Do you have an irrational fear? Don’t worry, there's a phobia for that! Fear is a common emotion, characterized by nervousness or discomfort, that is experienced by everyone and is vital for survival, as it is triggered by a real danger or threat. When a fear becomes so intense that it interferes with your daily functioning or well-being, it can be classified as a specific phobia, a type of anxiety disorder. One example to demonstrate this concept may look like this: Fear is the feeling anxious when flying through turbulence or taking off during a storm, whereas a specific phobia of flying would be missing your best friend’s destination wedding because it would require you to travel by plane.
Development and Cause
The developmental course of phobias, which progresses from fear to avoidance and then to a diagnosis, suggests the possibility that interrupting the course of phobias may actually reduce their prevalence. Phobias persist for several years, even decades in 10-30% of cases, and are strongly predictive of the onset of other anxiety, mood, and substance-use disorders. The high comorbidity with other mental disorders suggests that early treatment of phobias could also alter the risk for other disorders.
Although much is still unknown about the actual cause of specific phobias, some causes may include negative experience, genetics and environment, and brain function. Many phobias develop as a result of having a negative experience or panic attack related to a specific object or situation. There may also be a link between your own specific phobia and the phobia or anxiety of your parents, which could be due to genetics or learned behavior. Additionally, there have been studies suggesting that changes in brain functioning could also play a role in the development of specific phobias.
Five Types of Specific Phobias
The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, or DSM, recognizes five types of specific phobias:
Natural Environment Type → Phobias of nature, weather, and environmental events or situations, including water or storms.
Animal Type → Phobias centered on animals or insects, such as dogs or spiders.
Blood-Injection-Injury Type → Phobias related to physical harm or injury, like injections or doctors.
Situational Type → Phobias triggered by specific situations, such as confined spaces or public speaking.
Other → Phobias that do not fit into the other four types, including the fear of dolls or loud sounds.
Prevalence
More than 70% of people in the United States report having more than one unreasonable fear. However, the prevalence of these fears is much higher than that of diagnosed specific phobias, which require the presence of avoidance and impairment related to the fear. In a study from 2018, it was found that an estimated 19.3% of adolescents had a diagnosed specific phobia within the last year, with the prevalence for adolescent females (22.1%) being higher than prevalence for adolescent males (16.7). Similarly, it was found that an estimated 9.1% of adults had a diagnosed specific phobia within the past year. The past year prevalence of specific phobia among adults was also significantly higher for adult females (12.2%) than for adult males (5.8%).
Treatment
Only about a tenth to a quarter of people with specific phobias eventually receive treatment, possibly because avoidance can reduce stress and impairment. Predictors for receiving treatment include having more severe impairment, having particular phobias, specifically people with phobias of flying, closed spaces, or heights are more likely to seek treatment, and having a greater number of phobias. Exposure therapy, a technique used to help individuals with anxiety face their fears without subjecting them to danger or harm, is the current treatment of choice for specific phobias, but other options such as cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and medications have also demonstrated some effectiveness. Unfortunately, there have not been many studies addressing the comparative effectiveness of different treatment options.
Helpful Tips
Seeking professional treatment can help individuals with specific phobia manage their irrational fears and symptoms effectively so they don't become a prisoner of their own minds. Some helpful tips include:
- Try not to avoid feared situations. Practice staying near feared situations as frequently as you can rather than avoiding them completely. Family, friends and your therapist can help you work on this. Practice the techniques you learn in therapy and work with your therapist to develop a plan if symptoms get worse.
- Reach out. Consider joining a self-help or support group where you can connect with others who understand what you're going through.
- Take care of yourself. Get enough rest, eat healthy and try to be physically active every day. Avoid caffeine, as it can make anxiety worse. And don't forget to celebrate successes as things get better.
-Written by Haley Dee, Assessment Team Member