Sometimes scary things can be fun – such as Halloween, which is associated with monsters and ghouls and things that go bump in the night. But when we fear ordinary things in our everyday lives, this anxiety can turn into a phobia.

A phobia is defined as an irrational fear of something, which many people wouldn’t be afraid of, but for the sufferer it produces an automatic and overwhelming response. This anxiety can interfere with the person’s daily life – for example, going out to work or socialising – as they will try to avoid the object or situation (stimulus) that they are fearful of.

Fear is a natural reaction to danger. When we feel afraid, we experience the ‘fight, flight or freeze’ response, where we react by facing the danger, getting away from it, or doing nothing. This fear may be due to something real or a perceived threat, and the response is the body’s way of protecting us from it. But if there is no real danger and the response is an over-reaction, this is when people are said to have a phobia.

To a person with a phobia, there is nothing irrational about it – it is a genuine fear response. Symptoms might include sweating, rapid heart rate, dry mouth and breathlessness, shaking, nausea, continual thoughts of dread, panic and powerlessness.

There are many things that people can have a phobia of, and these are sorted into three types. The first two are ‘complex phobias’ – social phobias, and agoraphobia (fear of being trapped in a confined or inescapable place).

The other type is ‘specific phobias’ and these are sub-categorised into fears about the natural environment – such as brontophobia (fear of thunder); animals – like cynophovia (fear of dogs); medical-related – like fear of needles or blood; and situational fears – such as fear of flying.

Cure your fear altogether
An estimated 10 million people in the UK have a phobia, so if you’re one of them, you’re certainly not alone! Phobias can take over people’s lives if they do not take action to control the fear.

Fortunately, there are many recommended treatments available that can alleviate the symptoms and feelings associated with the stimulus, or cure the fear altogether.

Hypnotherapy can be used to tap into subconscious processes that are involved in the fear response, and to promote relaxation.

Cognitive-Behavioural Therapy (CBT) helps people to question and challenge their thoughts and feelings about the stimulus and to modify behaviours in order to react differently and not avoid the feared object/ situation.

Gradual exposure (desensitisation) involves confronting the fear little steps at a time – for example, seeing a picture of a spider, then being in the same room as it, leading up to touching the spider, until the person feels relatively comfortable around it.

Anti-anxiety medications can also be used to suppress the physiological and psychological symptoms of fear, and your GP can advise you about these.