Home Health Center
Phobias
Phobias - Causes
Causes of Phobias
There are no definite causes of phobias. They can afflict anyone at any point of time in their lives. There is no way to prevent them and no easy way to deal with or diagnose them either.
- Phobias can be triggered by traumatic events like a death in the family, losing a child violently, a violent act like a robbery or mugging among other possible events.
- They can also be a result of genetics or culture sensitization. If you have been raised by overprotective parents or have had someone close suffer from a debilitating phobia.
- Conditioning and how you were raised can also contribute to developing a phobia.
- Extreme stress and the inability to manage situations at the work place or home can also lead to developing a phobia.
Phobias are caused due to memories of similar events that are situated in different parts of the brain. This part is responsible for generating hormones that trigger fear or adrenaline. In cases of phobias, the body reacts in the same fashion as though it was experiencing that event. This, in turn, affects the secretion of hormones, leading to the body's fight or flight response.
Frequently asked questions
References
- Yujuan Choy, Abby J. Fyer, Josh D. Lipsitz, Treatment of specific phobia in adults, Clinical Psychology Review, Volume 27, Issue 3, April 2007, Pages 266-286, ISSN 0272-7358, 10.1016/j.cpr.2006.10.002.
- Origins of Phobias and Anxiety Disorders, Author(s): Michelle G. Craske; ISBN: 978-0-08-044032-3
- Harald Merckelbach, Peter J. de Jong, Peter Muris, Marcel A. van Den Hout, The etiology of specific phobias: A review, Clinical Psychology Review, Volume 16, Issue 4, 1996, Pages 337-361, ISSN 0272-7358, 10.1016/0272-7358(96)00014-1.
- H.B. Gibson, Hypnosis and behavior therapy: The treatment of anxiety and phobias: J. C. Clarke and J. A. Jackson: Springer, New York (1983). vxiii + 361 pages $26.95, Behaviour Research and Therapy, Volume 22, Issue 3, 1984, Page 325, ISSN 0005-7967, 10.1016/0005-7967(84)90014-7.