Over Come Your Anxiety Phobias?

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Phobias are an extreme unrealistic fear of places, situations, or specific objects. There are three main
categories of phobias which include social phobias, agoraphobia, and specific phobias.

Most individuals have some type of phobia such as having to take an exam or making a public speech
and will experience a brief period of fear or anxiety in these situations. However, individuals who have
an extreme phobia will have intense physical and emotional distress that can last a long period of time
and be disruptive to their everyday life. While not all types of phobias require treatment, severe cases -
such as agoraphobia - require therapy and sometimes medication to overcome the fears.

Social Phobia and Agoraphobia and Specific Phobias

Individuals who suffer from the anxiety disorder of social phobia have an extreme fear of social events
or public places. This fear is based upon their false perception that they will be scrutinized and
embarrassed, humiliated, harshly judged or criticized.

In severe cases of social phobia an individual can withdraw from all social activities and even have
trouble keeping a job that involves interaction with others. In some cases, this isolation can lead to
severe depression, financial difficulties, and substance abuse. The symptoms of a social phobia can
often mimic that of a panic disorder or agoraphobia.

Agoraphobia is defined as "fear of open spaces" and is an anxiety disorder that can be extremely
debilitating to the individuals who suffer from it. Individuals with agoraphobia suffer from panic
attacks and have an extreme fear of crowded or public places where they feel they can not escape such
as shopping malls, elevators, or airplanes.
In severe cases of agoraphobia the individual can become confined to their home as their fear of having
a panic attack is so overwhelming they are unable to go out in public. Specific phobias are a phobia
involving a specific object, circumstance, or situation. There are numerous types of specific phobias
which include snakes, spiders, public transportation, and water.

Symptoms and Treatment

The signs and symptoms of a phobia disorder are all very similar in nature regardless of what type of
phobia it is and include intense anxiety in the situations that are feared, going to extremes to avoid any
places, objects, or situations that cause the fear and anxiety, having a panic attack, and the physical
symptoms of a rapid heartbeat, sweating, and shortness of breath.

Phobias do not typically go away on their own, and in severe cases that interfere with the functioning
of a normal life, medical treatment is required. These treatments typically consist of psychotherapy in
mild cases and may be a combination of therapy and medication in more severe disorders.

The therapy most commonly used with these types of disorders is exposure therapy or "systematic
desensitization" which includes imagining or coming into contact gradually with situation or object
that is feared. Fortunately, with the proper diagnosis and treatment plan, the majority of individuals
with these types of disorders can alleviate their symptoms and overcome their fears.

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