Term paper

Treatments Available for Phobias

Imagine getting a chill down your spine every time a spider crossed your path. Fear of spiders is relatively common in adults and is called Arachnophobia. Phobia is an extremely irrational fear towards something. This fear could be of anything in particular, such as objects, places, or even situations. Many times, this fear disrupts people’s lives and prevents them from reacting normally to everyday situations. Every so often, phobias are developed from instincts that help in protection, such as a fear of height. According to Ranta, La Greca, Garcia-Lopez, & Marttunen (2015), many social anxiety and phobias are mainly a result of genetic, cognitive, and behavioral factors, especially at a young age. It is highly unlikely for a phobia to develop in adulthood. In any case, there are clear signs that the significant amount of fears develop amid early childhood. Fears can be brought on by distressing circumstances, certain situations, or alarming experiences. The three main treatments available for phobia patients are systematic desensitization and exposure therapy, talking treatments and medications.

One of the major treatments available for people with phobia is systematic desensitization and exposure therapy. This treatment is not a quick solution. According to “Phobias – Treatment” (n.d.) exposure therapy is effective because of its gradual introduction to the object feared. For example, someone with an abnormal fear of clowns would be asked to research about clowns. Later, they would be shown a video of a clown. As the fear subsides or decreases in intensity, a trip to the circus would be arranged as the fear almost entirely diminishes. This approach seems to work well with people that have phobias related to objects. Additionally, since phobias do not have a ‘one works for all’ type treatment, relaxation methods are also suggested as an important part of systemic desensitization and exposure therapy. These fall under the category of self-help techniques, that encompass a wide range of remedies and lifestyle changes. According to “Phobias – Treatment” (n.d.), relaxation techniques include physical therapy and learning to master one’s own breathing. This is extremely important since people when faced with fear can hyperventilate and sweat profusely. Relaxation methods can allow them to practice calmness and keep their composure when confronted with fear. Moreover, relaxation techniques also include visualization. This is when relaxation is combined with mentally visualizing how to deal with a potential situation that would cause anxiety. These techniques are extremely important when battling phobias since they do not involve taking chemicals or medication, and are relatively more accessible and cost effective.

In addition, talking treatments are another option available to phobia patients, which include counselling and cognitive behavioral therapy. People often find it useful to talk issues through with a companion or relative, however often times loved ones cannot help and patients have to seek help from expert therapist. Talking treatments include speaking with somebody who is prepared to help manage negative emotions. Moreover, talking treatments allow individuals to investigate their notions and feelings and the impact they have on their behavior. Depicting what is going on in one's mind and how that affects them can be helpful in recognizing themes and behaviors that may need to be changed. Another reason, talking treatments are useful is because it allows an individual to take more assertive control of their live and enhance their confidence. Cognitive Behavioral therapy is another method that falls under talking therapies. cognitive behavioral therapy includes exposure consolidated with different strategies to learn ways to view and adapt to the feared object in question, or the circumstance in a different way. People learn alternative ideas about their feelings of fear and substantial feelings and the effect they've had on their life. According to Polo-Lopez, Salaberria, Soledad Cruz-Saez, & Echeburua (2016) research suggests that the therapy is useful in decreasing symptoms of depression and anxiety, along with pessimistic notions. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy underlines figuring out how to build up a feeling of accomplishment and certainty with thoughts and emotions as opposed to feeling overpowered by them. This type of treatment can be extremely effective to find the underlying cause of a problem and streamline the diagnosis and management of the condition.

Lastly, a huge component of phobia treatment are pharmacological therapies and medications. This encompasses a wide range of drugs including antidepressants, tranquilizers, and beta blockers. Pharmacological medications for anxiety issues have recently turned out to be more tolerable, accessible, and vast in comparison to those in the past. Meanwhile, research has led to a better understanding of the psychological and physiological components of chronic anxiety, stress and fears. Regardless of these noteworthy changes, most patients on modern antidepressant medications are unable to accomplish managed remission from anxiety and phobias (Farach et al., 2012). New studies are being done to gain further insight into the biological aspect of fears and safer medications. According to “Specific Phobias” (2016), antidepressants are often prescribed to help reduce anxiety. Many different types of antidepressants are often prescribed to treat anxiety, social phobia, or panic disorder. Disadvantage of these drugs are that they can cause: nausea, headaches, sleep problems, and upset stomach. Additionally, antidepressants may, initially, make one’s anxiety worse. Another type of drug available to help with anxiety and fear is beta blockers. These medications obstruct the stimulating impacts of adrenaline, for example, elevated heart rate, increased circulatory pressure, heart pounding, and a shaky voice and limbs that are brought on by anxiety. Furthermore, sedatives such as benzodiazepines help people in unwinding by diminishing the measure of uneasiness they feel. Tranquilizers are utilized with alert since they can be addictive and ought to be taken with caution since they can cause dependence, and must be kept away from people with alcohol or drug addiction. This goes on to show how medications may not always be the way to go, especially depending on the patient’s history.

In conclusion, phobias can start to control people's lives leading them to seek treatments to reverse and overcome their fears. Of the several treatments, available for phobia patients, three most effective ones are systematic desensitization and exposure therapy, talking treatments and medications. Exposure therapy allows for gradual introduction to the object feared. These procedures are critical while combating fears since they do not include taking chemicals or drugs, and are generally more accessible and practical. Systematic desensitization and exposure treatment are essential in treating fears and phobias, and incorporates eventual introduction to matters of dread and different relaxation methods. Talking treatments can also be equally effective and includes counselling and cognitive behavioral therapy. It allows looking at the problem from a different perspective. Counselling gives the patient an opportunity to talk the issues and problems out with a professional, without judgement. Medication is a last resort for phobia patients, because of the countless side effects associated with it. Research into phobias and its causes have improved during the past fifteen years, and this has helped patients. Besides, due to the many different existing therapies, patients now have choices, however this can backfire if the wrong treatment is selected and prescribed. For this reason, most patients and cases are assessed on their own merit.

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References

Farach, F., Pruitt, L., Jun, J., Jerud, A., Zoellner, L., & Roy-Byrne, P. (2012).

Pharmacological treatment of anxiety disorders: Current treatments and future directions. Journal of Anxiety Disorders, 26(8), 833-843.doi. 23 /10.1016/

Phobias –Treatment. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/

Phobias/Pages/Treatment.aspx

Polo-López, R., Salaberria, K., Soledad Cruz-Sáez, M., & Echeburua, E. (2016). Outcome of

Cognitive-behavioral therapy for relatives of people with severe mental disorders.