Phobia
Phobia is a special condition in which a person experiences a pathological feeling of fear that develops in a person when he gets into strictly defined situations or when meeting certain objects, objects, people.
Phobia is considered a mental illness, a pathological fear of something. Currently, psychiatrists diagnose a large number of types of phobias, moreover, some types of them are known only to psychiatrists themselves, since these types are considered too rare.
A patient who suffers from some kind of phobia tries in every possible way to avoid a collision with his fears. Patients with a pronounced phobia experience not only mental changes in their condition, but also some somatic symptoms that temporarily (and in some cases for a long time) can disrupt the normal functioning of a person.
CAUSES OF PHOBIAS
In some cases, psychiatrists are not able to accurately determine the source, the trigger mechanism, after which the patient began to experience pathological irrational fear. Sometimes, the reason lies in childhood, sometimes it can occur after an injury.
The familiar claustrophobia can appear after a person is stuck in an elevator or subway, or in any other enclosed space.
According to statistics of really registered cases of phobias, women suffer three times more often than men. This can probably be attributed to the fact that women are more emotionally receptive and unstable than men.
There are also various theories of psychiatrists about where a person gets phobias from. So, for example, Freud believed that phobia develops as a result of a bright and deep conflict within a person, as a result of which the phobia develops – as a result of moving away from a certain conflict.
TYPES OF PHOBIAS
As mentioned earlier, there are a huge number of different phobias. The most common phobias:
The fear of swimming in open water, sea, pond, river – aquaphobia.
Pathological fear of closed spaces is claustrophobia.
Nosophobia is the fear of the appearance of any diseases in the patient.
Zoophobia is a group of pathological fear of some animals.
Social phobias – fear of crowds, fear of individuals.
Agoraphobia is a phobia as opposed to claustrophobia – fear of open spaces.
Fear of the dark.
Fear of light.
Fear of contracting various infectious diseases.
Pathological fear of heights – acrophobia.
SYMPTOMS OF PHOBIA
A phobia can occur as an episode of unexplained fear at the moment of the patient’s contact with his fear. Also, in some cases, fear can haunt the patient for quite a long time. In this case, it is worth considering phobia not as an independent disease, but as a serious mental illness is already possible, up to neurasthenia, psychosis and other acute mental conditions.
During an attack, the patient may experience real somatic symptoms – lack of air, rapid heartbeat, increased frequency of respiratory movements, increased pressure.
PHOBIA TREATMENT
A phobia that has not developed into psychosis and other forms of acute mental disorders in most cases does not require medical treatment. Basically, a person can cope with his fear as a result of undergoing therapy with a psychiatrist. Possible treatment options are individual therapy, group therapy, art therapy, gestalt therapy and others.
When the phobia turns into something more serious, most likely, the doctor will have to resort to medicinal effects on the human psyche – tranquilizers, sedatives and other substances that have a sedative effect on the human psyche.
