Phobias

Certain situations can leave anyone frightened: the dark, high places, animals. Most people can stay calm, reason through it, and find a way around. For some that does not work. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, more than 10 million adults live with some kind of phobia.

What is a phobia?

Phobias, as the American Psychological Association describes them, are intense fears that cause real distress and can be intrusive. A person with this anxiety disorder feels an irrational fear of something that poses no real threat.

A few common phobias:

• Arachnophobia, the fear of spiders
• Acrophobia, the fear of heights
• Agoraphobia, the fear of being in a situation you cannot escape

The American Psychiatric Association simplifies the symptoms into two points: a reaction that is out of proportion to the situation, and a compromised ability to behave normally.

Treatment options

• Talk therapy, often cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), where you learn to think about, react to, and behave around the thing you fear, to reduce the overwhelming anxiety.
• Medical care, which does not cure a phobia but can help manage symptoms.
• Stress-management practices such as meditation, prayer, or gentle movement.

One approach may work for one person, and often a combination works best. The cause of anxiety disorders is not fully known and may involve genetics, environment, or development. Until we know more, anyone struggling with a phobia deserves help, and healing is possible.