Fears and Phobias

Approximately 2% of the UK population will have a phobia about something and women are twice as likely as men to suffer.

A phobia is a deep fear of a specific thing or situation, such as spiders or open spaces. Many fears are perfectly understandable and do not interfere with our daily lives.

Others, however, can create recurrent, even debilitating anxiety, or prompt elaborate avoidance strategies. These immense fears are known as phobias.

There are three main types of phobias:

1. Agoraphobia:
a fear of public places and open spaces, which can induce panic attacks

2. Social Phobia:
a fear of social situations and the feeling of embarrassment and public humiliation (see social anxiety for more)

3. Specific phobias such as:

Aviophobia:
a fear of flying, particularly debilitating for family and work life

Emetophobia:
a fear of being sick; some women develop this following morning sickness in a pregnancy and it can be so severe that they choose not to have further children

Phobias can express themselves in a bewildering range of fears, many can be difficult for others to understand and lead the person involved to feel huge shame and embarrassment.

Common symptoms of phobias:

• A desire to run away from the situation
• Absolute terror when faced with the fear inducing object or situation
• Avoidance behaviour such as not going out, not touching objects in public or not socialising
• Physical symptoms including trembling, heart palpitations, feeling sick and dizziness, panic attacks
• Obsessing about the fear and not being able to think of anything else
• Anxiety at the thought of the fear

Whilst we might all have fears, phobias can be overwhelming and distressing to live with and for many affected with fears of common situations, such as public spaces or flying can have a serious impact on their lives and those of their family.

Understanding Phobias

Phobias are among the most effectively treated of all disorders. To be effective, however, treatments for phobias need to be appropriate and geared towards the long-term relief of symptoms.

Careful assessment is therefore essential, since many phobias, such as public speaking, social and flight phobia and agoraphobia are often misdiagnosed.

Getting help for Phobias

The Clinical Partners team combines expertise in this area from a wide spectrum of disciplines.

We include Psychiatrists, Psychologists, Psychotherapists and Counsellors who are all highly experienced in diagnosing and treating phobias.

We are able to diagnose phobias, understand their root causes and deliver effective, personalised treatment for phobias aimed at the long-term alleviation of recurrent anxieties.

We can also offer long-term support and advice for you and your family, while addressing issues which can be connected with phobias including panic attacks, anxiety and depression.