Phobias, Fears and Anxiety

Fear and anxiety are two concepts that are often confused with each other. Apart from these, there are also phobias. Fear is the emotional response we feel toward an external danger. A phobia is also a type of fear. We call it a phobia when fear occurs toward certain situations or objects that would normally not be considered frightening. In fact, we know that our fear is disproportionate to the event or object. We may even believe that it is irrational and unnecessary. However, we cannot cope with our fear, and when we encounter—or even think we might encounter—the feared situation, we try to avoid it.

The object of a phobia may be an item or an event. The most typical examples are animal phobias. Animal-related phobias generally begin in childhood. Situation-based phobias may involve natural events such as storms or earthquakes, as well as situations like flying on an airplane or getting an injection. Fears of seeing blood or receiving injections are often familial. Phobias such as being unable to ride a plane or bus, crossing bridges, driving, or staying in enclosed spaces are more common during childhood and adolescence. Sometimes there are phobias specific to children. The most common of these are fear of loud noises and fear of characters wearing special costumes.

What Are the Symptoms of a Phobia?

When faced with the object, situation, or activity that triggers fear, symptoms of anxiety appear. Nearly all symptoms seen during a panic attack can emerge when encountering a phobic situation. Symptoms may include heart palpitations, facial flushing, trembling, blurred vision, shortness of breath, and dry mouth.

WHAT CAUSES PHOBIAS?

There are different theories explaining the causes of phobias. In some cases one factor, in others another factor may be identified as the cause. Against anxiety, our subconscious mind goes into defense mode. Sometimes anxieties caused by other issues—especially those difficult to express—are redirected toward objects or situations. This happens because objects and situations can be avoided, allowing the person to distance themselves from anxiety. Sometimes a phobia is a learned behavior. A painful or distressing experience involving the phobic object or situation can become the source of the phobia. An event involving an animal during childhood may later turn into a phobia even if no other similar event occurs. Behavioral therapies can be helpful in such cases. It is also known that heredity and certain biochemical changes play a role in the development of phobias.

CAN PHOBIAS BE TREATED?

People generally seek treatment for phobias when the fear begins to interfere with daily life. Many people are afraid of snakes and may have a snake phobia. However, if they live in a place where the likelihood of encountering snakes is low, they may not feel the need for treatment. But if you live in an area full of dogs, need to travel frequently by plane for work, or your social and professional life is disrupted by fear of storms, then you may begin looking for treatment. The treatment method depends on the situation. The treatment of social phobia and agoraphobia differs. Medication is rarely used for specific phobias. Behavioral methods such as systematic desensitization and exposure therapy may be used. Therapies aimed at identifying the source of fear may also be applied. Fear of heights may not be a problem if your job does not involve cleaning skyscraper windows. If you do not fly, you may not need to deal with a fear of flying. However, going outside, crossing bridges, or encountering dogs are part of everyday life. If your life is being restricted, it may be time to seek help.

ANXIETY

Although related to fear, anxiety is different from it. Fear is a response to an immediate danger, whereas anxiety is more future-oriented; it is a defense or escape response to a danger expected in the future. Anxiety is a more widespread, slower-developing, and longer-lasting emotion. In other words, anxiety is a distressing and tension-producing feeling that occurs when there is an unclear fear or when a fundamental need is not being met. When our anxiety rises, the body sends certain signals: heart rate increases, sweating, chills, fatigue, breathing difficulties, trembling, stomachaches, and headaches may occur. On the other hand, a normal level of anxiety can help a person feel motivated, make decisions, generate energy in line with those decisions, and improve performance by using that energy.

Causes of Anxiety/Fear

PREDISPOSING FACTORS

The first signs of specific phobias generally appear during childhood or early adolescence. In women, they may emerge at younger ages compared to men.

Personally experiencing traumatic events (such as being attacked by an animal or being locked in an enclosed place)

Experiencing unexpected panic attacks in situations associated with fear

Witnessing traumatic events happening to others or seeing others display fear

Information transfer (constant parental warnings or news in the media)

The main reason behind fear and anxiety is the expectation that the object or situation in question may lead to a negative outcome in some way. These reasons include:

• An inborn tendency toward anxiety and fear — according to scientific research, this can be genetically inherited.

• Another cause of fear is modeling. If our parents had specific phobias during our childhood, we may imitate these fears while taking them as role models, leading to similar fears in ourselves.

• Artificial or naturally developed fears created through various forms of pressure.

• Some anxieties and fears may also be related to frequently consumed stimulants. For example, caffeine found in excessive coffee consumption may trigger such reactions.

• Changes in a person’s life can also affect physiological adaptation and bring about fear and anxiety. Hormonal and life changes experienced during pregnancy are examples of this.