Phobias
We all experience fear from time to time. It’s a natural and normal part of life. Usually, we are able to manage our fears and move forward. But when fear becomes so intense that it feels impossible to cope or live normally, it may be a phobia.
A phobia is a powerful and overwhelming fear or anxiety about a specific object, situation, activity or even a feeling—even when no real danger is present. Over time, this fear can begin to control daily decisions and impact your quality of life.
Understanding Phobias
Phobias are often divided into two main categories:
- Simple or specific phobias – such as a fear of animals, needles, flying or heights
- Complex phobias – often linked to deeper emotional distress or underlying issues
When left unaddressed, phobias may mask these underlying causes, making it even harder to manage day to day.
Common Symptoms of Phobias
Facing a phobia can trigger strong physical and emotional reactions, including:
- Nausea
- Sweating
- Dizziness
- Increased heart rate
- Trembling
- Shortness of breath
How Counselling Can Help
If fear or anxiety feels like it’s taking over, reaching out for help can make a real difference. At The Practice in Surrey, our counsellors and therapists provide a safe, supportive space where you can:
- Understand and explore the root of your fear
- Learn techniques to manage anxiety symptoms
- Regain control over your life and decisions
- Build resilience and confidence to face challenges
Taking the First Step
If you think you may be struggling with a phobia, speaking to your GP or a trained counsellor can be the first step toward recovery. With the right support, it is possible to reduce the impact of fear and regain a sense of balance in your everyday life. Please call us on 0333 0096 321, fill in our contact form or email us to find a therapist who can help.
Useful Articles
Here's a list of articles on phobias you might find helpful.
Phobias and Irrational Fears
Symptoms, Treatment, and Self-Help for Overcoming Your Anxiety and Fear
Almost everyone has an irrational fear or two—of mice, for example, or your annual dental checkup. For most people, these fears are minor. But when fears become so severe that they cause tremendous anxiety and interfere with your normal life, they’re called phobias. The good news is that phobias can be managed and cured. Self-help strategies and therapy can help you overcome your fears and start living the life you want.
Phobias: Causes, Symptoms and Diagnosis
Individuals with a phobia go to great lengths to avoid a perceived danger which is much greater in their minds than in real life. If confronted with the source of their phobia, the person will suffer enormous distress, which can interfere with their normal function; it can sometimes lead to total panic. For some people, even thinking about their phobia is immensely distressing.
Why Do We Develop Certain Irrational Phobias?
Under normal circumstances, fear triggers a natural fight-or-flight response that allows animals to react quickly to threats in their environment. Irrational and excessive fear, however, is typically a maladaptive response. In humans, an unwarranted, persistent fear of a certain situation or object, known as specific phobia, can cause overwhelming distress and interfere with daily life. Specific phobia is among the more prevalent anxiety disorders, affecting an estimated 9 percent of Americans within their lifetime. Common subtypes include fear of small animals, insects, flying, enclosed spaces, blood and needles.
Phobias: The rationale behind irrational fears
Phobias are very common, with many people admitting to being irrationally afraid of something. But where does this fear come from, and what can we do about it?
Why do people get phobias?
An estimated 13% of the adult population will develop a phobia at some point in their life, according to one study. But why do people develop phobias?
Fear Not! For millions of sufferers of phobias, science is offering new treatments - and new hope
Researchers are making enormous progress in determining what phobias are, what kinds of neurochemical storms they trigger in the brain and for what evolutionary purpose the potential for such psychic squalls was encoded into us in the first place. With this understanding has come a magic bag of treatments: exposure therapy that can stomp out a lifetime phobia in a single six-hour session; virtual-reality programs that can safely simulate the thing the phobic most fears, slowly stripping it of its power to terrorize; new medications that can snuff the brain's phobic spark before it can catch.
Poems and Quotes to Inspire You
Dare we hope? We dare.
Can we hope? We can.
Should we hope? We must, because to do otherwise is to waste the most precious of gifts given so freely by God to all of us. So when we do die, it will be with hope and it will be easy and our hearts will not be broken.
Andy Ripley – England and Lions rugby legend, often described as one of the most colourful personalities in the history of English rugby
Helpful articles often written by our fabulous practitioners.