Phobias
What is vertigo and how can i treat it?
Vertigo, in lay terms, is associated with a fear of heights and a fear of falling. It is therefore a type of phobia whereby the patient is extremely fearful of a situation which is unlikely to happen. The treatment of this fear is in fact the same as the treatment of other type of phobias which would be to undergo psychological treatments which will help the patient to understand that they are experiencing an exaggerated response to what is potentially a relatively normal fear but that is being drawn out of context and does not allow them to perform whatever task they would need to perform under those circumstances. So it is really, in essence, a psychological treatment that will help them.
What is claustrophobia and how can it be treated?
Claustrophobia is an exaggerated response of fear to enclosed spaces. We've all experienced a certain fear to an enclosed space at some point in our life. But in Claustrophobia it is developed to a degree that it in interferes with possible normal everyday circumstances. People with Claustrophobia will need to have psychological treatment in order of them to rationalize their exaggerated fear to enclosed spaces and therefore be an able to response differently and more appropriately.
What is agoraphobia?
Agoraphobia is the fear of open, wide spaces. This is an exaggerated response in patients who suffer this type of phobia, because they feel a sensation of an excessive susceptibility and vulnerability. As a result of this, it stops them from carrying out certain normal tasks that we all carry out without even thinking about it. The type of treatment is going to be a psychological assessment and behavior modification in the form of behavioral therapy that will help them rationalize and cope with their problem more appropriately.
I am terrified of flying, can you help?
If you have a fear of flying. It is an excessive fear to what nowadays is a relatively normal situation. Very often this happens as a result of a particular incident which has occured during flying, or as a result of flying, which has made us develop this rather exaggerated fear. There's alot that can be done about the fear of flying nowadays and it involves professional advice and professional treatment. It usually involves discussing with the patient what has happened in detail and the patient being able to express their fears and how they experience them. The approach to changing their response to the circumstances and to that situation can be varied in so far as some therapies will actually involve exposure to the fear in small doses, increasing gradually; other therapies will involve more classical behavorial therapy and cognitive therapy so that they can change their coping skills to the problem.
