Phobias
In this condition factsheet:
Diagnosing Phobias
When someone recognizes that the feelings of anxiety or distress in any type of phobia become worrying, or are interfering with daily life or relationships, a doctor or therapist can help pinpoint the problem. A health professional may start with a range of questions to evaluate if symptoms and behaviour are consistent with a phobia. This can include asking about:
- the person's specific responses to certain situations
- how long the condition has been evident
- how often the person experiences the symptoms of a phobia
- how much of the person's time is taken up by thoughts of encountering something that's feared
Based on the answers, the particular type and cause of the phobia can be pinpointed.
Usually, the best clue to a diagnosis is if someone often or always tries to avoid any situation that triggers the symptoms. Symptoms need to have been present for at least six months for diagnosing specific phobias.
Treating and Preventing Phobias
Treatment can either take place through use of psychological interventions or medications.
Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is a non-medicinal psychological intervention in the treatment of social phobias, panic disorders, and specific phobias. Cognitive therapy, the specific psychological intervention that is effective in social phobias and panic disorders, aims at changing thinking patterns and finding ways of redefining or coming to terms with core beliefs behind certain fears. Behavioral therapy, specifically desensitization therapy, is effective for certain phobias where the person is gradually exposed to the feared situation while they are taught how to cope with and manage the resultant anxiety. Confronting fears in the safety of a therapeutic environment helps to dull people's phobias, and gradually helps them put the fears – and their responses to them – into perspective. Other components of CBT include psychoeducation, anxiety management, and reduction of safety behaviours.
Exposure therapy is also used and has shown to be effective in treating phobias. It is a psychological treatment that helps people confront their fears. If you avoid something you are fearful of, it can help reduce feelings of fear in the short term, but it could make the fear become even worse over the long term. With exposure therapy, people with phobias will practice getting used to the anxiety-provoking situation and feel comfortable gradually. This can be used with CBT.
Talking about a specific fear can help to alleviate the intense anxiety associated with it. Trusted friends and family can provide good support, especially when anxiety follows some trauma in a person's life. Self-help groups can also be very therapeutic by allowing people to share experiences and to find out how others with similar problems cope with their fears. Relaxation and stress-management techniques – learned from professionals, groups, books, videos, or online resources – can go a long way towards helping people to control their anxiety.
Treatment using medications involves antidepressant medications that are effective in treating the various symptoms associated with social phobia, panic attacks, and co-occurring depression. Anti-anxiety agents (benzodiazepines) and beta-blockers may also play a role in treatment. Available medications include:
- Benzodiazepines are effective anti-anxiety medications that can be very helpful in the short-term treatment of anxiety, for immediate use during an acute panic attack, and during behavioural treatment as a person attempts to face their feared situation or specific phobia. Generally, they are not used for long-term treatment.
- Beta-blockers – normally used in the treatment of heart conditions – are effective in the treatment of social phobia. They are specifically prescribed for individuals who must perform or talk in public and require short-term medication to stop the associated physical symptoms of the phobia from developing SSRIs (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors) alter the levels of serotonin in the brain, and have fewer side effects than the other anti-depressant medications. Although they can be helpful in alleviating symptoms like sweating, fast heart rate, and trembling, they do not treat anxiety itself.
- Tricyclic antidepressants used in low doses have been widely used in treating anxiety disorders; however, these medications have side effects such as dizziness, drowsiness, dry mouth, and weight gain.
- MAOIs (monoamine oxidase inhibitors) work well on panic disorder and social phobia; these medications require people to adhere to a restrictive diet that at times can be troublesome. Failure to adhere to the diet can result in very serious reactions.
All material copyright MediResource Inc. 1996 – 2024. Terms and conditions of use. The contents herein are for informational purposes only. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Source: www.medbroadcast.com/condition/getcondition/Phobias
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