Phobias
|
Phobias are part of the anxiety family of conditions. They are described as an unnatural or excessive fear of something that most people would consider to be fairly innocuous, such as a fear of spiders, flying or open spaces. Those with phobias often appreciate that their fear is extreme, but they are unable to control it. When faced with the object of their phobia, those with the condition will feel fear, anxiety or even panic. Most of us feel anxious about things from time to time - we get a fright when a mouse runs across the kitchen floor, or feel anxious about going abroad - but this is perfectly normal. It is only when the resulting feelings become so extreme as to interfere with your daily life that they are escalated to phobia status. Fear is a natural and vitally important human emotion. Fear and the part it plays in the body’s “fight or flight” reaction to danger is nature’s way of keeping us from harm. When placed in a threatening situation, the human body prepares itself to respond. The sympathetic nervous system releases adrenaline into the body to provide it with the boost of energy it will need to either confront or flee the threat. Blood is pumped faster around the body to feed the muscles the energy they’ll need and we become alert and ready for action to defend ourselves. However, this wonder of human evolution can sometimes work against us. In the modern world we no longer react to every threat by delivering a swift blow around the head with a club or by running away, and most fears do not attack us with the intent of making us their lunch. Therefore, we sometimes get confused between the caveman and the modern man reaction to things. A phobia is when the “fight or flight” reaction misfires or overreacts and we are left with the discomfort of the fear when there is no real threat in sight.
|
||
