Kaya 959 reporter
Phobias are an irrational fear of something that is unlikely to cause harm. Unless it’s spiders, which can typically result in a rapid onset of fear in a majority of people, particularly women.
Going through life with a phobia can be the most uncomfortable feeling ever. The intense feeling of fear over something that is too terrifying to overcome can stop people from living and enjoying life.
On Midday Joy with Andy Maqondwana, listeners shared some of the phobias they have.
Common phobias include:
- Mysophobia – Fear of Germs.
- Acrophobia – Fear of Heights.
- Agoraphobia – Fear of Having a Panic Attack in Public.
- Mysophobia – Fear of Germs.
- Cynophobia – Fear of Dogs.
- Arachnophobia – Fear of Spiders.
- Ophidiophobia – Fear of Snakes.
- Claustrophobia – Fear of confined spaces
Free yourself from yourself
When examining whether you have a certain phobia, you need to be on the lookout for the following symptoms:
- Shortness of breath
- Trembling or shaking
- Headaches
- Unsteadiness
- Dizziness, and light-headedness
- Nausea
- Sweating
- Increased heart rate or palpitations
If you find that you have a phobia don’t be alarmed, you are not the only one. Well-known personalities around the world have their own phobias that they are dealing with, such as Oprah who has a bubblegum phobia or P Diddy who has a phobia of toes.
Robert De Niro like many people has a fear of dentists, while Jennifer Aniston, Michael Jackson Whoopi Goldberg, and DJ Khaled are afraid of flying.
Treatment: Exposure therapy, Counseling, Medication & Meditation
There are a number of ways to deal with your phobia, and every step requires that you first acknowledge you have a problem and need help.
Here are a few therapies that can help:
Exposure Therapy:
This is one of the most common ways of dealing with a phobia.It involves being exposed to your phobia in a controlled manner, this subtle method helps patients overcome their anxieties. It’s very effective in dealing with a specific phobia, anxiety disorder, social anxiety disorder, an obsessive-compulsive disorder as well as PTSD (Post-traumatic stress disorder).
Counseling:
This is done through cognitive behavioural therapy, which is the model of counselling most effective in anxiety disorders, panic attacks, stress compulsive disorders, phobias, and trauma. As a patient, this helps with alleviating the symptoms which are causing and fuelling the anxiety.
Medication & Meditation:
Even though we don’t recommend taking medication to treat a phobia, it has a way reducing the anxiety and panic symptoms you experience from thinking about or being exposed to the object or situation you fear. Speak to your doctor for the right medication in this regard. Opting for meditation and hypnosis is also another option to explore, a common truth in most cases is that all phobias are from your mind. You need to convince your mind that your phobia is irrational and free yourself from it.
