Phobias

What is a Phobia?
When a fear severely impairs a person’s ability to function properly, they would be diagnosed as having a phobia. A phobia is characterized by an irrational fear of a specificobject or situation that interferes with an individual’s ability to function.
The feared object or situation may or may not be something that is dangerous. For example, a person can have a phobia or afear of mice, dirt or going to the dentist. Or the fear may have potential danger such as a snake, or heights, but the fear is excessive and exaggerated.
Diagnosing Phobias
It is a good idea to makean appointment with a psychologist if you feel your fear has reached phobic proportions. The psychologist will assess you by asking about your fear, what triggers it and how it is disrupting your life.Phobias often occur along with other disorders and so your psychologist will also try to rule out other problems such as another category of anxiety disorder, depression or substance abuse before adiagnosis of a specific Phobia is made. You will probably also be asked questions about your family history and details about your childhood development.
What Causes Phobias?
Main causes of phobiasinclude:
Direct Experience - This is when a person develops a phobia after a particularly bad experience. A child that is bitten by a dog may develop a phobia of dogs, or an individual that wastrapped in an elevator for hours may develop claustrophobia.
A False Alarm - This occurs when a person has an unexpected feeling of panic or a panic attack during a certain situation. The individual thenassociates this alarm response with that particular situation. For example, many people with a phobia of driving haven’t been in a car accident, but have experienced a panic attack while driving.Observing Others - In some cases it is simply enough to watch or even hear someone else’s awful experience. A phobia of doctors can develop after a child hears another child’s anguished screams coming...