It’s time to get scared. The holiday reminds us that we love to be scared. Too much fear, however, is not good. At the extreme are phobias.
Research out of Boston University´s Center for Anxiety finds that nearly a third of us experience an anxiety disorder at some point. Eleven percent of us have a phobia.
Contrary to what most people may think, phobias are not often connected to trauma. Studies have shown that fear of water can show up in children without any negative water experiences. And those who are phobic of dogs are just as likely to have had a bad experience with a dog as are those who love dogs.
The Boston University´s Center for Anxiety’s esperts say that three factors together are required for a phobia to emerge: A negative event over which one never got control, an anxiety that is directed at a specific situation and genetics. Therapy may require medication, intense exposure to the feared situation or emotional control.
Fortunately, phobias are among the most treatable of all psychological conditions.
Source: Scientific American
