Contents
Phobias can also be inherited
Psychology
Although most people who suffer from a phobia have it because of an experience they have experienced, they can also develop by imitation
It is common to meet someone who has a deep-seated fear. Maybe even you yourself suffer some of these fears that make us uncontrollable. An animal, a situation or a place … many times we panic just thinking about certain things that are beyond our control.
This fear, which goes much further, is what we know as phobia, “The irrational fear of a certain object, being or situation that generates a lot of anxiety in a person”, as explained by Sara Prieto, a psychologist at the TAP Center. The professional comments that a phobia is characterized by being a fear of “high intensity”, and that it can even “cause interference with our day-to-day life.”
There are two ways by which a person can develop a phobia. The professional says that the most common route is classical conditioning. «When a person has an unexpected situation, for example they are trapped in an elevator, and they feel a very intense fear, create an apprenticeship», Asserts Sara Prieto.
In other cases, the psychologist explains that a phobia develops, not from an own experience, but from observation. «When we are small, for example, if we see that a close person has a deep-rooted fear towards something, it is possible that we also develop it “, he says, and also comments that” certain cultural and evolutionary factors “can influence us, and therefore it is normal that many people feel a great rejection” towards animals such as snakes or rats ».
Just as each person can perceive, and feel, anxiety in a way, not all of us experience phobias following the same pattern. Sara Prieto explains that we can classify these fears by level of intensity or because of the interference it causes in our lives. Thus, the professional gives the example of a person who has a phobia of dogs. You may avoid visiting a park at night for fear of encountering one of these animals, or you may avoid visiting a park under any circumstances.
It is because of this variation in intensity levels that a phobia may not interfere much in our life and therefore that we never do anything to get rid of it. “For example, if one is afraid of flying by plane, it is something that is done infrequently, and alternatives can be found, then it is assumed and a solution is not sought,” says the psychologist.
What phobias are most common?
Sara Prieto, a psychologist at Centro TAP explains that the social phobia it is one of the most common in society. “Having to speak in public or have conversations with a wide group of people is something that affects many people,” says the professional, who comments that the way to treat this type of phobia is by helping to manage thoughts and Social skills training.
On the other hand, the professional highlights other common phobias, suffered by countless people. These can be from phobia of heights, to fly or to closed places, until fear of needles and blood. Other very common fears are towards some animals, such as dogs, rats, spiders or snakes.
In the case of pointing out the most peculiar or strange phobias, the psychologist explains that since it is a fear that is produced by learning, and can be rooted in an object, being, situation or place, practically you can have a phobia of anything.
In the event that the step is taken to put an end to the phobia that we suffer, the professional explains that these fears are part of anxiety disorders, and that this is nothing more than «an emotion that helps us to adapt to situations in which we that intensity surpasses us ». The phobia then establishes itself within us through repetition, and each time we feel that fear it is more difficult to get rid of it.
In order to treat these disorders, it is important to know that anxiety is like a curve, and when we stay at the peak for a long time, our body ends up giving up and this anxiety decreases. That is why the phobia can be treated through confrontation. “There are, for example, situations that at first generate a lot of stress, such as driving, and as it is repeated, although a level of alertness is maintained, nervousness decreases,” explains the expert, who continues to warn that when facing a phobia “It can’t be done either way.”
“You should go to a professional,” says Sara Prieto, who comments that today there are countless techniques to deal with a phobia: “It can be done simply by asking the patient to imagine a situation, or with live exposure to the fear gradually. “The most important thing is that the patient is prepared to face it. Of course, even if they are situations that generate anxiety, they must always be acceptable for him, “he concludes.