The best treatment for specific phobias is a form of psychotherapy called exposure therapy . Sometimes your doctor may also recommend other therapies or medication. Understanding the cause of a phobia is actually less important than focusing on how to treat the avoidance behavior that has developed over time.
Which method of treating phobias involves relaxation and exposure to the feared object?
Systematic desensitization involves exposing phobic individuals to fear-evoking images and thoughts (i.e., imaginal exposure) or to actual phobic stimuli, while pairing the exposure with relaxation (or another response that is incompatible with fear) to decrease the normal fear response.
Are phobias treatable?
Treating phobias
Almost all phobias can be successfully treated and cured . Simple phobias can be treated through gradual exposure to the object, animal, place or situation that causes fear and anxiety. This is known as desensitisation or self-exposure therapy.
What drugs are used to treat phobias?
Medication for Phobia
A class of antidepressants called selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) such as citalopram (Celexa), escitalopram oxalate (Lexapro), fluoxetine (Prozac), paroxetine (Paxil), and sertraline (Zoloft) can be especially helpful in the treatment of social phobia.
Which Behavioural technique works best for treating phobias?
There is no question that CBT is the most effective treatment for phobias, and every other anxiety disorder for that matter. Cognitive behavioral treatment for phobias involves un-pairing the anxiety response from the feared situation.
What are the three types of exposure therapy?
During exposure therapy, a therapist guides you through the process of confronting whatever causes you anxiety. There are three types of exposure therapy: in vivo, imaginal, and flooding .
What is the most common phobia?
- Arachnophobia (Fear of spiders)
- Ophidiophobia (Fear of snakes)
- Acrophobia (Fear of heights)
- Aerophobia (Fear of flying)
- Cynophobia (Fear of dogs)
- Astraphobia (Fear of thunder and lightning)
- Trypanophobia (Fear of injections)
What are 3 types of phobias?
There are three types of phobia: social phobia, agoraphobia, and specific phobia . Symptoms, or phobic reactions, may be psychological, such as an intense feeling of unease or foreboding; physical, such as crying or gastrointestinal distress; or behavioral, which includes a wide variety of avoidance tactics.
Do phobias get worse with age?
“Generally, phobias will probably improve with age , but if your phobia has anything to do with being vulnerable, such as heights or big crowds, it will probably get worse.”
What are the top 10 phobias?
- Social phobias. Fear of social interactions. ...
- Trypophobia. Fear of Circle Clusters. ...
- Atychiphobia. Fear of Failure. ...
- Thanatophobia. Fear of Death. ...
- Nosophobia. Fear of developing a disease. ...
- Arachnophobia. Fear of spiders. ...
- Vehophobia. Fear of driving. ...
- Claustrophobia. Fear of enclosed spaces.
How do you beat a phobia?
- Allow yourself to sit with your fear for 2-3 minutes at a time. ...
- Write down the things you are grateful for. ...
- Remind yourself that your anxiety is a storehouse of wisdom. ...
- Exercise. ...
- Use humor to deflate your worst fears. ...
- Appreciate your courage.
How do you treat phobias naturally?
The most effective way to overcome a phobia is by gradually and repeatedly exposing yourself to what you fear in a safe and controlled way . During this exposure process, you’ll learn to ride out the anxiety and fear until it inevitably passes.
What is the best medication for fear?
The selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are the most commonly prescribed drugs for panic today and offer fewer side effects than the tricyclic antidepressants. These include fluoxetine (Prozac), fluvoxamine (Luvox), sertraline (Zoloft), paroxetine (Paxil), citalopram (Celexa) and escitalopram (Lexapro).
Which type of therapy is most cost effective?
Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy : CBT interventions tend to be relatively brief, making them cost-effective for the average consumer. In addition, CBT is an intuitive treatment that makes logical sense to patients.
How is CBT used for phobias?
Cognitive behavioral therapy, or CBT, enables you to manage your fears by helping you gradually change the way you think . It’s based on the interconnectedness of thoughts, beliefs, feelings, and behaviors. It may take several CBT sessions to counteract this thought pattern.
What happens if phobia is not treated?
If not treated, a phobia may worsen to the point where the person’s life is seriously impacted by the phobia and by attempts to avoid or hide it, resulting in problems with physical health, friends and family, failure in school, and/or lost jobs while struggling to cope.
