Columbus Dispatch: Dealing With Phobias

What are you afraid of? When does that fear turn into a full phobia?

Psychiatrists like OhioHealth Dr. Megan Schabbing say phobias are anxiety disorders caused by a particular fear, that causes a person to be unable to function.

She told Columbus Dispatch reporter JoAnne Viviano that fears can be broken down into different levels.

Specific phobias are just that, a fear of a clown, thunderstorms, or snakes.

Social phobias are fear of performing on stage or making a presentation in school.

Agoraphobia can be a fear surrounding the inability to get of a certain situation. That could include walking over a bridge or being on a crowded elevator.

Dr. Schabbing says that phobias need to be taken seriously, not only by the person impacted but the people that surround that person.

There is good news.  Behavioral health experts say there is hope for those suffering from phobias.

“It’s a treatable disorder,” Schabbing said to the Columbus Dispatch. “You can get better," she added.

If untreated, some phobias can get so bad, that a person shuts down. From there, the person can look for other ways to shut down those fears.

That can lead to alcohol or drug abuse.

Dr. Schabbing says confronting those fears, at times with the help of a mental health professional, can be the difference in getting past a fear, and letting it run your life.

To read the article from the Columbus Dispatch, click the Dispatch logo above.