Phobias are caused by traumatic and unpleasant experiences that individuals experience in their childhood or in their adolescence or early adulthood. The aspects of the experience are stored in the memory such that any situation or object that triggers that memory leads to the phobia (Liotti, 2013). Also, phobia can be learned by a child from the parent or a close relative. Children can learn about phobias by observing members of their family and a phobic reaction to an object or situation by a family member can make the child internalize that behavior and develop a similar phobia.
According to the learning theory, an individual develops phobias if the fear responses are reinforced. For example, a phobic reaction by a family member towards an insect like a spider easily makes a child internalize the belief that spiders are dangerous thereby developing a similar phobia.
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Phobias lead to extreme feelings of anxiety when the individual is exposed to the source of the fear. Also, the individual believes that the cause of the fear should be avoided at all costs as the exposure to it means the individual cannot function normally. However, there is acknowledgement that the extreme feelings of fear and anxiety due to exposure to the trigger are exaggerated, irrational and also unreasonable. Despite the acknowledgment, the individual cannot control the feelings. The experiences create anxiety and stress as they are considered frightening by the individual. Even after the memory is repressed, the associated stimulus of the particular event, animal or object still leads to fear and anxiety.
Phobias can also make individuals experience panic attacks that can lead to frustrations and distress. The panic attacks accompanied by the feelings of anxiety make the individual develop other symptoms like sweating, shortness of breath, trembling, and tachycardia i.e. rapid heartbeats amongst other symptoms.
Phobias can also be life-limiting where based on the specific stimulus or triggers; an individual can avoid socializing with friends or visiting some places if such triggers are imminent. The individual can face isolation and live in seclusion in environments perceived to be risky due to the prevalence of stimuli that triggers the phobia. Also, phobias can lead to embarrassing and awkward situations. For example, it is onerous for an individual to fail to visit a friend’s home due to the fear of cats or dogs. Such incidents can cause humiliation and ridicule as they may not be understood conventionally.
Further, phobias can make an individual feel out of control. Despite acknowledging the feeling is exaggerated, the failure to control it creates a perception that there are aspects of one’s life that cannot be controlled. The conviction that the phobia is impacting negatively on various parts of one’s life like friendships and socialization leads to a feeling of helplessness. The feelings can lead to distress, and if left uncontrolled can cause mental health disorders. It is, therefore, necessary for an individual to seek treatment for phobia to avoid the negative impacts phobia can have on the quality of life of the individual.
One of the treatment approaches for phobia is exposure therapy. The method is based on the belief that phobias are instincts that are evolutionary in nature hence maladaptive. The approach emphasizes that the avoidance of the feared stimulus or stimuli will reinforce the fear but exposure to such stimuli diminishes the stimuli. It implies that to avoid the phobia, an individual should be exposed to the stimulus causing the phobia in a controlled environment (Chan, P., Crosland & Fogel, 2016). The exposure challenges the diverse cognitive distortions on the stimulus that makes them diminish.
The therapist works together with the client to identify the main barriers that perpetuates the fear. They then develop a list of stimuli from the least to the most incidents of stimuli that lead to the fear. The therapist and the client then work collaboratively to conquer each of the activities or barriers that lead to the phobia i.e. hierarchical systematic desensitization.
Hypnotherapy is another method that can be used to treat phobias. The method utilizes systematic desensitization techniques like exposure therapy, but the hypnotherapist and the client do not leave the room or location where the procedure is being undertaken. The hypnotherapist plays the role of guiding the client through a visualization exercise. The process entails the client imagining the real encounter of the stimulus but in a relaxed manner (Weierich & Treat, 2015). Besides leading the client, the hypnotherapist also implores on the client to maintain relaxation techniques like deep breathing to minimize the occurrence of tensions or anxiety.
However, hypnotherapy unlike exposure therapy is based on imagination that does not always prepare the client to the real experience of the stimulus. It is likely for a client to complete the entire process of systematic desensitization in hypnotherapy but fail to undergo a similar process when exposed to the stimulus. It means hypnotherapy can be ineffective for the treatment of phobias such as those involving insects like spiders. However, it can be an effective approach in treating phobias like the fear of flying.
References
Chan, P., Crosland, K. & Fogel, V. (2016). Reducing phobic behavior near water and increasing water approach skills. Behavioral Interventions, 31 (2): 163-179.
Liotti, G. (2013). Phobias of attachment-related inner states in the psychotherapy of adult survivors of childhood complex trauma. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 69 (11): 1136-1147.
Weierich, M. & Treat, T. (2015). Mechanisms of visual threat detection in specific phobia. Cognition & Emotion, 29 (6): 992-1006.
