What Is A Problematic Fear And How Do You Deal With It?
Experiencing fear is a normal part of being human. However, fear can become problematic when it causes such a high amount of anxiety that it influences your behavior and interferes with your daily living. Some fears, like fear of sexual intimacy after sexual trauma, are justifiable. However, other fears, like an intense fear of flying for no apparent reason, might be irrational. Whether your fear is justified or not, if it negatively impacts how you live your life, you may need treatment to move past it.
If you are experiencing trauma, support is available. Please see our Get Help Now page for more resources.
If you need support in dealing with a problematic fear, there are different options you may consider pursuing.
Understanding fear
Not all fear is negative. In fact, research confirms that fear is a natural biological phenomenon designed to keep individuals safe and healthy. For example, a fear of the dark may cause you to travel with a companion when enjoying a night out, which may help keep you from harm if you encounter someone dangerous. In this case, fear is beneficial because it leads you to take precautions to avoid harm.
Fears may be innate, meaning they are ingrained in you from birth, or they may be learned based on your personal life history. For instance, someone bitten by a dog as a child may grow up to fear dogs (a learned fear), while many people are ancestrally afraid of snakes without ever having a negative incident related to them (an innate fear).
Both innate and learned fears are a natural part of the human experience, and on their own, these fears aren’t problematic. However, when fears become so intense that they trigger high levels of anxiety, even without a stimulus present, they may start to control your daily life. Fears that limit your everyday behavior may become problematic and require treatment.
Additionally, some people may develop phobias, which are extremely intense or irrational fears accompanied by physical or emotional symptoms. Phobias often need exposure therapy and other types of treatment to be overcome.
How to recognize when fear is problematic
Personal fears or phobias with little impact on your daily activities may not require intervention. For instance, a person may have a fear of flying but never have a reason to get on a plane. However, if you find yourself avoiding situations or activities because of a fear you have or if your fear makes daily living uncomfortable, it may be time to seek professional help. Here are some signs you should consider seeking help for your fears:
- You feel intense panic or anxiety when confronted with your fear or even when thinking about it
- You feel your fear is irrational or too extreme
- You avoid doing things or going places because of your fear
- Your daily routines are affected by your fear because you must take action to avoid triggering your fear
- Your fear has lasted for six months or more
If you’re living with a fear that impacts your daily life, treatment is available to help you manage the feelings of anxiety that can often come along with it. There are several different treatment options to consider, and some methods may work more effectively for you than others. Determining what works for you may take some time, but with focus and perseverance, you can overcome problematic fears and live a life free from the weight of anxiety.
How to control a problematic fear
Understanding the importance of overcoming your fear isn’t enough to dispel it. Try these steps to take control of a problematic fear:
- Name your fear. What is it you are afraid of, and why? Where did your fear originate from, and how long have you felt this way? Exploring your fears may help you to understand a possible origin, such as a negative experience you had in the past.
- Visualize the benefits of overcoming it. If your fear is holding you back in life, try and imagine how your life could change for the better if you were able to overcome it. Would controlling your fear allow you to engage more socially with friends, travel more, or build new relationships? Understanding the benefits of overcoming your fear may increase your motivation to get treatment.
- Choose a treatment method. You don’t have to overcome your fears alone. There are proven treatments available to help people like you reduce your fears and phobias, including therapy, prescriptions, and self-help methods like avoiding caffeine and exercising regularly.
- Practice forgiveness and resilience. Even after treatment, you may experience some instances of fear or anxiety related to your original trigger. Instead of avoiding your phobia, continue to practice overcoming it. Over time, your fear may no longer elicit as strong a reaction as it previously did. Having the resilience to forgive yourself when setbacks occur can help you avoid falling back into old patterns. No one recovers all at once, and healing isn’t linear, so avoid getting discouraged or giving up.
The benefits of conquering your fears
People limited by extreme or irrational fears may not even realize how their fear has been holding them back. Others know what their fears are but find it easier to hide behind them instead of learning to manage and overcome them. The problem with some fears is that they can start to dictate your behavior if you are unable to control them.
Many fears and phobias center around items or situations that are of relatively little threat to the individual. For instance, some people are afraid of seeing blood. But seeing blood, including your own, is a normal part of being human and not inherently dangerous. If someone began to refuse to attend doctor’s appointments or go to the hospital when ill out of fear they might need to get their blood drawn, this fear could place them in much greater danger than the original fear itself. Conquering your fears may allow you to maintain more positive health and well-being.
When you feel afraid or anxious, your body’s sympathetic nervous system becomes activated. The sympathetic nervous system is commonly known as your body’s “fight or flight” response. People who experience extreme levels of anxiety or frequent, intense fear may be constantly in fight or flight mode. This may significantly impact their health by raising their blood pressure and heart rate and making it difficult to sleep or concentrate.
Beyond the physical drawbacks of living with phobias and fears, there are social and emotional challenges as well. Some fears may prohibit you from thriving, making friends, or developing as an individual. For instance, someone who is extremely claustrophobic may limit themselves to living on the first floor of a building, so they never have to enter an elevator. A person extremely afraid of leaving the house may only be able to work from home instead of expanding their career possibilities to in-person options.
Online therapy with BetterHelp
Some people may be able to manage their fears with stress reduction techniques like getting adequate sleep each night and avoiding stimulants like caffeine. However, others may desire or need additional support to help them overcome a problematic fear. If you’re struggling with a fear you can’t seem to get control of, online therapy through BetterHelp may allow you to move past it with greater ease.
Online therapy can be a helpful option for people living with problematic fears or phobias because it minimizes many fear-inducing barriers related to seeking therapeutic treatment. With online therapy, individuals don’t need to worry about traveling to an appointment, being late, or getting lost since therapy is attainable from the comfort of home. If someone has a fear of meeting strangers or interacting with others socially, online therapy can also help. Since online therapy sessions can occur over video chats, phone calls, or even online chats, sessions may be customized to meet the comfort level of the client.
The effectiveness of online therapy
Online therapy can be a viable treatment for a variety of mental health conditions, including phobias. In one study, researchers assessed the efficacy of an internet-based intervention for managing a phobia of flying. The online intervention was significantly effective, with participants experiencing lower levels of anxiety, fear, and avoidance by the end of treatment. These results were maintained at a follow-up.
Takeaway
Everyone experiences some degree of fear of certain things. However, if your fear is holding you back from living a full life, you may be dealing with a problematic fear. In this case, you can benefit from targeted treatment designed to manage the symptoms that come along with extreme fears and phobias. Online therapy can be an effective option for addressing the underlying cause of your fear. Over time, by working with a therapist specialized in fear, you may be able to overcome what has been standing in your way.
Are there different types of psychiatry?
Yes, there are different types of psychiatry. Much like other fields of medicine, psychiatry offers a variety of specialties that focus on particular populations or issues. Some examples include child psychiatry (working with children living with mild to significant impairment), addiction psychiatry, adolescent psychiatry, forensic psychiatry (working within the legal system), occupational psychiatry, geriatric psychiatry, psychosomatic medicine, and neuropsychiatry.
What are the 4 perspectives of psychiatry?
Originating from John Hopkins University, the four perspectives of psychiatry offer an alternative to the DSM for understanding and treating people with psychiatric and mental conditions. Based on this model. The four perspectives of psychiatry are:
- Disease Perspective: This angle investigates the possibility of structural or functional issues within the brain contributing to the psychiatric condition. For instance, Alzheimer's disease or Schizophrenia might be better understood through this lens.
- Dimensional Perspective: In this perspective, the focus shifts to the natural variation in psychological and physical traits among individuals. Certain personality disorders might be understood as extremes on a spectrum of these traits rather than as a result of a specific "broken part" of the brain.
- Behavior Perspective: This perspective emphasizes the role of learned behaviors and psychological drives. It is particularly useful in understanding and treating conditions like substance use disorder (formerly substance abuse disorder), where maladaptive behaviors play a central role.
- Life Story Perspective: Some psychiatric issues may be best understood through the context of a person's life events and experiences. For example, the profound sadness and loneliness one might feel after the loss of a spouse could be addressed by helping the patient reframe or "rescript" their life narrative.
This approach differs from the DSM's categorical diagnoses, potentially providing a more integrative way of viewing patients that accounts for their complexity and individuality.
What do neuropsychiatrists do?
Neuropsychiatrists specialize in understanding and treating mental illnesses that are associated with neurological disorders, brain injuries, and brain and nervous system abnormalities. For example, they may work with conditions like Alzheimer's, epilepsy, dementia, traumatic brain injuries, strokes, and more.
Is psychiatry higher than psychology?
Psychiatry is not "higher" than psychology. While they both provide mental health services and often work within the realm of behavioral science, they are distinct fields with different focuses. Psychiatrists are medical doctors who can prescribe prescription medication and perform medical procedures, while psychologists have a doctoral degree in psychology, focusing on therapy and behavioral interventions to treat symptoms. They also have different licensing boards: The Association of State and Provincial Psychology Boards (ASPPB) for psychologists and the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology (ABPN) for psychiatrists. Despite their differences, both play important roles in mental health care.
What are the two types of psychiatry?
There are more than two types of psychiatry, including child and adolescent psychiatry, geriatric psychiatry, addiction psychiatry, neuropsychiatry, and more. However, there are two broad categories of psychiatry:
- Clinical Psychiatry – Focuses on the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of mental health disorders, often in a hospital or in-person practice setting. This is where your different types of psychiatrists fit in, like child psychiatrists or an addiction psychiatrist.
- Academic Psychiatry – Focuses on researching the causes of psychiatric disorders and developing new treatments, often affiliated with specific research institutions or universities.
What is the lowest paid psychiatrist?
The salary of a psychiatrist can vary widely based on their geographical location, practice setting, experience level, and more. In general, entry-level positions or those in regions with lower costs of living may offer lower salaries. Public sector jobs, like government-run hospitals and community clinics, may also pay less than citizen sector positions. Psychiatrists working in education may also be paid less than some other specialties.
What is the lowest salary for a psychiatrist?
Based on national averages, the psychiatrists in the 10th percentile earned $66,230, compared to the average of $226,880.
What are the 3 p's of psychiatry?
There are 4 Ps of Psychiatry, a framework used to understand the complex nature of mental health disorders and help psychiatrists and other mental health professionals develop comprehensive treatment plans. The 4 Ps include:
- Predisposing Factors – These are factors that make a person more susceptible to developing a mental health issue, like genetic vulnerabilities or early life experiences.
- Precipitating Factors– These are events or circumstances that can trigger the onset of mental health disorders, like a traumatic event, life changes, or stressors.
- Perpetuating Factors – These are the elements that maintain or exacerbate a mental health condition, like stress, negative thought patterns, or maladaptive coping mechanisms.
- Protective Factors – These are strengths that may reduce the severity of mental health concerns or promote healthy functioning and coping mechanisms, like having a strong support system or healthy habits.
There are also 3Ps of anxiety and depression, which provide a framework for coping with anxiety and depression. In this instance, the 3 Ps are Pervasiveness, Permanence, and Personality. Pervasiveness looks at how much a concern impacts your life. Permanence addresses how long an issue will be a problem, and personalization examines how much you blame yourself.
What are the three domains of psychiatry?
There are five domains in psychiatry and psychology, and they are:
- Biological: includes consciousness, neuroscience, and sensation.
- Cognitive: includes the study of perception, memory, intelligence, and cognition.
- Development: includes lifespan development, learning and conditioning, and language
- Social and Personality: includes the study of personality, motivation, emotion, culture, and gender.
- Mental and Physical Health: includes abnormal therapy, psychology, and health psychology.
What is the fourth most common psychiatric disorder?
The World Health Organization says the top mental health disorders are anxiety disorders, which include GAD, OCD, panic disorder, and others (affecting 301 million people), depression (affecting 208 million people), and Bipolar disorder (affecting 40 million people). Coming in fourth on their list is post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), followed closely by Schizophrenia and eating disorders.
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