Fear is innate to the human condition, but in some people it is visibly more pronounced and has an impact on their daily lives. Whether it comes from stories or immediate confrontations with a particular issue, it is important to know that fear is natural in the human species, but that phobias are already a product of a psychological nature.

Thus, VillaRamadas seeks to demystify a little what distinguishes each of these conditions and how they affect a person’s daily life. With varying degrees of impact, there are symptoms that help to realize that there is a problem, but also various ways of dealing with it.

The differences between fear and phobias

The feeling of fear is normal. It’s a natural way for the brain and the body to protect themselves, it’s the chemical reaction that allows us to go into survival mode to face something we consider threatening. In this case, fear is something that can arise from previous experiences or by association with less good times seen around (a third party learning).

Phobias, on the other hand, are already a state of exaggeration of the feeling of fear. Designated as a type of anxiety disorder, phobias are characterized by a excessive and irrational fear. Associated with them are often physical symptoms, panic attacks and/or anxiety, and recurrent feelings of overeating.

Signs and causes of fears and phobias

Fear, being a natural reaction of the body to its surroundings and to the unknown, cannot necessarily be identified as a cause-effect situation. What for one person may represent a situation of danger, and consequently fear, is not necessarily the same for another.

It can be said that in terms of signs, fear is always identified when a person is afraid to do something, thinking several times or hesitating in their actions.

However, in terms of phobias, being a case of psychological disorder, it is possible to be aware of some signs that indicate the disorder. Because it is a situation of exaggerated fear, the symptoms of developing a phobia can be:

• Exaggerated fear in a situation with little or no real danger;
• Uncontrollable panic, anxiety or terror in the face of a certain situation or object;
• Change in daily habits for fear of something concrete (even if not rational);
• Physical reactions to situations/objects that you avoid – for example excessive sweating, tachycardia or difficulty breathing;
• Awareness that fear is irrational and exaggerated and yet not being able to control the situation.

Phobias turn out to be the result of an exacerbated fear, which may have arisen ‘naturally’ in a trauma situation. They derive from emotional and behavioral problems.

The impact of fears and phobias in everyday life

In clinical cases of phobias, the main effect is on psychological health, but also with a negative impact on physical health. Excessive production of cortisol, the stress hormone, leads to a series of complications that affect anyone’s day-to-day. Someone who suffers from phobias may have physical complications such as:

• High blood pressure;
• Problems producing insulin;
• Appearance of skin allergies;
• Nausea, dizziness and migraines;
• Tremors in the body;
• Excessive sweat.

On a mental level, phobias can prevent normal social interaction. In some cases, through panic and anxiety attacks, they even ‘paralyze’ those who suffer from them, preventing the body from functioning normally.

What phobias affect behavior the most?

There are several types of phobias, the three main categories are subdivided into specific phobias, social phobias and agoraphobia.

Specific phobias are those that are directly related to a particular situation or object. These fall into four categories: animal, natural environment, situational or other type. These differences between them, which are linked to the context in which they arise, are also determinant in daily behavior.

While the phobias of the animal category, which include phobias with spiders or snakes for example, are not so common in affecting daily routines, others have a great impact in this sense. The most common causes of distress and altering a person’s behavior are those of a natural environment (eg, heights, storms) and situational (eg, fear of flying, fear of being in closed spaces); first because it refers to elements that end up getting out of control, and another because, despite being controllable, it can be almost impossible to circumvent in some cases.

On the other hand, social phobias (for example, fear of public speaking) are associated with an exaggerated fear of being in social situations, situations that can trigger embarrassment and/or humiliation for oneself.

Agoraphobia is related to the fear of being in public spaces or with many people, with the fear of being difficult to leave them.

Taken to the extreme, phobias can potentiate self-isolation, due to the increased fear that something bad will happen.

Both social phobias and agoraphobia tend to be more impactful for individuals, because they are more common situations, and it is more difficult to avoid them.

How to deal with phobias and fear

Being psychological pathologies, phobias and fear can be treated. In general, any episode of exaggerated or irrational fear should be relieved by normalizing breathing through deep inspirations.

If you are next to someone who suffers from this kind of episodes, you should try to console them with words, showing that fear is irrational. If it doesn’t work, it’s best to offer silent support, just waiting for the restlessness to pass, then helping the person move away from the triggering factor.

However, these are just a few tricks to alleviate crises in specific cases. Ideally, those who suffer from phobias should accept to undergo a continuous treatment that offers tools for greater control of irrational fear. VillaRamadas’ multidisciplinary teams are prepared to help you find the best way to deal with your fears.

Cognitive-Behavioral Therapyhas been referred to in several scientific studies as being a successful therapy in the treatment of phobias, as well as exposure therapy. At VillaRamadas we have professionals with experience and training in this type of therapy. Relaxation techniques and visualization techniques are also frequently used when we are faced with cases of phobias.

If you have identified moments of anguish, or if you know of someone who has and needs help, talk to us. We can help you regain your sanity and serenity in your daily life.