Being spooked can be fun and exhilarating: It’s one of the reasons Halloween is a popular holiday, and why attendees flock to venues like Stanford’s Haunted Fortress every year.
But it’s no joke when fright becomes phobia: the all-consuming and irrational fear of something that poses no real danger. Phobic dread can be disabling; it affects the professional or personal life of the victim. Nearly 10% of Americans are affected, making this anxiety disorder the most common psychiatric diagnosis in the United States.
Phobias are split into three categories: social anxiety disorder (self-conscious fear of being judged), agoraphobia (fear of public places), and specific phobias. The last category is the most common, with more than 400 specific phobias recorded. Three top the list: arachnophobia (fear of spiders), acrophobia (fear of heights), and ophidiophobia (fear of snakes).
Specific phobias usually manifest between the ages of 15 and 20, often following a bad experience. A car accident may lead to amaxophobia (fear of driving); a long-forgotten childhood trauma like near-drowning explains a sufferer’s latent aquaphobia; genetic inheritance also may play a part.
To someone who’s never experienced them, phobias may seem silly; to the sufferer, they’re devastating. Phobics go to great lengths to dodge the source of their fear. Avoidant behavior can dictate the victim’s choices from recreational activities and driving routes to job selection and dental care. Those with cynophobia (fear of dogs) may avoid socializing at the homes of canine owners; claustrophobics (those who fear enclosed spaces) will climb stairs to escape an elevator ride — whether a four-story office building or a 24-floor skyscraper; phobics with trypanophobia (fear of needles) shun vaccinations and venipuncture, risking good health.
Most sufferers feel fine when not around the source of their fear: It’s not hard to stay away from peanut butter if you have arachibutyrophobia (fear of anything sticking to the roof of your mouth). Avoidance is much more difficult for those with xanthophobia (fear of the color yellow) or pogonophobia (fear of beards).
The symptoms of specific phobias include dizziness, trembling, palpitations, shortness of breath, and outright panic. These complaints temporarily abate once the victim gets away from the offending object or situation.
Specific phobias will not get better without treatment; They can lead to social isolation, self-medicating with alcohol or drugs, and depression. Behavioral and virtual reality therapies are effective: The patient is desensitized by gradually being exposed to the source of their fear. Patients are taught relaxation techniques and breath control. Medications like beta blockers or tranquilizers are occasionally used to control symptoms.
If any phobia interferes with your life, consult your medical provider. The sooner you get help, the more effective the treatment.