A phobia is an overwhelming and debilitating fear of an object, place, situation, feeling or animal.

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Phobias are more pronounced than fears. They develop when a person has an exaggerated or unrealistic sense of danger about a situation or object.

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If a phobia becomes very severe, a person may organize their life around avoiding the thing that's causing them anxiety. As well as restricting their day-to-day life, it can also cause a lot of distress.

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Symptoms

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You may not experience any symptoms until you come into contact with the source of your phobia.  However, in some cases, even thinking about the source of a phobia can make a person feel anxious or panicky in anticipation.

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Symptoms may include:

• unsteadiness, dizziness and lightheadedness

• nausea

• sweating

• increased heart rate or palpitations

• shortness of breath

• trembling or shaking

• an upset stomach

 

If you don't come into contact with the source of your phobia very often, it may not affect your everyday life. However, if you have a complex phobia, such as agoraphobia, leading a normal life may be very difficult.

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Types of phobia

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There are a wide variety of objects or situations that someone could develop a phobia about. However, phobias can be divided into 2 main categories:

• specific or simple phobias

• complex phobias

 

Specific or simple phobias

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Specific or simple phobias center around a particular object, animal, situation or activity.   Common examples include animal, environmental, situational, bodily and sexual.​

 

Complex phobias

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Complex phobias tend to be more disabling than simple phobias. They usually develop during adulthood and are often associated with a deep-rooted fear or anxiety about a particular situation or circumstance.

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The 2 most common complex phobias are:

• agoraphobia

• social phobia 

 

What causes phobias?

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Phobias don't have a single cause, but there are a number of associated factors. For example:

• a phobia may be associated with a particular incident or trauma

• a phobia may be a learned response that a person develops early in life from a parent or sibling (brother or sister)

• genetics may play a role – there's evidence to suggest that some people are born with a tendency to be more anxious than others

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Hypnosis can effectively provide relief for phobias, sometimes in as little as one session in cases of specific or simple phobias.

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