Phobias are considered anxiety disorders and are characterized by being associated with particular objects or situations. Some examples are animals like frogs, objects like syringes, and situations like flying in airplanes.
In the diagnosis of phobias, the objects or situations always provoke the same intense and immediate fear. This fear is not usually proportional to the real danger that the object or situation in question poses to people. For example, frogs, unless they are veined, are not dangerous and flying is the safest way to travel.
People with phobic disorders actively try to avoid the object or situation as much as possible because if they cannot, they suffer intense fear. This avoidance causes a lot of clinical stress and social and occupational problems. It is important to highlight that We all suffer from fear at some point in our lives. However, to diagnose a phobia it is necessary that the previous behaviors last at least 6 months and occur in a normal way.
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How are phobias treated?
In my clinical experience, most people do not treat them and
They simply learn to live avoiding the feared object or situation. The situation is complicated when the objects and situations that provoke fear cannot be avoided; For example, flying by plane if work demands it. In these situations the ideal is to go see a therapist. Cognitive behavioral therapy has proven to be effective in treating phobias.
In this therapy the client learns to modify the way he thinks about the object or situation and explores the deeper meanings of fear. They also learn practical ways to deal with fear through meditation and introspection exercises. On other occasions, gradual exposure to the situation or object with the help of the therapist is an effective technique to gradually desensitize the patient to fear or anxiety.
Either way. Phobias are more common than we think and there is no consensus on what causes them or how to prevent them from developing.. If you think you have a phobia, it wouldn't hurt to check it out in therapy, because yes, the sooner it is treated, the better.
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Ingrid Pedre She is Cuban living in Texas, a psychologist in therapy works, specialist in anxiety and depression, specializing in adolescents, adults and Couples.
Schedule an appointment with Ingrid!
