The Challenges of Phobias in Everyday Life Paul Johnson Psychology

Introduction

Could you imagine waking up everyday in fear that today could be the day that you have to deal with the one thing you cannot deal with, your constant fear, your phobia? Phobias don't just affect your life when the thing you fear is introduced it affects the everyday life. Having to constantly avoid the thing that causes you panic is stressful and must be annoying not being able to do things normally. Could you imagine not being able to walk or stand because you're terrified to? How about not being able to wash yourself because you're to afraid? Even make a decision but that's too horrifying or even the thought of leaving your house causes you panic.

Phobia

A Phobia is basically something that you are terrified of, it can be literally anything that what makes phobias so random and terrifying. It doesn't matter what your Phobia is, your life will be based around the fact that you have to avoid that stimuli at all costs to avoid whatever reaction you may have such as panic attack, or being frozen I know someone whose phobia is puking and when it comes up she tries her hardest not to and is sometimes successful but not all the time and she pukes. But afterwards she goes into a state of shock then after has a panic attack because she puked. It's the not having control over oneself when certain stimuli are introduced to their environment, they're so terrified they lose control of their body and mind and that's why they have to adjust their days to avoid that stimuli. Most phobias are caused from having a traumatic experience with the certain stimuli, or maybe just a bad memory from childhood.

Arachnophobia

Is the fear of spiders, which is a totally rational fear as there are so many species of spider and determining if that spider in the corner of the room is poisonous or not is not how anyone would want to spend their day. To some people, just the sight of a spider can send them into full blown panic, screaming, crying, hiding or freezing in place. Logically there are enough spiders on the planet to eat every human being in a year if they would actually eat a human that is. Not to mention avoiding them everywhere you go is close to impossible, there are about 1 million spiders per acre of land and in the tropics there are about 3 million per acre give or take. It can be debilitating trying to avoid the eight legged creatures with everyday life, but isn't the worst thing in the world.

In a study recorded in the journal Emotion; Those with a fear of spiders, Arachnophobia are more likely to spot a spider, watch the spider unable to look away because of the overwhelming surge of fear. While those without the fear or phobia can gaze at the grass, study what is in the grass with no problem or fear.

Ambulophobia

Is the fear of stand or walking, this phobia is the equivalent to having both legs broken and you're unable to stand, walk and it prevents you from doing any day to day things. Obviously these people with ambulophobia have to get over their fear and walk and or stand everyday, could you imagine every time you stood up being filled with absolute terror? Every step you take gives you a panic attack. Sounds like a horrible life to live.

Cibophobia

Like ambulophobia, cibophobia is just impossible to get around, cibophobia is the fear of food. Could you imagine being terrified by food, the very thing that helps you stay alive and well. You'd have only two options, starve yourself thus ending your life in a very slow bad way or sucking it up and facing your fears everyday and eat the food you need to stay alive. Just the sheer thought of putting chips in your mouth and swallowing makes you cry and panic, that sounds like actual hell on earth.

Hydrophobia

The fear of water, sounds just a debilitating as cibophobia and ambulophobia but may not be as deadly so quickly as cibophobia unless you caught a dangerous bacterial infection from avoiding water, so not washing anything, your hair, face, hands and body. You would smell and look un-presentable at all times, you wouldn't be able to go out in public, swimming would terrify you I wonder if sweat terrifies them too since it's water but from the body. You'd also be sick from being dehydrated, so headaches and bellyaches.

Conclusion

Most of the Phobias I have chosen to talk about like Ambulophobia, Cibophobia and Hydrophobia aren't as popular as Arachnophobia, but they show just how crippling a fear of something can seem so small but it's really not. All of the fears I've chosen are there to put into perspective of fear itself you can be scared of just about anything, even breathing and it more than just complicates your life; It affects everyone around you. There is even a phobia of having a phobia for pet-sake. Phobias affect millions of people everyday, there are people living hard lives, forcing themselves to face their fears just to live a normal life. It just shows that there is no avoiding the phobia, there is facing it or running away making life worse for yourself and the people around you. Some phobias are worse, and more hands on with family or friends and partners, but some are minor and really only affect you. Isn't it crazy how one's fears can do that? Cause so much panic, and potentially ruin someone's life, or even multiple people trying to run or hide, shelter themselves to not have to face their fears. Sometimes therapy doesn't work and help rehabilitate people, or when it does the people go back to their old ways of running and hiding, or they do as they were taught and keep exposing themselves facing their fears. Most recently people started using virtual reality therapy exposing people to their fears in a totally safe environment without actually exposing them it incredible!

References

Dingfelder, S. Phobias May Hijack Control of Eye-Gaze. American Psychological Association, American Psychological Association, Jan. 2005, www.apa.org/monitor/jan05/phobias.aspx.

Dittmann, Melissa. When Health Fears Hurt Health . American Psychological Association, American Psychological Association, 2005, www.apa.org/monitor/julaug05/fears.aspx.

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