PHOBIAS
Phobias are a type of anxiety disorder which cause intense and extreme fear of an object or situation, which may include public spaces, vomiting, driving, flying, insects, injections, blood, and more. Individuals with phobias will go to great lengths to avoid the distress associated with feared stimuli. When untreated, phobias can severely impair school, work, or social functioning.
Symptoms of specific phobias may include:
There are many different types of specific phobias, based on the object or situation feared, including:
Situational phobias: These involve a fear of specific situations, such as flying, riding in a car or on public transportation, driving, going over bridges or in tunnels, or of being in crowded or enclosed places.
Medical phobias: These involve a fear of being injured, seeing blood, or invasive medical procedures such as injections.
Animal phobias: Examples include the fear of snakes, dogs, mice, etc.
Natural environment phobias: Examples include the fear of water, heights, or storms.
Other phobias: These include a fear of falling down, loud sounds, costumed characters such as clowns, vomiting (emetophobia) or others.
Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) is the most effective, evidence-based treatment for phobias. Contact Indy OCD to start treatment.
Symptoms of specific phobias may include:
- Excessive or irrational fear of a specific object or situation
- Avoiding the object or situation or enduring it with great distress
- Anticipatory anxiety, which involves becoming nervous ahead of time about being in certain situations or coming into contact with the feared object; for example, a person with a fear of vomiting may avoid food prepared by others out of concern for becoming ill.
- Physical symptoms of anxiety or a panic attack, such as a pounding heart, nausea or diarrhea, sweating, trembling or shaking, numbness or tingling, problems with breathing (shortness of breath), feeling dizzy or lightheaded, feeling like you are choking
There are many different types of specific phobias, based on the object or situation feared, including:
Situational phobias: These involve a fear of specific situations, such as flying, riding in a car or on public transportation, driving, going over bridges or in tunnels, or of being in crowded or enclosed places.
Medical phobias: These involve a fear of being injured, seeing blood, or invasive medical procedures such as injections.
Animal phobias: Examples include the fear of snakes, dogs, mice, etc.
Natural environment phobias: Examples include the fear of water, heights, or storms.
Other phobias: These include a fear of falling down, loud sounds, costumed characters such as clowns, vomiting (emetophobia) or others.
Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) is the most effective, evidence-based treatment for phobias. Contact Indy OCD to start treatment.