The First Steps On Learning About Fears

The Psychology of Fear & Anxiety
Everyone has fears and things they’re afraid of, but with some individuals, the fear takes over and becomes a problem. Many people just try to cope and deal with being afraid, but there are things to be done that can help do away with the fear for good. Informing yourself about what scares you and how to rid yourself of the problem is important, so here are a few questions and some answers to get you started:
How do specific phobias form?
Specific phobias can form for no reason at all, although they commonly result from fears that are instilled in people as children. These common fears can be a fear of snakes, heights, dogs, and any other common thing that can be perceived as potentially dangerous. However, it becomes a phobia when the fear of the object or situation is completely unjustified. For example, although many people are uncomfortable around large dogs, especially breeds with a reputation for being aggressive, someone who has a phobia of dogs are likely to respond to the presence of a terrier as if it were an attacking Doberman or German Sheppard. Such a fear of dogs could be formed because they have been presented as being a danger, either because of things a person has heard, or because they have seen a dog attack a person or they have been attacked themselves.
I’ve heard of all kinds of phobias – are they all the same?
No there are many types of phobias. Ths most typical variety of phobia is known as a specifric phobia. Specific phobias are the fear of a place, thing, or situation, and there are hundreds of designated specific phobias. There are also social phobias and Agoraphobia, which are both very different from specific phobias. Social phobia are the fear of specific social situations that sometimes arise, for instance saying a speech, or being in close proximty to a large crowd of people. Agorphobia is basically a fear from panic attacks themselves that influence people to stay as far away from any situation which might trigger a panic attack, or which might embarrass them should they have a panic attack. As well as there being numerous different kinds of phobias, phobias themselves somewhat mild, or they can be extremely severe, however they all have a likelihood of resulting in the person suffering from phobia to exhibit some physical symptoms of their phobic reaction.
Why are social phobias their own category and not considered a specific phobia?
Social phobias have their own designation because social phobias require different treatment than specific phobias and social phobias have a unique set of risk factors that are not typical of specific phobias. People who suffer from social phobias fear certain social situations that come up. The most common social phobia is a fear of public speaking. However, social phobias differ from specific phobias in they commonly lead to drug and alcohol abuse as the result of the anxiety caused by certain interactions. Social phobia sufferers can get into the habit of drinking or doing drugs before confronting situations that cause anxiety, and quickly develop an addiction or dependency. This is a risk that is uncharacteristic of any other type of phobia. Treatment for social phobias is also different than the treatment for specific phobias. Specific phobias are usually treated with behavior training, but social phobias are usually combated with anti-anxiety medicine.
The question posed by many people; is there an underlying genetic cause for phobias?
Although some phobias do develop without much cause, it has been shown that social phobia and Agoraphobia can be passed on through genetics. However, several of the causes and risk factors for these two phobias can also be passed on through families. For example, it is not uncommon for social phobia and Agoraphobia to be accompanied by obsessive compulsive disorder or panic attacks, which have both been shown to run in families. One risk factor for social phobias is alcoholism, which has also been shown to have some kind of genetic link. Fortunately, these conditions can be controlled with medication, although early diagnosis can be crucial. If any of these conditions exist in your family, you may want to become familiar with the symptoms of these disorders so that you do not fall victim to any of them unnecessarily.
Why do people develop phobias?
The physical response to a phobia, although it is out of proportion, is not an altogether bad thing. The response is misplaced, but the fight or flight response has been instrumental in the survival of the human race. The change the body undergoes during a phobic reaction has allowed people to escape being eaten by animals, killed in accidents, and other dangerous situations. However, in the case of a phobia, they respond to something non-threatening as if it were a life and death situation; a survival mechanism is triggered unnecessarily, preparing the phobia sufferer to react in an extreme manner to something that is not a threat. Phobias can develop as a complication of other disorders like panic attacks and obsessive compulsive disorder, or phobias can develop because a person builds a certain fear up in their mind.
To discover more head on over to What Is A Panic Attack also click here Children And Panic Attacks and more information at Symptoms Of A Panic Attack