When you hear that you have a phobia, it can be very shocking. Most people know that phobias are extreme types of anxiety, which largely influence daily life. Depending on the type of phobia which you have, certain things will be very difficult for you, while they might seem very easy for others. An example is someone who does not dare to go outside. For other people it is very normal to go outside and buy groceries. But what does stress have to do with this?
Phobias: symptoms
The most common symptoms of phobias are often anxieties caused by one specific thing, for example: going outside, being in a small space, getting dirty, ..., and then there are the results caused by experiencing this anxiety. You will start to sweat, breathing becomes more shallow, you get dizzy and light-headed... These are common symptoms caused by thinking of the element which causes anxiety, or when you have to do that which causes the anxiety. You can even experience these symptoms when you are scared of having to experience anxiety. This is called the fear of fear. After a while, the symptoms show up during fear of fear. You thus no longer just experience them just when doing that which causes anxiety, but even when you are anxious about being anxious again, as it is so scary. After a while this makes it so that you start to avoid certain situations more and more, in the hope that you will not need to experience anxiety.
Phobias and stress
All this anxiety is combined with a high stress level. You feel stress when doing things which make you anxious, but just like the other symptoms, stress will spread to stress during fear of fear after a while. You become more and more anxious and therefore more and more stressed. Stress can worsen anxiety. You worry about your symptoms, which leads to stress again. Many people with anxiety disorders also have high stress levels. The more stress you feel, the more anxious you will become, and vice versa. If you are anxious, this anxiety will lead to more stress.
Phobias: what can I do about them?
Our online self-help program was developed to support people in dealing with stress, anxiety, and depression. You can follow the program to treat your phobias as well as to reduce your anxiety and stress.
Phobias: test your anxiety!:
With the help of our free online anxiety test you can determine your anxiety level. After filling out 21 short questions, you will receive your personal score right away.
