What is a phobia?
A phobia is a debilitating fear of an object, place, situation or
animal. Phobias are more intense than fear and involve an unrealistic
perception of danger about a situation or object. If a phobia becomes severe a
person might organise their life around avoiding the situation or object that
causes them anxiety. There are different types of phobia, simple phobias and
complex phobias.
Some examples of simple phobias are:
Animal phobias – such as rodents, dogs, spiders, birds and others
Bodily phobias – such as blood, vomit or injections
Environmental phobias – such as heights, deep water and germs
Sexual phobias – such as performance anxiety or fear of sexually
transmitted diseases
Situational phobias – such as flying or going to the doctor
Some examples of complex phobias are:
Agoraphobia – fear of open spaces, crowded places, traveling or
public transport
Social phobia – fear of social situations
Treatment for phobias
Phobias can be treated through psychological therapy with cognitive
behaviour therapy (CBT) based approaches being the most commonly used for
effective outcomes.
Medication is not usually recommended for phobias though it can be
prescribed in the short term to reduce some of the symptoms such as anxiety.
The psychologists at our clinic are experienced
in the treatment of phobias. If your anxiety is debilitating and interfering
with your daily life, then we might recommend a review with our psychologists.