Ramble On by Ken HerreraSince the dawn of time, humans have developed emotions to a variety of events. We all know of love, hate, happiness, and sadness. But what about fear? What is your biggest phobia? A phobia is an anxiety disorder involving excessive and persistent fear of a situation or object. Exposure to the source of the fear triggers an immediate anxiety response. The American Psychiatry Association identifies three different categories of phobias: 1. Social phobias: Now known as anxiety disorder, this phobia is marked by a fear of social situations in which a person might be judges or embarrassed. 2 Agoraphobia: This phobia involves an irrational and extreme fear of being in places where escape is difficult. It may involve a fear of crowded places or even leaving one’s home. 3.Specific phobias: When people talk about having a phobia of a specific object such as spiders, snakes, or needles, they are referring to a specific phobia. One important thing to remember is that virtually any object can become a fear object. The name of specific phobias are often formed as nonce words, or words coined for a single occasion only. Here is a short list of some of the more common phobias: Acrophobia: Fear of heights; Aerophobia: Fear of flying; Anthropophobia: Fear of society or people; Arachnophobia: Fear of spiders; Belonephobia: Fear of pins or needles; Bibliophobia: Fear of books (I know a few of y’all); Coulrophobia: Fear of clowns; Cyberphobia: Fear of computers (Again, I know many elderly that suffer from this); Gamophobia: Fear of marriage; Glossophobia: Fear of speaking in public While this is a very short list of the different types of phobias, treatments are available. There is exposure therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, eye movement desensitization and reprocessing therapy, and finally medications. Phobias can have a serious impact on well-being, but it’s important to remember that you’re not alone. They are common and treatable. If you believe that you have the symptoms of phobia, consult with a doctor for evaluation and treatment. Also, the fear of asking questions is called Rogophobia. #QUESTIONEVERYTHING |
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