoraphobia, prevent the sufferer from being able to leave his or her own home without anxiety. Mysophobia may be easily confused with obsessive-compulsive disorder and the two conditions often occur simultaneously. However, the motivations behind similar symptoms such as frequent hand washing are different with the two conditions; OCD sufferers are concerned with the repetitive act itself, while mysophobes are specifically attempting to eradicate germs.
Top 10 Most Common Phobias
Many people wonder what phobias are and what are the most common phobias. Specific phobias are those where a person has an intense and irrational fear of a specific thing and are one of three classifications of phobias according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition . Approximately 7% to 12% of people are believed to meet diagnostic criteria for at least one specific phobia during their lifetimes. The types of specific phobias include animals , natural environment , blood/injection/injury , situational , and other . Animal phobias and fear of heights are the most common of the various types of specific phobias. While there are hundreds of possible specific phobias, below is a list of ten of the most common specific phobias:
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Statistics Facts Behind Our Most Common Phobias
Do you go to great lengths to avoid a particular object or situation because of an extreme fear?
Youre not alone: 12.5% of U.S. adults experience specific phobia at some time in their lives.
One phobia in particular affects an estimated 17 to 21 million people in the U.S. alone Friday the 13th. But the most feared date on the calendar is only one out of hundreds of phobias. Check out the infographic below for some of the most common phobias that affect Americans today.
Lots of people suffer from some of the most common phobias:
| Phobia |
Carcinophobia: Fear Of Cancer
People with carcinophobia or cancerophobia live with an irrational dread of developing cancer. Every bodily discomfort becomes a sign for them that they have a malignant growth somewhere inside. A headache, for instance, is a sign for them that they have a brain tumor. Cognitive therapy can help someone with carcinophobia regain control of their life.
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What Are The 5 Most Common Phobias Is Your Biggest Fear On The List
byTaylor Bennett | Feb 1, 2019 |Counseling News, Phobias |
- Most of us are afraid of something, whether it be small spaces, heights, or snakes; and as it turns out, we often share the same fears.
- One common fear is social phobia: this fear is rooted in ones fear of being judged or negatively perceived by other people.
- Next on the list is arachnophobia, or the fear of spiders; arachnophobes are often triggered by the sight of spiders but might panic even at the thought of these creatures.
- Many also fear open or crowded spaces, which is defined as agoraphobiathese individuals might fear public transportation, big crowds, or long lines.
- Claustrophobia, or the fear of getting stuck in an enclosed space, is also common; claustrophobic individuals might avoid entering elevators or small, windowless rooms.
- The final item on the list is acrophobia or the fear of heights; those with acrophobia may grow severely anxious about flying, staying on the 50th floor of a hotel, or riding roller coasters.
Do you freak out in tiny spaces? Are you deathly afraid of heights? Do you refuse to meet your friends pet snake? If you answered yes to any of these questions, you have something in common with much of the population. As it turns out, many of us share fears like tiny spaces, heights, snakes, and others. But what are the most common fears or phobias? Heres a list of 5 widespread fears:
Treating Phobias In Baton Rouge
It is perfectly normal to experience some level of hesitation or nervousness when confronted with a new or intimidating situation. However, such instances should not produce symptoms of panic such as increased heart rate, rapid breathing, trembling, and nausea. If these types of symptoms occur as the result of a particular object or situation, you are likely suffering from a phobia. Fortunately, most of these conditions can be improved dramatically with care from a mental health professional. If you are in the Baton Rouge area and struggling with a phobia, contact Psychiatry Associates of Baton Rouge to request an appointment with one of our skilled psychiatric physicians.
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Emetophobia: A Gut Feeling
Emetophobia is an unnatural fear of vomiting that typically starts early in life from some traumatic episode. For instance, someone may have witnessed a schoolmate vomiting in public or done so themselves. The anxiety can be triggered by thoughts of vomiting or thinking of somewhere such as a hospital, where vomiting is common. As with aerophobia, hypnotherapy is commonly used in part of the treatment.
Fear Of The Number 13 Triskaidekaphobia
This might be a less common phobia for you and it does not fit into a clinically definition of any specific phobia. 13 this number is not really a situation or an object, and it could be impossible for you to avoid it. Furthermore, normally this phobia is not diagnosed because in order to be so, it has to drastically impact the life of sufferers. Most suffer of this phobia find that their fear just arise in certain circumstances, and does not hugely impair their own life.
Therefore, this phobia is not well-known in general. Today, triskaidekaphobia is accepted widely among those Western countries. A lot of Western hotels skip the 13th floor or replace it with the 12A floor. Also, many airlines skip the 13th row of seats. Sometimes, in a few cities and towns, governs skip the 13th street. And, Friday the 13th is also considered as the unlucky day in many countries.
A lot of cultures have the traditions of other unlucky numbers instead of 13. This is rooted in the ancient events in their own cultures. Not mention to the scientific classification, this type of phobias appears to be a widespread phobia whose roots might never be completely understood.
If you have any idea about this Most common phobias article regarding to mind and body topic, feel free to drop your words below the post. We will feedback soon.
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Fear Of Dark Nyctophobia
This is one of the most common phobias in kids. In the older children and matures, this phobia could become crippling. Nevertheless, most individuals still retain a little bit of fear of the dark through their lives. In fact, this fear might be evolutionary in nature because a lot of predators hunt in the dark at nights. As a consequence, darkness is a used element in horror movies as well as Halloween events.
The symptoms of nyctophobia contains sleeping with nightlight, being reluctant to go out at night, increased heart rate, sweating, shaking and even feeling ill if being in the dark.
Mysophobia The Fear Of Germs
Mysophobia is the excessive fear of germs which is often closely related to obsessive compulsive disorder . Many people suffer from both OCD as well as Mysophobia, as a result of which they might indulge in excessive bathing or hand washing. The unhealthy fear of germs causes the phobics to also fear contamination of food or exposure to bodily fluids from those around them. Mysophobia might lead to many complications since the person goes to extreme lengths to avoid all kinds of social situations. Isolation is a common symptom of this phobia. The condition might also give rise to other phobias such as Agoraphobia as well as various anxiety disorders.
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Mysophobia: Fear Of Germs
The excessive fear of germs is a common anxiety disorder in America. The medical term for this phobia is mysophobia. Mysophobia may be related to obsessive-compulsive disorder and hypochondria. Symptoms include obsessive washing and fear of public spaces. In the television show Monk, actor Tony Shaloub played a detective with OCD and numerous phobias, including mysophobia.
Social Phobia: Beyond Being Shy
Someone with a social phobia is not just shy. That person feels extreme anxiety and fear about how they will perform in a social situation. Will their actions seem appropriate to others? Will others be able to tell they are anxious? Will the words be there when it’s time to talk? Because untreated social phobia often leads to avoiding social contact, it can have a major negative impact on a person’s relationships and professional life.
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The Rarest Phobias In The World
| Stuff
Everyone is afraid of something, but when the fear becomes too intense and disruptive, a phobia can develop. While everyone has heard of common phobias like arachnophobia, claustrophobia, and aerophobia , there are numerous phobias that most people have never heard of. This list includes some of the rarest phobias in the world.
In general, phobias can be divided into three categories: specific phobias, social phobia, and agoraphobia. All phobias are a type of anxiety disorder and share symptoms commonly associated with anxiety.
Since there are not a lot of statistics regarding how many people might suffer from a certain phobia, this list was arranged in alphabetical order.
Fear Of Bugs Snakes Or Spiders
To broaden this topic, a lot of people suffer from intense fear of some animal. The most common are insects, snakes, and spiders. The fact these animals are so different from mammals is a major reason why people develop this strong aversion. Another point is that some are poisonous and their bite or sting can cause an intense reaction. However, only a tiny percentage have this trait.
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Trypophobia The Fear Of Holes
Biological revulsion and culturally learned fears are the primary causes of Trypophobia, which is the extreme and irrational fear of holes. While this fear might seem irrational to normal people, the mere sight or thought of holes can set off a panic attack in the Trypophobe. As a result, the individual avoids objects such as coral, sponges, skin, meat, dried honeycombs and pretty much everything that has holes on it. Holes seem disgusting and gross to the sufferer and s/he goes to all lengths to avoid it.
Ophidiophobia Fear Of Snakes
Speculations about the causes of ophidiophobia generally run along the same lines as the possible origins of arachnophobia. Ophidiophobes are likely to avoid the same kinds of outdoor pursuits as arachnophobes, but, fortunately for them, snakes are much less likely than spiders to visit a home uninvited.
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Common Phobias List A
What Is A Phobia
A phobia is a strong, irrational fear of something that poses little or no actual danger. It is a type of anxiety disorder. A phobia is a persistent, excessive, unrealistic fear of an object, person, animal, activity, or situation. Phobias are diagnosable mental disorders. People with phobias try to avoid what they are afraid of. If they cannot, they may experience the following
- Panic and fear
- A strong desire to get away
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What Are The Treatment Options For Phobias
Phobias are treatable and people who have them are nearly always aware of their disorder. This helps diagnosis a great deal. Phobias are treated with a combination of therapy and medications, which may include the following
- Behavioral therapy: Behavioral therapy is an umbrella term for the types of therapy that are used to treat mental health disorders. This form of therapy seeks to identify and help change potentially self-destructive or unhealthy behaviors. It functions on the idea that all behaviors are learned and that unhealthy behaviors can be changed. The focus of treatment is often on current problems and how to change them.
- Cognitive behavioral therapy : The doctor, therapist or counselor helps the person with a phobia learn different ways of understanding and reacting to the source of their phobia. This can make coping easier. Most importantly, CBT can teach a person experiencing a phobia to control their own feelings and thoughts.
- Medications such as beta blockers, antidepressants and tranquilizers may help treat a phobia
- Beta blockers: These can help reduce the physical signs of anxiety that can accompany a phobia.
- Antidepressants: Serotonin reuptake inhibitors are commonly prescribed for people with phobias. They affect serotonin levels in the brain and this can result in better moods.
- Tranquilizers: Benzodiazepines are an example of a tranquilizer that might be prescribed for a phobia. These may help reduce anxiety symptoms.
Debugging Humankinds Most Common Fears
Fears are tasked with the function of keeping us alive. If we didnt have this trait, we might just throw ourselves off of cliffs without the fear of dying or hurting ourselves. The same goes for heartbreak. Its a protection instinct.
However, when these fears overreact, causing withdrawal during an exciting moment, they require an update to achieve a better quality of life. This level of fear is when they are considered phobias. At this level, your mind has established what psychology calls automatic thoughts. In other words, every time that situation repeats, the brain automatically receives a message , and the body reacts with uncomfortable sensations and the attempt to get away from the danger.
Now that we understand where fears come from better, lets get into the list humankinds most common fears.
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Astraphobia The Fear Of Thunder And Lightning
Storms are a common occurrence in many parts of the world, and to an Astraphobic individual, they can be downright debilitating. The majority of sufferers of Astraphobia are children, although the phobia can persist into adulthood as well. Even the most ferocious and wild animals have an extreme fear of thunder and lightning, and hiding is the natural psychological defense. Astraphobia, also called Brontophobia, is known to affect nearly 2% of Americans. Thankfully, it is a highly treatable phobia with many treatment options.
Quiz:
When To See A Doctor
A person should see a doctor if they have a phobia that is interfering with their everyday activities.
Sometimes, however, a persons phobia may limit their ability to seek treatment. For example, a person who has severe agoraphobia may fear leaving the house to seek treatment. Likewise, a person who has a fear of healthcare providers or medical procedures may avoid visiting their doctor.
In some cases, a person may feel more comfortable talking to a healthcare provider over the phone. The ADAA have a helpful search tool that allows people to find a psychotherapist in their area.
Some providers also offer counseling services via email or video.
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Top 50 Most Common Phobias
Top 50 Phobias
Phobias are distressing and disorienting emotional response to real and imaginary situations or objects. They are conditioned by faulty generalizations and learning. And the consequence is irrational and involuntary fear. To the sufferer, a phobia can seem insufferable and unbearable or even life-threatening, while others might find these uncanny and unusual phobias quite fascinating. Today, lets discuss some of the most common phobias in the world, so be prepared to be surprised and startled. First, consider Top 5 phobias of all time.
The fear of public speaking, also known as glossophobia, tops the list as one of the most common phobias in the world. The term comes from the Greek words glossa and phobos. Glossa means tongue or language, and phobos is the personification of fear in Greek mythology. Glossophobia, along with other social fears, develops in the childhood around the age of 13. The idea of making a presentation in public is the No. 1 fear reported by people in the U.S. A glossophobic person is unable to control the overwhelming nervousness, and may have a nervous breakdown whenever confronted with such public speaking engagement. Glossophobia can be directly caused through a related trauma or distress. Almost all the glossophobic people are distressed about being embarrassed in front of public. It can be resulting from any such previous distressful event that happened during speaking in public.
Fear Of Spiders Arachnophobia
This is a common animal phobia that suffers often fear of spider webs. So, they will ensure that they will not be exposed to spiders. As a result, they will avoid participating in the activities in nature like camping or hiking that have the high risk of being exposed to spiders.
The symptoms of this phobia are various. Most typically, you will ensure that you will not come into contact with the spiders. If there are spiders in your own house, you might react as the following two ways: either freezing in one place or screaming before running away. Also, you cannot kill or trap the spider by yourself, but rather than you rely on a family member or friend to rescue you from that situation. And, if there is no one else in the house, you might react by leaving the house instead of dealing with the spider.
The activities like camping or hiking might be hard or even impossible for you to take part in.
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Brontophobia: Fear Of Thunder
The Greek word bronte means thunder and brontophobia means fear of thunder. Even though people with brontophobia may realize thunder won’t hurt them, they may refuse to go outside during a thunderstorm. They may even hide indoors by crouching behind a couch or waiting out the storm in a closet. An abnormal fear of both thunder and lightning is called astraphobia, a phobia shared by people and animals.
What Are The Most Common Phobias
The National Institute of Mental Health considers phobias one of the most common disorders in the United States, with an estimated 10% of the U.S. population having specific phobias.
According to the Anxiety Disorders Association of America and the NIMH, the most common phobias include those of enclosed spaces, heights, flying, dogs, animals, and insects.
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Fear Of Germs Mysophobia
This intense fear refers to the unhealthy fear of contamination. It is prudent and normal to be concerned about those problems like cross-contamination of daily foods, exposure to the others bodily fluids and keeping good hygiene. Nevertheless, if you have mysophobia, these simple concerns tend to become overblown. In fact, mysophobia is thought to be associated with OCD . The common symptom of this phobia is the high frequency of hand washing.
The symptoms of this phobia contain heart palpitations, shaking, sweating, or crying when being exposed to bacteria or dirt. You also show off some unusual behaviors like taking many showers per day, carrying and using hand sanitizer regularly. Also, you are not willing to go to public restrooms, take the public transportation or share foods with others.
The Most Common Phobias
Steven Gans, MD is board-certified in psychiatry and is an active supervisor, teacher, and mentor at Massachusetts General Hospital.
Terrified of the creepy-crawlies? Scared of slithering serpents? Well, youre not alone. According to the American Psychiatric Association, phobias are the most common psychiatric illness among women and the second most common among men.
The National Institute of Mental Health suggests that phobias affect approximately 10% of U.S. adults each year. These phobias typically emerge during childhood or adolescence and continue into adulthood. They also impact twice as many women as they do men.
There are a number of explanations for why phobias develop, including evolutionary and behavioral theories. Whatever the cause, phobias are treatable conditions that can be minimized and even eliminated with cognitive and behavioral therapy techniques and medication.
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