Create a personalised ads profile. Select personalised ads. Apply market research to generate audience insights. Measure content performance. Develop and improve products. List of Partners vendors. Have you ever wondered what causes phobias? Researchers have offered several theories about the factors that may increase the likelihood that a phobia will develop. A phobia is an overwhelming and unreasonable fear of an object or situation that poses little real danger but provokes anxiety and avoidance.
Unlike the brief anxiety most people feel when they give a speech or take a test, a phobia is long-lasting, causes intense physical and psychological reactions, and can affect your ability to function normally at work or in social settings.
Several types of phobias exist. Some people fear large, open spaces. Others are unable to tolerate certain social situations. And still, others have a specific phobia, such as a fear of snakes, elevators or flying. Not all phobias need treatment. But if a phobia affects your daily life, several therapies are available that can help you overcome your fears—often permanently. They're caused by a rush of adrenaline and other chemicals that prepare the body to either fight or make a quick getaway.
This biological mechanism kicks in when we feel afraid. It's a built-in nervous system response that alerts us to danger so we can protect ourselves. With social phobia, this response gets activated too often, too strongly, and in situations where it's out of place. Because the physical sensations that go with the response are real — and sometimes quite strong — the danger seems real too. So the person will react by freezing up, and will feel unable to interact.
As the body experiences these physical sensations, the mind goes through emotions like feeling afraid or nervous. People with social phobia tend to interpret these sensations and emotions in a way that leads them to avoid the situation "Uh-oh, my heart's pounding, this must be dangerous — I'd better not do it!
Someone else might interpret the same physical sensations of nervousness a different way "OK, that's just my heart beating fast. It's me getting nervous because it's almost my turn to speak. It happens every time. No big deal. With social phobia, a person's fears and concerns are focused on their social performance — whether it's a major class presentation or small talk at the lockers.
People with social phobia tend to feel self-conscious and uncomfortable about being noticed or judged by others. They're more sensitive to fears that they'll be embarrassed, look foolish, make a mistake, or be criticized or laughed at.
No one wants to go through these things. But most people don't really spend much time worrying about it. The fear and anxiety are out of proportion to the situation. With social phobia, thoughts and fears about what others think get exaggerated in someone's mind.
The person starts to focus on the embarrassing things that could happen, instead of the good things. This makes a situation seem much worse than it is, and influences a person to avoid it. Some kids and teens are so extremely shy and so fearful about talking to others, that they don't speak at all to some people such as a teacher or students they don't know or in certain places like at someone else's house.
This form of social phobia is sometimes called selective mutism. People with selective mutism can talk. They have completely normal conversations with the people they're comfortable with or in certain places. But other situations cause them such extreme anxiety that they may not be able to bring themselves to talk at all. Some people might mistake their silence for a stuck-up attitude or rudeness. But with selective mutism and social phobia, silence stems from feeling uncomfortable and afraid, not from being uncooperative, disrespectful, or rude.
Kids, teens, and adults can have social phobia. Most of the time, it starts when a person is young. Like other anxiety-based problems, social phobia develops because of a combination of three factors:.
Behaviors learned from role models especially parents. A person's naturally shy temperament can be influenced by what he or she learns from role models. But if you have a phobia, continually trying to avoid what you're afraid of will make the situation worse. Ask a GP for help if you have a phobia. They may refer you to a specialist with expertise in behavioural therapy, such as a psychologist.
Simple phobias can be treated through gradual exposure to the object, animal, place or situation that causes fear and anxiety. This is known as desensitisation or self-exposure therapy. You could try these methods with the help of a professional or as part of a self-help programme.
Treating complex phobias often takes longer and involves talking therapies, such as:. Medication is not usually used to treat phobias. But it's sometimes prescribed to help people cope with the effects of anxiety. Phobias are the most common type of anxiety disorder. Page last reviewed: 26 October Next review due: 26 October Overview - Phobias. Phobia symptoms A phobia is a type of anxiety disorder. 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 do not come into contact with the source of your phobia very often, it may not affect your everyday life.
Types of phobia There are a wide variety of objects or situations that someone could develop a phobia about. But phobias can be divided into 2 main categories: specific or simple phobias complex phobias Specific or simple phobias Specific or simple phobias centre around a particular object, animal, situation or activity. Common examples of simple phobias include: animal phobias — such as dogs, spiders, snakes or rodents environmental phobias — such as heights, deep water and germs situational phobias — such as visiting the dentist or flying bodily phobias — such as blood, vomit or having injections sexual phobias — such as performance anxiety or the fear of getting a sexually transmitted infection STI Complex phobias Complex phobias tend to be more disabling than simple phobias.
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