Here are five of the most common types of phobias you should be aware of:
Arachnophobia
Arachnophobia is the intense fear of arachnids, especially spiders. The immense anxiety and panic that arachnophobes experience are triggered by the sight of a spider or a spider web (as a photo or in real life) or thoughts about spiders.
Experts say that the fear of spiders stems from the time when humans did not know how to cure venomous spider bites. Thus, arachnophobia is a product of human survival instincts. Also, traumatic experiences like enduring a spider bite can result in arachnophobia.
Exposure therapy, wherein patients are brought into contact with spiders or are shown photos of spiders, is the most common treatment for this type of phobia.
Acrophobia
Acrophobia is one of the most common types of phobias. It refers to an extreme fear of heights that leads to severe anxiety and panic attacks. Because of their fear of heights, acrophobes find it torturous to stand in high places like hills and cliffs.
Simple activities such as escalator and elevator rides can also frighten someone with acrophobia. In severe cases, acrophobes go to great lengths to avoid crossing bridges and being atop skyscrapers and towers, as these can cause them to tremble, palpitate, and feel sick.
Acrophobia develops due to distressing occurrences in the past, such as falling from a high place or seeing someone plummet from the top of a building. Fear of heights is commonly associated with fear of falling or basophobia and can be treated with cognitive behavioral therapy.
Trypanophobia
Trypanophobia is the extreme fear of medical procedures that involve injections or needles. This type of phobia can cause a person to experience an abnormal increase in heart rate, panic attacks, and aggressiveness when faced with the possibility of requiring medical treatment with a syringe.
On some occasions, trypanophobia can trigger someone to pass out during injection procedures like vaccinations and phlebotomy. As a result, individuals with trypanophobia avoid any medical treatments that need injections or needles to the point where it can be harmful to their health.
This aversion to injections and needles can be dangerous to individuals with chronic conditions that require self-injection, such as diabetes and rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Exposure therapy, cognitive-behavioral therapy, and medications are the treatments that doctors use to address trypanophobia.
Comments
Share your thoughts
Be the first to let Hello Doctor know your thoughts!
Join Us or Log In to join the discussion