Fears and Phobias

If you experience fears and phobias or anxiety disorders, our counselling team in Geelong is ready to provide phobia therapy and exposure therapy to relieve your symptoms. 

Fears and phobias are common experiences that can profoundly impact our daily lives. Fear, a natural response to perceived danger, can become irrational, leading to phobias that interfere with our ability to function normally.

Fear vs. Phobia

"Fear" is an emotional reaction to a real or perceived threat, serving as a protective mechanism. It helps us avoid potential dangers. However, "phobia" denotes an irrational response to something not inherently threatening. These intense fears can disrupt daily activities, causing physical and emotional distress.

Symptoms of Phobias

Phobic symptoms can manifest upon exposure to the feared object or situation, leading to symptoms like breathlessness, dizziness, and a sense of unreality. These symptoms can escalate into anxiety attacks or further complications, impacting social interactions and mental well-being.

Types of Phobias

Phobias fall into three categories:

• Agoraphobia: Fear of being trapped in inescapable situations, leading to avoidance behaviours.
• Specific Phobias: Involving intense fears of specific objects, situations, or activities like animals, medical procedures, natural disasters, or enclosed spaces.
• Social Phobias: Extreme fear of social situations or performance-related anxiety.

Causes and Risk Factors

Phobias may stem from bad experiences, genetics, learned behaviours, or brain function. Genetics and family traits, as well as negative experiences, can contribute to their development. Children with sensitive temperaments may be more prone to phobias, as avoidance behaviours reinforce the fear response.

Impacts of Phobias

The effects of phobias extend beyond the individual experiencing them. Social isolation, mood disorders like depression, and strain on relationships are common. Children with phobias may struggle in school and social situations, while adults might experience challenges at work or in personal connections.

Managing Phobias

Effective treatments focus on exposure therapy, where individuals are gradually exposed to the feared object or situation, and counter-conditioning, which replaces anxiety responses with relaxation techniques. Medication combined with cognitive-behavioural therapy is beneficial, particularly for social phobias.

How Counselling Can Help

Counselling offers a supportive environment for individuals to explore their fears, understand their triggers, and learn coping mechanisms. Therapists use various techniques, such as cognitive-behavioural approaches, to reframe thoughts and behaviours associated with phobias. The goal is to reduce anxiety responses and improve overall well-being.