Living with a phobia can cause a significant impairment to the person’s life if the object that they fear is one which they would frequently encounter. For example, someone who is afraid of cats may be walking with a coworker, client, or date and panic at the sight of a stray cat. The intensity of the fear of something that is not at all threatening can diminish the witness’ opinion of the person with the phobia. A funny phobia is not amusing to the person who is trying to cope with the fear.

Here is a list of funny phobias. Though the list can be entertaining, I hope readers will take a moment and consider how such fears could affect a person’s life.

ablutophobia: fear of bathing
amaxiohobia: fear of riding in a car
ancraphobia: fear of wind
anthrophobia: fear of flowers
aulophobia: fear of flutes
bibliophobia: fear of books
botanophobia: fear of plants
chromatophobia: fear of color
ergophobia: fear of work
gynophobia: fear of women
heliophobia: fear of the sun
hylophobia: fear of forests
illyngophobia: fear of dizziness
koumpounophobia: fear of buttons
lachanophobia: fear of vegetables
lepidopterophobia: fear of butterflies and moths
logophobia: fear of words
mageirocophobia: fear of cooking
metrophobia: fear of poetry
molluscophobia: fear of slugs or snails
mythophobia: fear of legends, myths, or fairy tales
neophobia: fear of new things or new experiences
papyrophobia: fear of paper
phagophobia: fear of eating
philemaphobia: fear of kissing
phobophobia: fear of fear
phyllophobia: fear of leaves
pittakionophobia: fear of stickers
sciurophobia: fear of squirrels
sitiophobia: fear of bread or grain
soceraphobia: fear of parents in-law
stasibasiphobia: fear of walking
triskaidekaphobia: fear of the number 13
turophobia: fear of cheese

What Causes Phobias?

People often wonder what could cause phobias like these. Phobia causes are often linked to a traumatic event. Someone who was a passenger in a car during a horrific car wreck may develop a fear of riding in cars, amaxophobia.

Phobia Treatment

Phobias are treatable. The psychiatrist, psychologist, or therapist will recommend a phobia treatment based on the type of fear and phobia symptoms. A common form of therapy for treating phobia is called exposure therapy. During exposure therapy, the therapist helps the individual confront the object that causes the fear. Prescription anti-anxiety medication may be part of the treatment for phobias.

Trichotillomania is classified as an impulse control psychiatric disorder. Those who have this disorder often have a history of anxiety disorders and depression. Many experts believe that there is a link between trichotillomania and anxiety, depression, or both. Some consider this disorder to be related to obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD).

Though many people seek trichotillomania treatments from a dermatologist, they may be referred to a psychiatrist for treatment. Antidepressants that are used to treat anxiety and depression are often effective for treatment for trichotillomania. If the skin has become infected or damaged, the person may need medications from a physician or dermatologist to address those problems.

Therapy methods to address the compulsive behavior are considered the most effective trichotillomania treatments. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is a broad category of therapeutic approaches that include examining the person’s thoughts, feelings, and behavior. The therapist guides the patient and encourages them to challenge any irrational thoughts, express their feelings appropriately, and change unhealthy behavior.

Habit Reversal Training is a form of cognitive behavioral therapy that focuses on helping the person resist pulling hair out. In this type of therapy, the therapist helps the person identify what triggers their urges to pull hair out and replace the hair pulling with another activity. Replacing one unhealthy behavior with a neutral or helpful behavior is a common therapeutic treatment process.

The replacement of a behavior is much more effective than focusing only on stopping a behavior. For example, when someone quits smoking, they often gain weight because they have subconsciously replaced smoking with eating. By consciously replacing the hair pulling with a healthier behavior, the person is using the natural tendency to replace behavior to help stop hair pulling.

There is some debate whether or not alternative trichotillomania treatments are effective. Though some people report success with hypnosis and acupuncture, there is not enough scientific evidence to support their uses as recommended treatments. Some resources suggest trying such treatments in addition to therapy and antidepressants.

If the person tends to experience more frequent and stronger urges to pull hair when under stress or experiencing anxiety, the therapist may recommend the use of relaxation techniques or other forms of stress management. The trichotillomania treatment also may involve wearing a hat, scarf, or bandana if the person tends to start pulling out hair without realizing it.

For each number, the person will write two numbers. The first number indicates how much they fear the activity. The second number is how much they avoid the activity.

Use this scale to rate each activity:

   Fear	         				  Avoidance
0- No fear					0- Never avoid
1- Mild fear					1- Occasionally avoid
2- Moderate fear		        	2- Often avoid
3- Severe fear					3- Usually avoid

For example, if someone has moderate fear of telephoning in public and would usually avoid it, that person would write a 2 and a 3 for activity number 1.

1. Telephoning in public
2. Participating in small groups
3. Eating in public places
4. Drinking with others in public places
5. Talking to people in authority
6. Acting, performing, or giving a talk in front of an audience
7. Going to a party
8. Working while being observed
9. Writing while being observed
10. Calling someone you don’t know very well
11. Talking with people you don’t know very well
12. Meeting strangers
13. Urinating in a public bathroom
14. Entering a room when others are already seated
15. Being the center of attention
16. Speaking up at a meeting
17. Taking a written test
18. Expressing appropriate disagreement or disapproval to people you don’t know very well
19. Looking at people you don’t know very well in the eyes
20. Giving a report to a group
21. Trying to pick up someone
22. Returning goods to a store where returns are normally accepted
23. Giving an average party
24. Resisting a high pressure sales person

When finished taking the social anxiety disorder quiz, add all the numbers for a total. Compare the total with the following chart.
If the score is:

Less than 55             -  No social phobia or a slight amount that may not need treatment
55-65                    -  Moderate social anxiety
65-80                    -  Significant or Marked social anxiety
80-95                    -  Severe social anxiety
More than 95             -  Extreme or very severe social anxiety

Though this social phobia quiz can be helpful in judging the extent of the person’s anxiety in public, it should not take the place of a professional evaluation. People who have anxiety in public should consult a therapist or psychologist even if they scored low on this quiz. Social anxiety is treatable. Therefore, anyone who suffers from anxiety in public or when around people they don’t know well should consider getting treatment to get rid of social anxiety. Individuals are better judges of whether or not they need treatment to overcome anxiety. This social anxiety disorder test is merely a tool.

Reference: Liebowitz MR. Social Phobia. Mod Probl Pharmacopsychiatry 1987;22:141-173.

It usually takes less than ten minutes for someone to complete the Beck Anxiety Inventory questionnaire. For each anxiety symptom, the person is asked to rate how much the symptom has bothered them over the past month. The ratings are from zero to three.

The person taking the test considers how bothered they were by that symptom during the past month. With the actual anxiety inventory, people can circle the appropriate rating for each anxiety symptom. In order to take the inventory here, simply refer to the list of symptoms and write down the number that indicates how much that symptom bothers you.

Beck Anxiety Inventory rating system:

0 – Did not bother me at all
1 – Mildly, but it did not bother me much
2 – Moderately, it wasn’t pleasant at times
3 – Severely, it bothered me a lot

The ratings for each of the symptoms are totaled for the person’s Beck Anxiety Inventory score. If you are taking the inventory self-test here, add the numbers for each of the symptoms.
Refer to the article called Beck Anxiety Inventory Scoring for the interpretation of your score.

A score between twenty-two and thirty five demonstrates moderate anxiety. A person with moderate anxiety can often benefit from stress management to relieve anxiety.

A Beck Anxiety Inventory scoring of thirty-six or more can be an indication of a serious problem with anxiety. If a person has severe anxiety, the person may benefit from professional treatment to manage stress and control anxiety. A therapist can help identify causes of anxiety and work with the person towards alleviating anxiety.

The events of the past week may need to be considered when evaluating the accuracy of the Beck Anxiety Inventory scoring. The results may not be typical if there were unusual circumstances over the past week. For example, it is only natural for someone who is nervous or afraid of taking tests to have heightened anxiety during a week of final exams. If the past week was fairly typical, the score is more likely to reflect the person’s usual anxiety levels.

There are some serious limitations of the Beck Anxiety Inventory. One problem is that only certain symptoms are considered. Many people have certain nervous behaviors and individualized symptoms of anxiety. These would not be considered in the scoring of the Beck Anxiety Inventory.

Another problem with Beck Anxiety Inventory scoring is that it is not especially helpful for someone with anxiety. If someone has enough anxiety symptoms to get a score showing a high level of anxiety, chances are that they were already aware of this problem. With the focus being on the anxiety symptoms and no significant information on why anxiety should be treated or how it should be treated, the test is extremely limited.

There are benefits of the Beck Anxiety Inventory for mental health professionals. The Beck Anxiety scale could be used as part of the measurement of how effective treatment has been for the individual being treated for anxiety. For example, if a therapist administers the test early in treatment, future tests may show whether or not the person’s anxiety has improved with treatment.

Therefore, a phobia definition must include that there is no real danger or that the fear caused by the phobia far exceeds a normal response to the possible danger. A person can have a phobia of an object that has the potential to cause harm like a phobia of snakes, but the person’s fear is so extreme that it is not justified by the real threat.

For example, someone with a phobia of elevators may have extreme anxiety when confronted with having to use an elevator. They may cry, scream, and panic if they feel forced to use the elevator. Is there a real danger of an elevator plummeting and killing those onboard? Perhaps there is the tiniest, miniscule chance that something like that could happen. But in the mind of the person with the phobia, if they get on that elevator, they will die.

Some people will experience a phobia reaction even if they are not in direct contact of the object triggering the phobia. A person with a phobia of kittens may panic even if the kitten is secured in a cage. There are cases in which the person with a phobia will be fearful of inanimate representations of the object that they fear such as a photograph, toy, or video clip of the feared object.
What causes phobias? A traumatic event, especially occurring at a young age, can be one of the causes of phobias. For example, many people who survived a trip in a ferry that sank developed a phobia of water, called hydrophobia.

Other causes of phobias can be described as learned behavior. A young child who gets stung by a bee may develop a fear of bees. There are some cases when a child was rewarded for a fear, such as a child or parent who is afraid of thunderstorms making the periods during thunderstorms special to the child by huddling close and spending time together even though the general mood of the interaction was fear. The child feels close to the parent and the fear becomes psychologically rewarding.

Many antidepressants including the SSRIs increase the levels of serotonin in the brain. Pristiq and other selective serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs) increase the levels of serotonin and norepinephine in the brain.

It is recommended to take Pristiq with a full glass of water. People should take this medication as prescribed by the doctor or psychiatrist. Abruptly stopping the medication can cause uncomfortable withdrawal symptoms such as headaches, sleep disturbances, and the sensation of a mild electrical shock.

One of the common side effects of Pristiq is suicidal thoughts. These suicidal thoughts are most common when beginning this medication. The suicidal thoughts from Pristiq can be worse for people under the age of twenty-four years old. People who begin to experience suicidal thoughts when taking Pristiq should notify their doctors immediately.

When taking Pristiq for anxiety the person may develop other side effects. Other side effects of Pristiq include drowsiness, dizziness, constipation, loss of appetite, blurred vision, dry mouth, sleep problems, mild headaches. People may experience sexual side effects of Pristiq such as decreased sex drive or impotence.

If the side effects of Pristiq are bothersome, the person should discuss this difficulty with their doctor or psychiatrist. Sometimes, the Pristiq side effects can be reduced by adjusting the dosage.

At the time this article was written, Pristiq was featuring a coupon offer on their website for fifty percent off the prescription price or insurance prescription copay for Pristiq. Offers like this from pharmaceutical companies can be extremely helpful for people struggling with the costs of prescriptions.

The person should not get discouraged if the anxiety is not improving with Pristiq. Many people need to try several different medications before finding the best prescription drug for the treatment of anxiety. If a family member has anxiety that is effectively treated with a medication, let the doctor or psychiatrist know. Many times, a medication that effectively treats a family member’s anxiety will also work for other family members.

Therapy with a qualified therapist or psychologist who is experienced in treating anxiety disorders can be an important support for people who struggle with anxiety. A prescription medication may be only one component of a treatment plan for anxiety that can include therapy, relaxation techniques, and self-care. Please remember that Pristiq for anxiety is just one option for treatment.

For statements 5, 9, 13, 17, and 19: Add 4 points to the score if you answered “a little of the time.” Add 3 points for “some of the time.” Add 2 points for “a good part of the time,” and 1 point for “most of the time.”

For all the other statements: Add 1 point for “a little of the time,” and 2 points for “some of the time.” Add 3 points for “a good part of the time,” and 4 points for “most of the time.”
Then total all the number to get the score. The score should be between twenty and eighty.

The Zung Self-rating Scale for anxiety score describes the level of anxiety the person has.
• 20-44 Normal Range
• 45-59 Mild to Moderate Anxiety Levels
• 60-74 Marked to Severe Anxiety Levels
• 75-80 Extreme Anxiety Levels

If the person has a score within the moderate, severe, or extreme levels, the person should be evaluated by a physician or psychiatric professional. High levels of anxiety can be a sign of several illnesses and can also cause physical problems. The good news is that anxiety is often very treatable. Seeking professional help can be the first step towards living without elevated anxiety.

Reference:
Zung, W.K. A rating scale for anxiety disorders. Psychosematics. 1971.

The reliving of the traumatic event is what happens during a flashback. For reasons not completely understood, the memory of the event replays as if the traumatic event is happening to the person again. The peripheral vision of the person may go black. In the person’s vision, the attack is happening again. The person will see the traumatic event and may even feel some sensations they may have felt during the original trauma.

The flashback can occur during the day or in the form of flashback nightmares. With flashback nightmares, the person relives the traumatic event in their dream. If the person awakens during the flashback nightmare, it may take some time for the person to become aware of their actual surroundings and realize that it was a dream.

The flashback nightmares are extremely vivid and may seem to continue after waking. In those cases, the person may be awake, but still be having the flashback. If someone is having flashback nightmares, the person may develop a fear of going to sleep which can lead to insomnia.

Living with PTSD and flashbacks can be difficult since the flashback adds anxiety to the anxiety that already exists with the PTSD. A PTSD flashback is a scary experience. They may worry about having a flashback in public or around people who may not be aware of their condition.

People with PTSD may start to feel that they are recovering only to have a flashback and feel as if they are starting the healing process all over again. It is important for the person with PTSD and flashbacks to remember that the flashbacks will gradually decrease in frequency. Though it may feel like a loss of progress, having a flashback does not take away from the therapeutic work that has been done while working towards recovery.

During a flashback, the person can be helped to stop the flashback. If someone witnesses a friend of family member having a flashback, it is beneficial for them to talk to the person in a calm voice and remind the person having the flashback that the traumatic event is not really happening and they are okay. It may be helpful to calmly call the name of the person having the flashback. When friends and family understand what happens during a flashback, it can be easier for them to know how to be supportive of the person with PTSD.

Exposure therapy is a therapeutic approach to the traumatic cause of PTSD. Gradually, the individual is to recount the memories that the person has of the traumatic event. It is not uncommon for the person to have blanks in the memory of the trauma. The therapist may gently push the person to remember and tell more of the events of the trauma in each desensitization session. In some cases, the location of the trauma may be revisited.

Cognitive-behavioral therapy is a type of therapy that looks at how thoughts, feelings, and behaviors are interconnected. The therapist may assist the individual in challenging negative thoughts that stem from the trauma or were reinforced by the trauma. The individual’s interpretations of the traumatic event may be explored.

Eye movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) addresses the cause of PTSD more effectively than many other therapeutic approaches. It is believed that for people with PTSD, the memory of the trauma becomes stuck in intense, fractured segments. An example of how this shows in people with PTSD is the emotionally-charged flashbacks which are stuck memories of portions of the event while the person with PTSD may be unable to recall other parts of the trauma.

EMDR uses clicking or repetitive eye movement while the person is retelling the traumatic event. The goal of EMDR therapy is to unfreeze the stuck memories and help the individual integrate the memory of the trauma as a whole with less emotional intensity attached to it.

Group therapy and support groups are often helpful for people with PTSD. An individual with PTSD may feel alone or isolated. They may feel that no one understands the trauma and how it has affected them. By meeting with a group of people with similar trauma or PTSD, the person gets a sense that there are people who understand what they are going through. It can also be helpful when members of the group share things that have been helpful for them.

Family therapy is often used as part of the treatment for posttraumatic stress disorder. The family as a whole often suffers the effects of PTSD due to the individual’s symptoms. Family therapy is also helpful to show the person with PTSD that they have support and to educate the family about PTSD and its effects.

Medication may be used to treat anxiety, depression, and sleep problems caused by the PTSD. Antidepressants that are in the SSRI category like Paxil or Zoloft are most commonly used to treat PTSD. Treatment plans for PTSD are highly individualized. One person’s PTSD treatment is a collection of tools and PTSD treatments that help to reduce the severity and frequency of the symptoms which is likely to differ from the treatment of another person undergoing treatment for PTSD.