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PHOBIA BY NKECHI IKOH

Good evening dear readers,
Phobia is an intense, irrational fear that is triggered by a specific object or situation. People with specific phobia will go through any length to avoid the situation, even though they know that the fear is irrational.


It becomes a psychological disorder when it interferes with daily life.  Some people are afraid of flying on a plane, dogs and snakes.
Common Phobias;

Hemophobia

Also called the Fear of blood.
Most people do not like the color red. The blood of a human gets one with hemophilia into dizziness or nausea. The blood Phobia is the only Phobia where fainting can actually occur.

Zoophobia

Also called the Fear of animals.
There are certain animals that are fluffy, rocky and spiky. Some are cuddly and some are just plain scary.
> When one has a fear of such animal, that person may have encountered it before and it was an unpleasant one.
> The person's intuition may not be sure about the certain animal.
> This leads them to the fear of any acquaintance made with it.
>
> Claustrophobia
Also called the Fear of small space.
> People with the fear of small spaces rarely enjoy feeling good in any kind of cage. This cage could be simplified as fear of commitment, fear of angering someone, fear of losing someone, fear of being dependent.
> Such a person loves freedom to being caged.
> Those sort of people are free thinker, passionate and emotionally intelligent. They  also have a tendency to be shy.

Social Phobia

Also called social anxiety disorder, is a fear of social situations where you may be embarrassed or judged. If you have social Phobia, then you may be excessively self conscious and afraid of humiliation.
Anxiety over what people think will lead you to avoid certain social situations you'd otherwise enjoy.
Other fears associated with social Phobia include fear of eating or drinking in public, talking to strangers, mingling at parties, being called on in class.

Normal versus Phobia
It is normal to experience fear in dangerous situations. But with phobias, the threat is greatly exaggerated. For example, it is normal to be afraid of a snake, but it is abnormal to be afraid of a lizard as you might be if one is zoophobic.
The difference between normal fear and a phobia

Normal fear: feeling anxious when going on a plane.
Phobia : avoiding a plane even when it takes you to your best friend's wedding island.

Normal fear: experiencing butterflies when peering  down from the top of a ladder.

Phobia : turning down a great job  because it's on the 10th floor of the building.

Signs and symptoms of a Phobia
They include :feeling dizzy, sweaty, chest pain, anxiety, feeling detached from yourself, feeling powerless to  control your fear.
Therapy for Phobia

A. Facing your fear: facing your fear is key, while avoidance may make you feel better in the short term, it does not conquer them on the long run. For example, fear of dogs : one could start by looking at the pictures of a dog. Standing across the street from a dog on the streets. Petting a small dog.
Then the fear is overcomed.

B. Learn relaxation techniques : these include deep breathing, meditation. These techniques help in coping more effectively with sources of stress in life.
Some examples of relaxation techniques includes :

1. Sit or stand  comfortably with back straight.

2. Take a slow breath in through the nose, counting to four. The  hand on your stomach should rise, while the other hand on the chest should rise very little.

3. Hold your breath for a count of seven. Then release repeating the cycle until relaxed.

C.  Challenge negative thoughts :
The anxious thoughts that trigger Phobia are usually negative  and unrealistic. It will help if these thoughts are put  to the test, by identifying and evaluating them.
For example, a negative thought is "the elevator will break down".
Counteracting this thought  would be: "is there anyone going through this fear? ". No.
"it has not broken down and people  are acting normal, not suffocated".

Learning how to control fears so it will not go out of control earlier, is the best way to control a normal fear before it graduates into a phobia.

Have a nice day. 

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