All About Phobias
by Haley Scellick, ARNP

We have all heard of phobias, they can be overwhelming and create an unreasonable sense of fear that pose little real danger but provoke such vast anxiety and strict avoidance. This can be on a scale as being minor or debilitating for some and truly impair the ability to function normally at work, school or in social settings. There are so many types, arachnophobia, agoraphobia, claustrophobia, social phobias and on and on.

 

What causes phobias?

 

A phobia is an anxiety disorder characterized by clinically significant fear of a particular object or situation that leads to avoidance behavior. This is the most common type of anxiety disorder, approximately 3-8% in the U.S.

 

Fears are common in children, but mostly transient resulting in approximately 2-5% that often resolve with age. Phobias are more common in females vs. males. The exact cause as to why an individual has a certain fear, while another does not is not entirely known but often points to our experience with these objects, situations and how we feel about them. This can be a learned response that is triggered in early life or may develop from factors in childhood environment.

 

Genetics may also play a role along with learned behaviors from an environmental component. Twin studies, suggests that environmental influences are stronger than genetic factors. There is evidence suggesting that there is a change in brain functioning with developing certain phobias using functional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). There is hyperactivation in structures in the brain associated with negative emotional responses such as the amygdala.

 

Some things that increase a person’s risk of developing a phobia are:

 

• Age-certain phobias usually appear by age 10, but can occur later in life
• Social influences-family members with certain phobias can carry into another member of the family through an inherited tendency or children may learn from the reactions of environment.
• Personality factors-if you are more sensitive, negative, or an inward thinker you may be predisposed to phobias.
• Evolutionary pathway-Some fears emerge without any prior learning experience and may be biologically determined.
• Negative experiences-A frightening or traumatic event such as being trapped with a large spider, bitten by a snake or trapped in an elevator may trigger the development of a specific phobia.

 

How do we curb them or treat them?

 

Getting psychological help is the best treatment to prevent lifelong development and complications or worsening of anxiety that may carry over into other aspects of life outside of the phobia. This is done with cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and/or exposure-based treatments which yield excellent results. Some people may be reluctant to undergo exposure therapy and may be treated with a medication for anxiety such as a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) or another medication.