Poor Christina Ricci.
I am aware there’s no way in hell that there’s going to become a shark in a chlorinated pool, but that I ‘m so scared. ‘
Constant irrational anxieties are known as phobias, and Christina seems to suffer from both botanophobia (fear of crops ) and selachophobia (intense fear of sharks). Psychiatrists have come across other infrequent fears, including a fear of stomach buttons and also a fear of poverty held with a very wealthy individual who had been scared to quit working. An estimated three percent of people have easy phobias (fears of particular things), two per cent have social phobia (fear of social interaction) and 5% have agoraphobia (fear of public places). And these anxieties can be crippling, getting in the way of relationships, careers and ordinary, everyday life.
Seeds of Fear
Some phobias can be connected to our survival instincts. Recent studies have shown a connection with cerebral circuits in the mind – it seems over-reactivity of parts of the limbic system (the emotional centre of the brain) or of the brain stem can result in faulty triggers of our fight/flight alert system.
It’s also potential to get a terrifying experience, particularly in our formative years, to trigger a phobia. Children have vivid imaginations and conjure up all types of fears. Given relaxation and the liberty to express them, they move on – but sometimes, particularly with a sensitive character, a fear becomes entrenched. I find adults with an acute fear of earning mistakes, like those with social anxiety, often experienced an extremely embarrassing and humiliating situation in youth.
Rooting out a Phobia
Start with a GP in case the signs of extreme fear (dizziness, nausea, perspiration, palpitations) have a physical foundation like a hormone or heart condition. They might also be linked to depression, substance abuse or eating disorders.
The most extreme phobia can be treated with one or more of the following: Psychotherapy: you discuss feelings concerning the phobia, exploring potential links with previous problems. Hypnotherapy can help bring abandoned episodes to light. Behavior therapy: you learn alternative beliefs about your own anxiety and a few approaches to manage it (deep breathing, relaxation). The therapist may gradually introduce you to everything you dread to desensitize you. Cognitive behavioral treatment (CBT): you learn to assess the thoughts behind your feelings logically and to identify unhelpful thinking patterns.
CBT combined with behaviour therapy generally has the best chance of success. Medicine: this is used in the brief term for a way to alleviate anxiety and depression while you handle the inherent problem. But drugs should be prescribed only by a psychiatrist, who will first rule out potential related problems such as bipolar disorder, obsessive-compulsive disease or schizophrenia.