Phobic neurosis can be defined as an irrational persistent fear of certain situations, objects, activities or persons.
It can also be defined as an exaggerated pathological fear of a specific type of stimuli or situation. This fear occurs whenever the phobic individual is brought in contact with or in anticipation of that object or situation.
Causes of Phobic Neurosis
1. Predisposing Factors
- hereditary
- personality; insecure, immature, over-dependent personality and much more.
2. Precipitating Factors
- parental influence
- threats to biologic integrity; food, drink, shelter
- threat to the security of self;
- unmet expectations important to self integrity
- anticipated disapproval by significant other
- inability to gain or reinforce self respect to gain recognition from others
- guilt or discrepancies between self view and actual behaviour
- early childhood experiences
- unresolved psychological conflicts
Types of Phobia
there are two basic types of phobia;
1. Social phobia
2. Specific Phobia
1. Social phobia
This is a persistent excessive irrational fear and compelling desire to avoid situations in which the person may be exposed to unfamiliar people or the scrutiny of others such as fear of humiliation or embarrassment.
For instance; speaking in public, eating in a public gathering, using a public rest rooms.
This fear is connected with interactions with people.
2. Specific Phobia
this was formerly called simple phobia. This is a persistent excessive and unreasonable fear when in the presence of, or when anticipating an encounter with a specific object or situation.
examples include;
- Acrophobia; fear of height
- Ailuriphobia; fear of cats
- Algophobia; fear of pain
- anthophobia; fear of flower
- aqua-phobia; fear of water
- arachnophobia; feafr of spiders
- astraphobia; fear of lightning
- balenophobia; fear of needles
- claustrophobia; fear of closed space
- cyrophobia; fear of dogs
- bronthophobia; fear of thunder
- dementophobia; fear of insecurity
- equinophobia; fear of horses
- gamophobia; fear of marriage
- herpetophobia; fear of lizard, reptiles
- homophobia; fear of homosexuality
- murophobia; fear of mice
- mytophobia; fear of dirt, contamination
- numerophobia; fear of numbers
- nyctophobia; fear of darkness
- octophobia; fear of being in a moving car
- ophidophobia; fear of snakes
- pirophobia; fear of fire
- scolectphobia; fear of worms
- siderodromophobia; fear of railroads, train travels
- taphophobia; fear of being buried alive
- thanatophobia; fear of death
- trichophobia; fear of hair
- triskadekaphobia; fear of the number 3
- xenophobia; fear of strangers
- zoophobia; fear of animals
- agoraphobia; fear of being alone or open in public
- erythrophobia; fear of blood
- panphobia; fear of everything
- peecatrophobia; fear of singing
- phonophobia; fear of speaking aloud
- necrophobia; fear of dead body
- toxophobia far of being poisoned
Signs and Symptoms of Phobic Neurosis
1. Physiological
- increased heart rate
- difficulty in breathing
- sweaty palms
- trembling
- dry mouth
- lump in the throat
2. psychological
uncomfortable feeling of impending doom, danger or disaster accompanied by overwhelming awareness of being powerless, inability to perceive the unreality of the threat prolonged feeling of tension and exhaustive readiness for expected danger.
There maybe description of feeling irritability, anger, uptight, jittery, nervousness and so on.
Also note that when in contact with the feared object or situation, there maybe signs of worry, easiness, palpation, hypnosis, tremors, lack of concentration, depression, use of defence mechanism, confusion, avoidance of feared object or situation.
Management
1. Systematic desensitization therapy
some therapist will use virtual reality image or imagery exercise gradually to desensitize patients of the fear entity
2. Cognitive Behavioural Therapy
Therapist will make the client to understand the cycle of negative thought pattern, and ways to change these patterns techniques include;
- inaugural exposure
- reassurance based exposure
- cognitive restricting
- homework assessments
- flooding
- relaxation techniques
3. Social skill training
- role modeling and role playing.
Feel free to ask your questions in the comment section below.