Phobia Treatment

Phobia Treatment

There are no treatments that offer a 100 percent cure for specific fears and phobias, but some produce encouraging results. At the least, we can make our fears more rational and manageable. The following are some ways that specific fears and phobias are treated. If the tips below do not work.

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Phobia Treatment

Your doctor or a mental health professional may suggest medications or behavior therapy or both to treat phobias. Most people don't get better on their own and require some type of treatment. The objective of treatment is to reduce anxiety and fear and to help you better manage your reactions to the object or situation that causes them.

Choices

Simple phobias usually are treated with behavior therapy. Social phobias may be treated with antidepressants or beta blockers, along with behavior therapy. Agoraphobia, especially when it's accompanied by a panic disorder, the phobia treatment usually is SSRIs and behavior therapy.

Self phobia treatment Strategies:

•   Become more aware of your fears. Identify whether you are
afraid of something if it is affecting your life, and then be will­
ing to admit it to yourself so you can do something about it.

•  Face your fears. By exposing ourselves to what we fear, we
tend to become Jess afraid of it. Usually this is done over a
period of time, such as gradually getting used to fear of
heights by slowly stepping to the edge of a balcony. Therapists

   call this behavior therapy.

•  Use visualization techniques. Many people can simulate and
desensitize their fear by imagining themselves going through a
fearful situation step by step. If they are afraid of going to the
dentist, they picture driving to the dentist's office, sitting in the
waiting room and going through a dental procedure to a suc­
cessful conclusion. There are even some virtual reality programs
available in which sufferers are hooked up to a sophisticated
computer experience for a realistic type of imagery.

Coping skills for phobia treatment

If phobias persistently cause you anxiety and cause disruptions to your life on a daily basis, seeing your doctor is a necessary first step along a course of professional treatment. But to deal with everyday anxieties, whatever their cause, try these coping strategies:

       Take action. Determine what's making you anxious and address it.

       Let it go. Try not to dwell on past concerns. Change what you can and let the rest take its course.

       Break the cycle. When you feel anxious, take a brisk walk or delve into a hobby to refocus.

       Take care of yourself. Get enough rest, eat a balanced diet, exercise and take time to relax. Avoid caffeine and nicotine, which can worsen anxiety. Don't turn to alcohol or unprescribed drugs for relief.

       Talk to someone. Share your problems with a friend or a counselor who can help you gain perspective. Ask your doctor about support groups in your area for people who have phobias.

Medications

       Beta blockers. These medications work by blocking the stimulating effect of epinephrine (adrenaline). They block some of the peripheral signs of adrenaline's stimulation and anxiety, including increased heart rate, elevated blood pressure, pounding of the heart, and shaking voice and limbs. These can be very effective for people who have stage fright but must give a presentation before other people. However, not all beta blockers are effective for this purpose, and they're only available by prescription, so check with your doctor.

       Antidepressants. Antidepressants also can reduce anxiety. The most commonly used antidepressants are selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). These medications act on the chemical serotonin, a neurotransmitter in your brain that's believed to influence mood. SSRIs include citalopram (Celexa), escitalopram (Lexapro), fluoxetine (Prozac), fluvoxamine (Luvox), paroxetine (Paxil) and sertraline (Zoloft). Monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs) block the chemical monoamine oxidase in the nervous system. MAOIs include phenelzine (Nardil) and tranylcypromine (Parnate).

      Sedatives. Medications called benzodiazepines help you relax by reducing the amount of anxiety that you feel. They include lorazepam (Ativan), diazepam (Valium), alprazolam (Xanax) and chlordiazepoxide (Librium). Sedatives need to be used with caution because they can be addictive. It's generally safe to use low doses of sedatives infrequently or only for short periods. However, sedatives should be avoided if you have a previous history of abusing alcohol or other drugs.

Treatment choices
Simple phobias usually are treated with behavior therapy. Social phobias may be treated with antidepressants or beta blockers, along with behavior therapy. Agoraphobia, especially when it's accompanied by a panic disorder, is usually treated with SSRIs and behavior therapy.

Coping skills

If phobias persistently cause you anxiety and cause disruptions to your life on a daily basis, seeing your doctor is a necessary first step along a course of professional treatment. But to deal with everyday anxieties, whatever their cause, try these coping strategies:

       Take action. Determine what's making you anxious and address it.

       Let it go. Try not to dwell on past concerns. Change what you can and let the rest take its course.

       Break the cycle. When you feel anxious, take a brisk walk or delve into a hobby to refocus.

       Take care of yourself. Get enough rest, eat a balanced diet, exercise and take time to relax. Avoid caffeine and nicotine, which can worsen anxiety. Don't turn to alcohol or unprescribed drugs for relief.

       Talk to someone. Share your problems with a friend or a counselor who can help you gain perspective. Ask your doctor about support groups in your area for people who have phobias.

Symptoms

Causes

Treatment