Specific phobia is a strong fear and anxiety for a particular animal or object, or for a particular situation or activity. Treatment with cognitive behavioral therapy and / or antidepressants helps most people.
What are specific phobias?
Specific phobia involves a strong fear and anxiety for certain situations, activities, animals or objects. The mere thought of what causes phobia can trigger fear and anxiety.
The most common specific phobias apply
- animals (eg spiders, snakes, dogs, insects, rats)
- natural environments (eg heights, storms, water, darkness)
- certain places (eg airplanes, confined spaces)
- blood or syringes (eg blood tests, surgeries, dental care)
- other (eg vomiting, illness, throat)
Arachnophobia – spider phobia, spider fear
Spider phobia is common and involves great fear of spiders. Meetings with spiders, pictures of spiders or the thought of meeting spiders can trigger anxiety. People with spider phobia often avoid environments and activities where spiders are common, such as forest walks or nature excursions. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) has a good effect against spider phobia and usually only a few treatment sessions are needed. Spider phobia is also called arachnophobia which comes from the Greek arachne (spider) and phobod (fear, terror).
Ophidiophobia – snake phobia, fear of snakes
Snake phobia is also very common, and is called ophidiophobia or herpetophobia. Many people feel uncomfortable when they encounter a snake in the wild. In snake phobia, the fear is very strong and contact with snakes can trigger anxiety. Even pictures of snakes, or even pictures of winding objects can trigger the reaction. It is common to avoid environments where snakes occur.
There are theories that fear of insects, snakes and spiders can have evolutionary significance, as these have always been dangerous to humans. There are also other explanations, such as own negative experiences or that the phobia is learned.
Entomophobia – insect phobia
Entomophobia involves a persistent fear in the presence of insects and is also a common form of phobia. The fear can apply to specific insects or several different varieties. This can be, for example, phobia of bees, wasps, ants, beetles or butterflies. The word comes from entomo (insect) and phobod (fear, terror). As with spider phobia and snake phobia, CBT treatment has a good effect.
Claustrophobia – cell fear
Claustrophobia is a specific phobia of staying in cramped spaces. The word comes from the Latin claustrum which means closed room, and the Greek phobod, horror. It can, for example, manifest itself as a fear of taking the elevator. Phobia can also be triggered by situations that feel restrained, such as sitting in a dental chair.
Agoraphobia
Agoraphobia is a more general phobia that involves a fear of ending up in situations or places that are difficult to escape from; for example, buses, shopping centers, cinemas or other spaces that may be perceived as enclosed. Agoraphobia is also sometimes called, a little misleadingly, square fear.
Sprutphobia
Squirting phobia or fear of squirting is a specific phobia and is considered a subgroup of blood phobia. Taking blood samples, getting vaccinated or taking other injections may be necessary for your health. It is therefore important that you seek help if your phobia is so strong that you avoid seeking care because of your fears.
Fear of spraying may have been caused if, for example:
- had an unpleasant knitting experience as a child
- been ill and received many needles for a period.
It can be hard not to have full control over the situation, or feel uncomfortable that someone is doing something to their own body.
It is common to react in one of two following ways in spray phobia:
- You get panic symptoms such as anxiety, palpitations, sweating, shortness of breath and dizziness.
- You get a drop in blood pressure, get dizzy and may faint.
- If you need to knit, keep the following in mind:
- Tell your healthcare provider how you feel.
- Ask to lie down if you become dizzy or faint.
- Use anesthetic cream or plaster before the sting.
Try to distract yourself at the time of the sting, with for example thoughts or music.
In order to be able to take syringes and blood samples in the long term without the need for distraction and anesthetics, treatment is the best strategy. Most people can then completely get rid of their fear of squirting.
Cause of specific phobias
What causes specific phobias is not known, but there are some theories:
- You may have a certain innate sensitivity to developing a phobia. The risk of developing a specific phobia has been shown to be higher if it occurs in the family.
- A strong negative experience in connection with what phobia is about is believed to have been able to trigger phobia and cause a so-called learned fear. However, there are many who can not identify such a triggering event to their phobias.
- A learned fear is also believed to arise by seeing how others behave, for example if a child sees that a parent reacts with fear towards, for example, a snake.
- Lack of empathy or support in a situation that is perceived as threatening can also contribute to the development of a phobia.
- It seems easier to develop phobias towards things that have always been dangerous to humans, such as high altitudes and snakes, than towards modern things such as cars and weapons.
Symptoms of specific phobias
If you are exposed to what causes a specific phobia, this can lead to anxiety and symptoms such as
- palpitation
- sweating
- dry mouth
- weakness in the muscles
- hard to breathe
- stomach ache
- nausea
- vomiting
- dizziness
- loose stools
The thought of being exposed to the cause of the phobia may also be enough to trigger these symptoms. Specific phobias therefore also lead over time to avoidant behavior, when you avoid certain situations or places to avoid coming into contact with what you are afraid of.
What can I do myself?
- Learn more about anxiety and phobias.
- Do not avoid what you are afraid of, but try to gradually approach it.
- Talk to someone you trust about your problems.
- If you have undergone a successful exposure treatment, occasionally expose yourself to what previously triggered the phobia, so that you do not risk the phobia returning.
Treatment of specific phobias
Specific phobias are treated with cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), focusing on knowledge and practical exercises:
- A slow, gradual and repeated exposure to what triggers the phobia means that the anxiety can finally be managed.
- The treatment works well and gives good results for most people, even in the long run.
- Most phobias can be overcome within 1 to 10 sessions.
The treatment is always designed individually. You are involved in designing the treatment, and will control the pace yourself. Here is an example of what a stepwise exposure to a specific phobia might look like. This example concerns the fear of flying:
- Think about flying.
- 2. Look at pictures on airplanes.
- Go to an airport.
- 4. Sit in a plane.
- 5. Fly.
Another important part of the treatment is to learn more about anxiety and stress. It is important to understand that the physical stress response that a phobia causes is not dangerous. It is a disproportionate reaction that is triggered as a protection against a dangerous situation that does not really exist. Here you can read more about worry and anxiety.
When should I seek care?
Seek medical attention if any of the following apply to you:
- You experience such strong fear that it affects / limits your life.
- You are trying to alleviate your symptoms with the help of alcohol or drugs.
- You are trying to alleviate your symptoms by harming yourself.