While both fear and phobia share similar symptoms, understanding the difference between fear and phobia is vital because they are very different problems. One is normal(fear) and the other is severe(phobia). Hence, the solutions strategies to deal with them are extremely different.

Comparison- Fear or Phobia

Fear is an emotional response to a real or perceived imminent threat. It is a very normal emotion. Whereas, phobia is an anxiety disorder involving fear which is excessively out of proportion to the situation. Fear goes onto become a phobia when it causes disturbances in daily functioning.

In fear-provoking situations, some might be able to control their fear and overcome the trouble without much discomfort. On the other hand, phobia creates a strong reaction to fear. People with phobia will go out of their way to avoid certain situations, objects or place and they may even experience the anxiety when the threat is not approaching.

Response in the face of fear

Fear leaves you in a space of scared and doubting yourself but no situation is difficult to deal with. Positive affirmations are one of the ways you can maintain confidence in yourself in a fear evoking situation. Use of humor in times of anxiety is also proven to be helpful.

Understanding fear in terms of why is it happening, how much is it affecting you, and being aware of trigger helps deal better with the fearful situation. Acting against your fear, or facing your fear head-on is what diminishes your experience of fear altogether. Hence, do not run away from the situation but rather engage in activities that will help you move away from fear.

Phobic response

The phobic response often comes with avoidance and procrastination. People with phobia are always distracted in normal daily chores by the thoughts of fearful situation that might arise.  Therefore, strategies for phobia not only cover dealing with the situation but also other symptoms of phobia.

Now the first thing to do is to consult an experienced psychologist who will help you create a clear picture of your diagnosis and help build a treatment plan. One of the widely used therapy for phobias is cognitive behavior therapy (CBT). Techniques like breathing exercise, meditation are also seen to be useful when having a panic attack and regular exercise helps produce ‘feel-good’ hormone in the body.

To learn more about Dr Prerna Kohli click here

All images courtesy Pixabay

“And they lived happily ever after…”

This was always the end of most of the childhood stories we heard. From amongst the life lessons given by grandparents to our Moral Science classes, everyone emphasized on happiness in life. There were times when a small piece of candy would give immense joy. But in present times, people seem to find most of the happy occasions ‘too good to be true’. and whats about Cherophobia?

Have you come across people or if you are one of them, who tend to avoid a situation that may make them happy? Have you come across the term “Cherophobia”?

Definition

Cherophobia or aversion to happiness is a condition where the person is too afraid of being happy, that this habit starts affecting his life. This affects the people around him as well.

The word is derived from the Greek word “chero”, meaning “to rejoice”. Although this hasn’t been declared a mental health disorder yet, there are experts with their views about the condition and treatments.

Causes

The behavior a Cherophobic person exhibits in the situation is irrational and it could stem from various beliefs. A reserved attitude, a past trauma or experiencing a discomfort in a group or social gatherings are amongst some reasons. A constant time period of experiencing stress or anxiety can also result in such thinking pattern.

Symptoms

A person who has the phobia does not show symptoms like sadness or grief all the time. But they avoid participating in activities that may lead to experiencing happiness or bringing about any positivity in life. He might feel anxious if someone invites him to a social gathering and usually give up on these opportunities that may benefit him. This person thinks that being happy would bring bad luck or hurdles in life and also it will make him unproductive. He would avoid any fun activity.

Treatment

It is important to understand that Cherophobia is not Depression. Taking details of the past is one thing that can prove to be helpful while dealing with such a person. Dig deep and figure out the traumatic event that was the trigger in the first place. Focus on breaking the negative association between a favorable and unfavorable event. Teaching tolerance and patience can also help. This condition is more of a defense mechanism. Therefore, there has to be a change in the pattern of thinking. and need to meet phyologist 

Read more about Ubuntu

To learn more about Dr Prerna Kohli