KNOW YOUR PHOBIA

PHOBIA

 

Phobias are intense irrational fears of specific objects or situations and natural phenomena. Phobia or phobic disorder is a type of anxiety disorder. But it differs from generalized anxiety disorders and panic disorders in that there is a specific, identifiable stimulus such as water, cats, thunder, etc that sets off the anxiety reaction.

• Phobia is a wish to avoid the feared objects and situations if possible. Phobic patients feel anxious not only in the presence of the objects or situation but also when thinking about them. This is also known as anticipatory anxiety.
• Phobic patient have general symptoms like depression, obsessions ... but some other symptoms are..........

Symptoms of Phobia :-

1. Psychological :- fearful anticipation, irritability, sensitivity to noise, restlessness, poor concentration, worrying thoughts.  
2. Physical :-

• Gastrointestinal :- Dry mouth, difficulty in wallowing, loose motions.
• Respiratory :- Constriction in the chest, difficulty inhaling, over breathing. 
• Cardiovascular :- Palpitations , discomfort in chest, awareness of missed beats.
• Neuromuscular system :- Tremor, prickling sensations, tinnitus, dizziness, headache. 
• Sleep disturbance.

Types of phobia :- Based on symptoms and principal we can categorize phobia into three categories :-

• Simple Phobia :- In simple phobia a person is inappropriately anxious in the presence of one or more particular objects or situations. Simple phobias may be categorized by adding the name of the stimulus, for example, spider phobia, flying phobia or water phobia(aquaphobia) and so on.
  
  Simple phobias are common in childhood. By early teenage years, most of these childhood fears get lost, but a few persist into adult life.
• Social Phobia :- In this disorder, inappropriate anxiety is experienced in situations in which the person is observed and would be criticized. Socially phobic people tend to avoid such situations and not engage in them fully; for example they avoid making conversation, or they sit in a place where they are least conspicuous.  
  

Social Phobias are about equally frequent in men and women. The condition usually begins between the ages of 17 and 30. The causes of social phobia are not well understood.

• Agoraphobia :-  Agoraphobic patients are anxious when they are away from home, in crowds, or in situations that they cannot leave easily. In these circumstances the symptoms are similer to those of other phobic disorders, but other symptoms like depression, and obsessional thoughts are more frequent in agoraphobia than in other phobic disorders.
  
  The situations include buses and trains, shops and supermarkets and places that cannot be left suddenly without attracting attention, such as the hairdresser,s chair or seat in the middle row of a place of entertainment.

 

PHOBIA DICTIONARY (KNOW YOUR PHOBIA)

Acrophobia-----------------fear of high places

Aerophobia-----------------fear of flying

Agoraphobia                     fear of Open spaces

Ailurophobia                     fear of cats

Amaxphobia                      fear of Vehicles, driving

Anthophobia                       fear of flowers

Aquaphobia                      fear of water

Arachnophobia                  fear of spiders

Astraphobia                      fear of lighting.

Brontophobia                    fear of Thunder

Claustrophobia                  fear of closed spaces

Cynophobia                      fear of dogs

Dementophobia                 fear of Insanity

Gephyrophobia                fear of Bridges

Herpetophobia                 fear of Reptiles

Hydrophobia                      fear of water

Kymophobia                   fear of waves

Kynophobia                      fear of Rabies

Kyphophobia                  fear of stooping

Lachanophobia                  fear of vegetables

Lalo phobia                         fear of speaking

Leprophobia                     fear of leprosy

Leukophobia                    fear of  whiteness

LevoPhobia                         fear of things to the left sid of body

Ligyhrophobia               fear of loud noises

Lockiophobia                  fear of childbirth

Macrophobia                       fear of long waits

Mageirocophobia               fear of cooking

Maieusiophobia                  fear of childbirth

Mastigophobia               fear of punishment

Mechanophobia             fear of machines

Megalophobia                   fear of large things

Melissophobia                  fear of bees

Meno phobia                   fear of menstruation

Metro phobia                 fear of meteors

Metallophobia                fear of metal

Methyphobia                 fear of alcohol

Microphobia                      fear of germs

Mnemophobia                fear of memories

Numerophobia                  fear of numbers

Nyctophobia                  fear of darkness

Ochlophobia                   fear of Crowds

Ophidiophobia                  fear of snakes

Ornithophobia                  fear of birds

Phonophobia                     fear of speaking out loud

Pyrophobia                       fear of death

Trichophobia                    fear of hair

Xenophobia                      fear of strangers

 

PHOBIA, IF NOT MONITORED OR NOT TREATED, COULD SOMETIMES REALLY BECOME DANGEROUS. IT IS A SITUATION THAT REQUIRES DELICATE HANDLING BY ALL PEOPLE CLOSE TO THE PATIENT.