PHOBIAS
Phobia : A Case Study
For Rita, her aversion to birds had become more than just a simple fear; it had evolved into a debilitating phobia that dictated her actions and strained her connections with others. This fear permeated various facets of her life, from avoiding outdoor activities to hesitating to visit friends or family who had pet birds. Over time, the weight of her phobia had become too heavy to bear, manifesting in the form of depression as she grappled with the limitations it imposed on her daily existence.
However, hope emerged in the form of treatment at the Cardinal Clinic, where Rita underwent a transformative journey guided by behavioural and psychological techniques. Through dedicated therapy sessions, Rita confronted her fears head-on, gradually desensitising herself to the triggers that once paralysed her. With each session, she regained control over her emotions and actions, paving the way for newfound freedom and confidence.
This program offers an insightful glimpse into Rita’s triumph over her bird phobia, shedding light on the effectiveness of behavioural psychological interventions in managing such challenges. Designed as an accessible introduction to the subject, it caters to staff and students across various disciplines who seek to understand the intricacies of phobia treatment. Furthermore, it serves as a valuable resource for individuals grappling with similar anxieties, offering them reassurance and guidance on their journey toward recovery.
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Phobia: I Can't Go Out
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Here is an example of Agoraphobia, how it affects the sufferer, and a way for it to be treated.
What is a Phobia?
Everybody is scared of something, but what defines a phobia? A phobia is an extreme fear that can get in the way of everyday life. Someone with a phobia might have developed certain behaviours because of their phobia. An example would be somebody who suffers with agoraphobia (a phobia of going outside) ordering their shopping so that they didn’t have to go outside of their home to get it, or avoiding any social occasions. This could develop over time in an inability to go to work, having a knock – on effect on everything else in their life – their home, their ability to pay bills, eventual isolation.
It is more complex than, “Face your Fear”
In order to rid yourself of fear, you have to face it. However, phobias treatment takes a huge amount of work. “Just face your fear”,is putting it far too simply. Dealing with a phobia that has taken over your life usually requires treatment in the form of therapy. Therapy can help find the root cause of phobia, and if there isn’t one, it can at least help you plan your steps forward. Having said this, it’s extremely scary to even make the decisions to start therapy.
Exposure Therapy For Phobias
A common treatment of phobias is exposure therapy. It is used to help the patient become less anxious around their trigger over time. It’s important that small steps are taken so that they don’t end up going backwards instead of forwards in their recovery. It’s not a great idea to ‘face your fear’ completely alone, for this reason. For example, somebody with arachnophobia may be encouraged to try and hold a spider – depending on the severity of their phobia, this could be too big a step and cause a panic attack. It would be better to have a therapist guide them through steps, maybe beginning with a drawing of a spider, followed by looking at a photo of a spider and touching the photo. Eventually this may move onto being in a room with a spider (perhaps in a glass box), and approaching it. The last step, of course, would be holding the spider. This method takes a long time and a lot of work, but the desired results are usally achieved.
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