I have a phobia of round-cut carrots! Some…well most will think that is ridiculous. But the thing to note is that the phobia isn’t the important thing. What is this person experiencing in front of me is the important thing. I could be standing on the edge of a cliff shaking from fear of heights, running the other way as I have seen a spider or sitting ready to eat my dinner and given round-cut carrots. You see it doesn’t matter what the phobia is but how the person is behaving, reacting and experiencing it.
A phobia is a type of anxiety disorder that causes an extreme and irrational fear of a specific object, situation, feeling or animal. People with phobias may experience symptoms such as:
- Panic, anxiety or nervousness when exposed to or thinking about the source of their phobia
- Sweating, trembling, nausea or difficulty breathing
- Avoiding or escaping from the source of their phobia, even if it means disrupting their normal life
- Recognizing that their fear is out of proportion to the actual danger, but feeling unable to control it
Phobias can be divided into two main categories: specific or simple phobias and complex phobias. Specific or simple phobias are fears of a particular object or situation, such as spiders, heights, blood or flying. Complex phobias are fears of a broader range of situations or circumstances, such as social phobia (fear of social situations) or agoraphobia (fear of being in places where escape might be difficult).
Phobias can be treated with psychotherapy, medication or both. The most common form of psychotherapy for phobias is cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), which helps people challenge and change their negative thoughts and behaviours related to their phobias. Some medications, such as antidepressants or beta-blockers, may also help reduce anxiety and physical symptoms. https://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/types-of-mental-health-problems/phobias/about-phobias/