We all have our likes and dislikes and even things that scare us. What makes that different from a phobia is the debilitating nature of the fear. Do you have something that truly frightens you or fills you with dread? Phobias are more common than most people realise and they are nothing to be embarrassed about. What you don’t want to do is let your phobia hold you back.
Perhaps you’ve had this fear so long you don’t even realise how much it impacts your life. Do you avoid going to the park because you’re afraid of dogs? Is your perfectly good loft left unused because of its potential to harbour spiders? Is your fear of the dentist keeping you from getting the dental care you need? These types of phobias can be impeding your life and the lives of your loved ones, too. If you can’t go to the beach because of your fear of sharks, is your family also missing out on holiday adventures and memories they’d cherish forever?
Is it a phobia?
You may be accustomed to your fear or think your fear is justified. Realising your fear is a phobia is the first step in resolving the problem.
A phobia is a debilitating fear. This fear can be of an animal, place, situation, or object. For example, most of us are nervous at the thought of speaking in public. A phobia of public speaking would be more intense and include an unrealistic perception of danger. There are different types of phobias and a phobia can be directed toward anything.
You may feel that your phobia is under control because you are arranging your life in order to avoid what you fear. In reality, avoidance is usually not an answer. It can lead you to miss out on many opportunities in your life. You don’t want to live your life never being able to travel where you want to go or do the things you want to do. You don’t want the regret of not spending special moments with your loved ones.
Phobias can also have an impact on your overall health. The stress of worrying can be a strain on you. This can, in turn, hurt your ability to get a good night’s sleep which can cause additional strain on your health.
As you age, an unresolved phobia can expand to other phobias as other things become associated with your original fear. For example, a phobia about crowded spaces could make it hard to be in a place of strangers. Worry about this could inhibit you from going out for drinks or meals. This could cause you to develop a phobia about going outside, leaving you confided to your home. This is one of the reasons why it is important to seek help for your phobia now.
Treatment
The good news is that phobias are normally quite treatable. Psychological therapy can help you resolved your phobia. Our personalised psychology clinic in London offers experienced experts in treating a broad range of disorders including different types of phobias. Our private clinic makes it easier to get confidential treatments to help improve the quality of your life. While it can be a big step to seek help, it is important to consider how positive an impact successful treatment could have on your life.
