An overview of the causes and treatment of anxiety disorders.
A phobia is an intense fear that is so severe that it interferes with life in important ways, such as holding a job or being with friends. This paper presents a definition of phobias before looking at their causes and triggers. The paper then looks at treatment factors, such as medication and therapy.
“Medication is often used to help block the panic response, but should be combined with other treatments, such as cognitive-behavioral therapy. This therapy combines rational thinking with relaxation techniques to reduce the level of fear (Turkington, 1999). Another behavior intervention is “desensitization,” or “exposure therapy.” The patient gradually becomes more and more familiar with the feared object or event in carefully controlled ways until they become accustomed to it, and their fear decreases. It might start with photos and gradually move on to real encounters (Turkington, 1999). In an alternate form, the patient is bombarded with images of the feared thing until his or her fear diminishes (Turkington, 1999).”