4 tips to manage a specific phobia

In this article we want to bring you our knowledge base to help you solve yourOne of the reactions that more problems and greater anxiety can generate, the phobia.

Therefore, we are going to start with a more detailed and colloquial description of what is meant by specific phobia. The first step, separate both words to give you your space.

• Related article: "The 7 types of anxiety (characteristics, causes and symptoms)"

What do we understand by specific phobia?

First, the definition of phobia has a direct relationship with rejection, that is, something that you do not want to perceive since it feels like something threatening. This rejection can be experienced emotionally in a different way, either from fear (that is, generating muscle blockage, cold sweats, pulmonary hyperventilation, tachycardia and feeling of panic) or from disgust, which instead of blocking mobilizes the muscles, both to flee from what generates phobia and to remove it.

Fear in the case of phobias is a way of showing that we are not able to face what causes us rejection (phobia of dogs, elevators, heights, all generate blockage and the symptoms mentioned above). However, in the reaction of disgust there is a feeling of "I can and should face it", although in in many cases the behavior is disproportionate (throwing a stone at a dog) and even at some points inhuman.

In second place, the term "specific" serves to differentiate anxiety attacks. From psychology, we distinguish not only the physiological-emotional reaction that occurs in anxiety, but what generates it.

In the case of a social phobia, anxiety is related to social interaction and the feeling of being judged; In the case of generalized anxiety, as the name suggests, it is as if there are too many "open fronts", suffering constant worries with different day-to-day issues. And so with the different anxiety disorders. The "specific" phobia tells us that the rejection reaction is produced by a specific element, so therapy tends to focus on that element.

Tips for dealing with a specific phobia

Below we offer a series of tips to learn how to deal with a specific phobia that generates a feeling of fear and panic.

1. It is as important to get away as to get closer

A few days ago I had an experience that defines this concept very well. I was accompanied for a walk along the banks of Zaragoza and we decided to sit in front of the river with beautiful views. After a few minutes, we saw a rat a few meters away and we observed each other, very still, for a few minutes until we both went about our routine at a safe distance, the rat did its thing and we watched the river.

Shortly after, a boy of about 13 years old approached to see some ducks, and when he saw the rat, at a greater distance than us, he froze, as if the rat could devour him into a thousand pieces. He told us that she was afraid of rats and left with his mother. After a few minutes, he returned with his sister, much smaller, because curiosity finally seduced him to observe the creature, from a distance.

And what most caught my attention was a constant movement of taking a step closer, scrutinizing the rat, and walking two steps away, once calmed down, to browse again. Finally, he was able to talk about the rat without feeling fear and a few meters from it.

This relationship between fear and curiosity is a natural and very healthy method to be cautious and learn about what you fear.. Learning to observe in the distance is like telling your brain "don't worry, I know how to take care of this."

2. Change from emotion, fear to curiosity, curiosity to security

After this behavioral exercise of approaching and moving away, A little introspection is good, away from that element that produces phobia.

Something very common in people who have a phobia is that they recognize that it is irrational and that they should not feel that fear. Introspection through meditation exercises, yoga, writing, drawing... it can help to contact that emotional part to which reason does not reach.

By doing it this way, it is as if we can retain in our imagination what generates the phobic reaction, to analyze it in detail and contemplate it with tranquility. If you do, you will see how, almost automatically, this element makes you feel in a different way, moving from fear to other emotions such as calm, security or even admiration, that of experience how you can feel calm in the face of what you fear.

In the exercise, you will also observe a change, whether in what you write, draw, meditate... in parallel with this change in sensation.

• You may be interested in: "Types of Phobias: Exploring Fear Disorders"

3. Admire yourself, know how to be calm

One of the healthiest learnings is based on knowing that we are already capable of facing what we fear without having to eliminate it, the true power. I emphasize this "no need to delete" as pathological phobia is always directed at an element that is not a real threat, since if it were, the reaction would be justified.

In addition, many patients try to solve the phobia "against the tide", that is, trying to expose themselves to the element itself without taking the first steps mentioned (going out a high balcony and expose your body in a case of vertigo, expose yourself to many spiders in a virtual reality exercise, force yourself to touch a dog in full sensation of panic ...), and this is not highly recommended, since at the end of the exhibition, there is no feeling of satisfaction, but of pure and intense anguish, and this only reinforces the phobia. In this way, the brain understands "next time, I will have to generate more fear." Bad move.

Peace of mind should be the goal, finding satisfaction as a solution and following curiosity as a method.

4. Allow yourself time to cope

Realistically, in most phobic situations, the experience does not change in one attempt. (At the age of 13, brain plasticity allows many learnings in a short time, but later things change). For this reason, it is interesting to get used to following this same method and to check the changes gradually.

The brain can reactivate in the form of a phobia of the same element, but if you solved it before, you will know what to do next.

Do you want to have therapeutic support?

As we always recommend, if the situation does not change and the suffering is high, it is time to call a psychology professional to solve the problem. If you are interested in contacting our team of psychologists, you can find more information about us at this page.