Do I Have a Phobia?

Do I Have a Phobia?
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What is a Phobia?

To be able to answer the question,“Do I have a phobia?” you need to know exactly what a phobia is. In general it is an irrational fear of an object or situation that can considerably disrupt a person’s life.

Even when the phobic is told that what they fear is not going to hurt them they are still extremely frightened. Logic does not play a part in it. This is not to say that you cannot learn to think rationally about a phobia. You can find relief, or be cured of it, because help is available. There is hope!

Do I Have a Phobia? Quiz

Take this simple quiz to see if you have phobia symptoms.

  1. Is there something that absolutely scares you to death, and there is no consoling you?
  2. Do you get a rapid heartbeat when thinking about or experiencing an object or situation?
  3. Do you feel afraid at the thought of it?
  4. Do you start to sweat?
  5. Have you ever had trouble thinking when stressed or afraid?
  6. Do you feel like screaming, yelling or crying?
  7. Do you feel like running away with an overwhelming sense of the need to escape?
  8. Do you shake?
  9. Have you had shortness of breath when afraid of something?
  10. Does your hair stand on end?
  11. Do you develop nausea or stomach upset?
  12. Have you ever felt dizzy, lightheaded or about to faint when thinking about something you fear?
  13. Do you experience numbness or tingling in your body-usually hands or feet when thinking about a particular object or situation?
  14. Do you feel like you are losing control or going crazy?
  15. Have you ever felt unreal or detached from yourself?
  16. Have you ever had a panic attack?

If you have answered ‘yes’ to these questions and these symptoms cause severe disruption it could be that you have a phobia, although you will need a medical diagnosis to confirm this.

Conclusion:

There are many different types of phobias a person. You are not alone if you find you answered yes to many or all of the questions above. The lists of phobias seems endless and can include the fear of plants (botanophobia), the fear of cats (gatophobia) the fear of the sun (heliophobia) and the fear of injections (trypanophoia). Hopefully this quiz has helped to answer the question," do I have a phobia?"

NB: The content of this article is for information purposes and is not intended to replace sound medical advice and opinion.

Resources:

Helpguide.org: https://helpguide.org/mental/phobia_symptoms_types_treatment.htm

MedicineNet.org: https://www.medicinenet.com/phobias/page3.htm#symptoms

Helpguide.org: https://www.helpguide.org/mental/phobia_symptoms_types_treatment.htm

Source: Authors own knowledge from studying the subject and observing a friend.

Photo page 1:Screen capture from the public domain film- Wikimedia Commons/Public Domain

This post is part of the series: Does Anxiety, Panic or Phobias Have a Hold on You?

Anxiety, Panic and Phobias can be very detrimental to a life. It is important to understand what the symptoms are, what causes them in the first place and options for how to deal with them once you have them. There is hope, and you can be free!

  1. Spotlight on the Causes of Anxiety Disorders
  2. Do I Have a Phobia?