Phobias
A pathologically strong fear that is so overwhelming that it interferes with some aspect of a child’s life. Avoiding the feared thing can become so important that the child’s life may be restricted. Phobias are a form of ANXIETY DISORDER that can affect children and teenagers.
There are three main groups of phobias, which include specific (simple) phobias, which are the most common and focus on specific objects; social phobia, which is an extreme anxiety in social or public situations; and agoraphobia, the fear of being alone in public places from which there is no easy escape.
Specific/Simple Phobias
Fears of animals, situations, and natural occurrences are common in childhood, especially between ages six and nine, and often go away eventually on their own. A phobia is diagnosed if the fear persists for at least six months and interferes with a child’s daily routine, for example, if a child refuses to play outdoors for fear of encountering a dog. Common childhood phobias include animals, storms, heights, water, blood, the dark, or medical procedures. No one knows what causes these fears, although they seem to run in families and are slightly more common in girls.
Unlike adults with specific phobias, children do not usually recognize that their fear is irrational or out of proportion to the situation, and they may not discuss their fears. Instead, children tend to simply avoid situations or things that they fear, or endure them with anxious feelings and exhibit behaviors such as crying, tantrums, freezing, or clinging. They also may experience headaches or stomachaches.
Social Phobia
This phobia can produce fear of being humiliated or embarrassed in front of other people. This problem may also be related to feelings of inferiority and low self-esteem and can drive a child to drop out of school or avoid making friends. Although this disorder is sometimes thought to be shyness, it is not the same thing. Shy people do not experience extreme anxiety in social situations, nor do they necessarily avoid them.
In contrast, people with social phobia can be at ease with people most of the time, except in particular situations. Often social phobia is accompanied by depression or substance abuse.
Children suffering from social phobia may think small mistakes are worse than they really are, are painfully embarrassed by blushing, feel that all eyes are on them. They may fear speaking in public, dating, or talking with persons in authority, be afraid to use a public restroom or eat out, and be afraid of talking on the phone or writing in front of others.
Agoraphobia
Agoraphobia causes children to suffer anxiety about being in places or situations from which it might be difficult or embarrassing to escape, such as being in a room full of people or in an elevator. In some cases, panic attacks can become so debilitating that the child may develop agoraphobia because they fear another panic attack. In extreme cases, a person with agoraphobia may be afraid to leave their house.
Treatment
Phobias can be overcome with proper treatment, including behavioral therapy, exposure therapy, cognitive-behavioral therapy, and medication.
Behavioral therapy focuses on changing specific actions and uses different techniques to stop this behavior, such as breath control and relaxation.
Exposure therapy gradually exposes the child to the frightening object or situation and helps the patient develop coping skills.
Cognitive-behavioral therapy teaches the persons new skills in order to react differently to the situations which trigger the anxiety or panic attacks. Patients also learn to understand how their thinking patterns contribute to the symptoms and how to change their thinking to reduce or stop these symptoms.
Medications the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) such as Paxil, can be used successfully to treat social phobia.
There are three main groups of phobias, which include specific (simple) phobias, which are the most common and focus on specific objects; social phobia, which is an extreme anxiety in social or public situations; and agoraphobia, the fear of being alone in public places from which there is no easy escape.
Specific/Simple Phobias
Fears of animals, situations, and natural occurrences are common in childhood, especially between ages six and nine, and often go away eventually on their own. A phobia is diagnosed if the fear persists for at least six months and interferes with a child’s daily routine, for example, if a child refuses to play outdoors for fear of encountering a dog. Common childhood phobias include animals, storms, heights, water, blood, the dark, or medical procedures. No one knows what causes these fears, although they seem to run in families and are slightly more common in girls.
Unlike adults with specific phobias, children do not usually recognize that their fear is irrational or out of proportion to the situation, and they may not discuss their fears. Instead, children tend to simply avoid situations or things that they fear, or endure them with anxious feelings and exhibit behaviors such as crying, tantrums, freezing, or clinging. They also may experience headaches or stomachaches.
Social Phobia
This phobia can produce fear of being humiliated or embarrassed in front of other people. This problem may also be related to feelings of inferiority and low self-esteem and can drive a child to drop out of school or avoid making friends. Although this disorder is sometimes thought to be shyness, it is not the same thing. Shy people do not experience extreme anxiety in social situations, nor do they necessarily avoid them.
In contrast, people with social phobia can be at ease with people most of the time, except in particular situations. Often social phobia is accompanied by depression or substance abuse.
Children suffering from social phobia may think small mistakes are worse than they really are, are painfully embarrassed by blushing, feel that all eyes are on them. They may fear speaking in public, dating, or talking with persons in authority, be afraid to use a public restroom or eat out, and be afraid of talking on the phone or writing in front of others.
Agoraphobia
Agoraphobia causes children to suffer anxiety about being in places or situations from which it might be difficult or embarrassing to escape, such as being in a room full of people or in an elevator. In some cases, panic attacks can become so debilitating that the child may develop agoraphobia because they fear another panic attack. In extreme cases, a person with agoraphobia may be afraid to leave their house.
Treatment
Phobias can be overcome with proper treatment, including behavioral therapy, exposure therapy, cognitive-behavioral therapy, and medication.
Behavioral therapy focuses on changing specific actions and uses different techniques to stop this behavior, such as breath control and relaxation.
Exposure therapy gradually exposes the child to the frightening object or situation and helps the patient develop coping skills.
Cognitive-behavioral therapy teaches the persons new skills in order to react differently to the situations which trigger the anxiety or panic attacks. Patients also learn to understand how their thinking patterns contribute to the symptoms and how to change their thinking to reduce or stop these symptoms.
Medications the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) such as Paxil, can be used successfully to treat social phobia.
