How to Overcome Any Phobia

A Detailed Guide to Tried-and-True Methods

Medically reviewed by Steven Gans, MD

A phobia is an ongoing, excessive fear of something specific such as snakes, heights, enclosed places, or other objects or situations. This leads to a person either avoiding the thing they fear or experiencing great distress when they encounter it. It is possible to learn how to get over a phobia with treatment and strategies aimed at desensitizing you to the thing you're afraid of.

Specific phobia is a type of anxiety disorder. Roughly 12.5% of adults in the United States have a specific phobia at some point.

This article will discuss types of phobias, signs and symptoms of phobias, tips to overcome them, and treatment options.

Phobia vs. Fear

A phobia is more severe than a fear. More specifically, a phobia is an irrational fear that is out of proportion compared to the actual threat. There may be little threat, or even no threat at all, and the person could experience symptoms of anxiety.

A person with a phobia may experience a fight-or-flight response in the presence of the thing they're afraid of. When this happens, stress hormones are released that cause symptoms such as increased heart rate, dizziness, hot flashes or chills, chest pain or tightness, and butterflies in the stomach. Other symptoms can include difficulty breathing, nausea, sweating, confusion, or disorientation.

Fear, on the other hand, is an intense emotion in response to a threat in the moment. A person experiencing fear may have some of the same symptoms, but they only occur in response to a real threat or something that most people would perceive as a threat. Unlike a phobia, a fear response does not happen often enough to interfere with a person's quality of life.

Takeaway

Phobias and other anxiety disorders can be comorbid, meaning they occur together. For example, the same person may have generalized anxiety disorder (experiencing excessive anxiety or worry about everyday events) and social phobia.

Types of Phobias

There are different types of phobias. Specific phobia is an anxiety disorder that includes five types of phobias. Social phobia is also an anxiety disorder, but it is not classified as one of the five specific phobias.

Types of Specific Phobia

The five types of specific phobias include:

• Animal type

• Natural environment type

• Blood-injection-injury type

• Situational type

• Other type

Animal Type

Animal type is a specific phobia. People with this type of phobia have an intense, ongoing fear of animals or insects. Examples include dogs, cats, birds, mice, snakes, butterflies, and spiders.

Natural Environment Type

Natural environment type is a specific phobia. People with this type of phobia have an intense, ongoing fear of objects that make up natural surroundings. Examples include deep water, heights, lightning, or storms.

Blood-Injection-Injury Type

Blood-injection-injury type is a specific phobia. People with this type of phobia have an intense, ongoing fear of seeing or experiencing injury, blood, or injections. Additional examples are blood draws or medical procedures.

Situational Type

Situational type is a specific phobia. People with this type of phobia have an intense, ongoing fear of certain experiences. Examples include elevators, enclosed places, flying, driving, animatronics, and public transportation.

Other Type

Other type is a specific phobia. People with this type of phobia have an intense, ongoing fear of something that is not part of one of the other types of specific phobias. Examples include choking, germs or getting sick, time, vomiting, dolls, ghosts, or loud noises.

What About Social Phobia?

Social phobia is a social or performance anxiety that involves self-consciousness and a significant fear of being judged and embarrassed. It is extreme and ongoing, leading to either avoidance or acute distress when in those situations. Social anxiety disorder is another name for this type of phobia.

Signs You May Need to Overcome a Phobia

It is normal to have fears of anything that could be harmful. For example, it is natural and a good thing to be afraid of walking across a street without looking because you could otherwise get hit by a car.

However, some people experience extreme, ongoing fears of objects and situations that are not likely to be harmful, or the fear is out of proportion to the risk level. If phobias are severe enough to cause significant symptoms of anxiety or interfere with daily life, it is a good idea to work to overcome them.

Signs of a Phobia

• You experience an excessive, irrational fear about a specific object or situation.

• You take actions to avoid an object or situation that you irrationally or excessively fear.

• You experience symptoms of anxiety as soon as faced with an object or situation that is irrationally or excessively feared.

Tips to Overcome a Phobia

Desensitize Yourself

It is possible to become desensitized to a phobia. This means that you can become less and less affected by the phobia over time with safe, controlled exposure. One way to do this is with a fear ladder, which involves exposure that is very small at first and then builds.

For example, if you are afraid of spiders, you may start by looking at pictures of flowers that look like spiders, building to looking at pictures of actual spiders. From there, you may be able to watch videos of spiders and, eventually, be able to see spiders behind glass without a fear response.

Partner Up

Social support plays an important role in physical and mental health, including the process of overcoming phobias. When going through the desensitization or fear ladder steps, it can be helpful to talk with friends and family about it. They can then help by listening, encouraging, and celebrating when each goal has been achieved.

If a friend or a family member has a phobia as well, it can be helpful for both people to overcome them together. It doesn't even have to be the same phobia.

How to help a child cope with a phobia

Make sure you let your child know that you take their fear seriously. Find ways to talk to your child about their fear and help them think about their fear in a rational way. For example, if they're afraid of spiders, you can discuss how most spiders aren't dangerous and those that are rarely bite. You can also work on ways to desensitize them to their fear, though in extreme cases it may be best to do this with the help of a mental health professional who specializes in working with children.

Join a Support Group

In addition to friend and family support, or if friend and family support is not available, it can help to join a support group. A support group is a professional-led group of people that come together to cope with or overcome a problem. In this case, it is a group to overcome a phobia, and the professional leader could provide techniques and support.

Relaxation, Visualization, and Breathing Techniques

Relaxation, visualization, and breathing techniques can be used to help overcome phobias. These techniques can be used during the desensitization process, when encountering what is feared, and even when thinking about possibly encountering the fear in the future. Relaxation techniques may be combined with visualization and breathing techniques.

Related: 10 Easy Breathing Exercises for Anxiety

Treatment

A phobia can also be treated with the help of a healthcare professional such as a psychologist or psychiatrist.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

Cognitive behavioral therapy, or CBT, is commonly used to treat specific phobias. CBT for specific phobias combines talk therapy with exposure therapy that involves confronting the fear in small steps, in a controlled and safe environment.

CBT also teaches strategies for understanding your feelings and coping with the thing you're afraid of. People undergoing CBT learn positive ways to reframe their thinking and master their feelings so they don't feel controlled by their phobia.

Medication

Medication may also be used along with talk therapy. This type of treatment does not help the person overcome the fear, but it can relieve some of the symptoms.

Medication is usually prescribed only for use in specific situations and only in the short term. For example, someone with a fear of flying may need to take medication if they have to get on an airplane.

Medications used to treat specific phobias include:

• Beta-blockers: Beta-blockers are medications that can help reduce the effects of adrenaline, such as a racing heart and shaking hands.

• Antidepressants: These medications help regulate chemicals in your brain that contribute to mood and behavior.

• Sedatives: These medications have a calming effect and can reduce anxiety. Because they can be addictive, your healthcare provider will likely only prescribe them in the short term.
  

Learn More: How Is Phobia Treated?

Summary

A phobia is an extreme, irrational fear that is ongoing and can interfere with daily life or lead to anxiety symptoms. It may be a fear of a specific animal or insect, something in the environment, a potential experience, a social situation, or something else.

There are techniques and treatments to overcome and cope with phobias. Anyone struggling with a severe, ongoing fear should consult a healthcare professional such as a psychologist or psychiatrist for support.

Read Next: What Is Severe Anxiety?

Read the original article on Verywell Health.