Specific phobias are part of the most common and widespread anxiety disorders among the general population. In case you don't know what a phobia is, let me tell you that this is a disproportionate fear of a specific stimulus. We can all suffer from a phobia, to a greater or lesser extent or at least meet someone who suffers from one. Generally, phobias appear mostly in childhood, at which point we do not yet know how to properly manage emotions, caused by certain situations in which there has been a high fear, the feeling of disgust, an unforeseen scare, etc. (where these negative emotions are associated with an object, situation or being alive, leaving a mark on memory, which maintains that association in the brain). In this way, the appearance of the stimulus (to which this intense and disproportionate negative emotion has been associated), regenerates the same feeling and intensity as when the traumatic or unpleasant situation was first lived. However, phobias can also occur in adolescence or early adulthood. They can be caused by a stressful situation, a traumatic event, or they can be imitated by a family member who has a phobia and a child ends up making it his or her own. When a person faces the dreaded stimulus (animals, heights, exams, social gatherings, etc.) severe anxiety appears that manifests itself with physical and psychic symptoms. Sometimes a phobia can be so intense that it seriously limits the life of the person who suffers it (for example, the case to severe phobia of birds or any stimulus that relates to them, such as feathers, their singing, etc.). This disproportionate fear does not allow the person to take to the streets normally, to make an excursion to the countryside or live in places close to nature (among others). Symptoms of specific phobias
Physical symptoms:
Sweating
Abnormal breathing (hyperventilation)
Acceleration of the heartbeat
Tremors
Chills
Chest pain
Dry mouth
Dizziness
Headache
Numbness of the hands
Tingling in the body
Among others
Psychological symptoms:
Distorted thoughts regarding the situation or stimulus.
Catastrophic thoughts regarding the situation or stimulus
Behavioral symptoms:
Avoidance of the situation or feared stimulus.
Crying
The most common symptoms are:
Thoughts distorted and disproportionate to stimulus.
Sweating.
Abnormal repair.
Heartbeat acceleration.
Tremors
Chills
How do phobias work? Phobias are a sample of how our survival system works, which is tremendously potent and is related to our neurotransmitters (brain chemicals) and hormones. This kind of intense memory of lived and dangerous events is the reaction to our body that he believes has to defend himself from that "danger" in the future. Types
Animal type
It refers to a wide range of animal species that can cause a fear in the child or adolescent, for example dogs or cats, insects, reptiles, etc.
Environmental type
It refers to irrational fear of weather phenomena such as lightning, storms, heights, among others.
Type "blood, injections and damage"
It refers to irrational fear of blood, blood draw and/or injections, as well as objects, materials and surgical procedures, so it generates great anticipatory anxiety before a blood test, go to the dentist, gynecologist, go to hospitals, etc. There may also be intense fear of vision of blood or wounds (hematophobia).
Situational type
It refers to disproportionate and irrational fear of situations such as tunnels, bridges, elevators, buses, staying alone, darkness, etc. Characteristics of specific phobias While fear is a proportionate reaction to the stimulus that triggers it, phobia is characterized by a disproportionate reaction of fear of stimuli or situations that do not carry a real danger (this is an imaginary danger). Even though the person is aware that his fear is irrational and disproportionate, he cannot control that fear, triggering physiological anxiety reactions such as tachycardia, nausea, dizziness, hyperventilation, cold sweats, chills, knotsin the stomach, etc. Symptoms are so severe that situations where phobia may appear are often avoided,to the point of being limiting to everyday life. Treatment Psychology has developed techniques to overcome phobias, but among the most successful is cognitive behavioral therapy,withtechniques developed for the "detachment" of anxiety such as systematic desensitization, gradual exposure and cognitive restructuring (aimedat combating the catastrophic ideas that these people may present), as well as training in anxiety management techniques.. Sometimes it may be necessary to combine it with psychopharmacological treatment to decrease the physical symptoms that accompany the phobia and thus help the person cope The latest Advanced Therapies such as EMDR or ICT are giving very positive results in overcoming phobias and traumas, being today one of the most effective and novel treatments along with the techniques of cognitive behavioral psychology. These kinds of anxiety disorders can hardly be treated by going only to the logical and rational facet of the human mind. The focus of the alteration is on how emotional memory is experienced and for this reason a complete therapeutic approach should especially affect this component.
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