A Phobia Treatment Center That Helps You Face Fear With Confidence

Specific phobias create symptoms that span across psychological, behavioral, and physical domains:

Psychological

• Intense, immediate fear or dread related to exposure to the identified trigger
• Recognition that the fear is excessive and unreasonable, but inability to control it
• Anticipatory anxiety regarding potential exposure to the identified trigger
• Catastrophic thinking about what will happen during exposure

Behavioral

• Significant avoidance behaviors relative to the trigger, sometimes requiring radical changes in daily life
• Enduring exposure with intense distress when avoidance is not possible
• Seeking reassurance before situations where the identified source could be involved
• Restriction of daily life, travel, or opportunities to reduce exposure risks

Physical 

• Racing heart and shortness of breath
• Trembling and shaking
• Sweating and chills
• Chest tightness or pain
• Nausea or stomach discomfort
• Dizziness and lightheadedness
• Dry mouth and difficulty swallowing
• Choking sensation

These physical symptoms can occur upon actual exposure to the trigger or simply when thinking about it, and the fear of experiencing them can itself reinforce avoidance.

The factors contributing to the development of specific phobias include:

• Traumatic experiences — Direct conditioning through a frightening event involving the trigger — a single intense negative event with a dog, for instance, can lead to long-term fear of dogs.[3]
• Observational learning —  Observing a parent, relative, or significant person react with fear to a trigger can cause children to also develop the same phobia. This is very evident in children’s phobia development.[4]
• Genetics and temperament — There is a genetic component to anxiety disorders such as specific phobias; people with an anxious temperament or family members with anxiety are more likely to develop anxiety disorders themselves.[5]
• Neurobiological factors — Abnormal functioning of the fear circuitry and increased amygdala sensitivity result in an excessive fear response typical of phobias.[6]
• Informational transmission  — Phobias can develop due to repeated exposure to frightening information about triggers, even if no prior negative experience happened.[7]

Most phobias do not need professional clinical help. For example, a person with a snake phobia who does not live near any snakes may find ways to cope without clinical intervention. 

However, professional clinical assistance is needed when:

• The phobia is causing significant emotional distress on a regular basis
• Avoiding the trigger creates significant limitations for day-to-day life, work, travel, and relationships
• The phobia is producing panic attacks by both exposure or anticipation of exposure
• Drugs or alcohol are being used to manage phobic anxiety — a high-risk behavior for developing substance use disorder
• The phobia has led to avoidance of medical or dental care that is impacting physical health
• Co-occurring anxiety disorders, depression, or other mental health issues have developed alongside the phobia

At Agape Behavioral Health, phobia treatment starts with a comprehensive clinical assessment that evaluates the nature of the specific phobia, the degree of impairment it causes, the presence of co-occurring anxiety disorders and conditions, and the client’s goals. Each client’s treatment is designed specifically for their needs; what works best for one type of phobia will not work equally for every type of phobia, and the clinical decision-making process determines which treatment methods will be best suited.

Specific components of phobia treatment may include:

• Exposure Therapy — The most effective evidence-supported treatment for specific phobias, this therapy involves systematically exposing clients to the phobic stimulus in a safe and supportive clinical setting.[8] The exposure hierarchy is collaboratively built and progressed at a pace that challenges avoidance without overwhelming the individual’s capacity to tolerate distress
• Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) — Helps clients identify catastrophic misinterpretations of their fears and change avoidance behaviors that sustain them. It also teaches clients how to evaluate their perceived risks objectively, and educates them on how to develop strategies to assist them in dealing with the anxiety they experience while exposed to their fears.
• EMDR — For phobias rooted in a specific traumatic event, EMDR can effectively reprocess the emotional charge of the originating memory, reducing its power to generate the phobic response

The findings from studies concerning the treatment of phobias are very clear: when phobia treatment is provided in a CBT format and uses an exposure therapy approach, it is very effective, with a significant amount of participants achieving improvement in their symptoms with treatment.[9]

This means that most people who complete a course of phobia treatment will find meaningful relief, not just symptom management. The discomfort associated with exposure therapy is temporary; however, the relief is long-lasting.