Simple Phobias

Dear Dr. LeCrone: I suffer from many fears and phobias. Can you write about this problem?

Dear reader:

During one brief period in my young daughter’s life, she experienced intense anxiety in the presence of anyone with a mustache. When we entered a restaurant, went shopping, or visited friends or relatives, her reaction to a mustache was intense fright and it lead to crying and avoidant behavior. She would cling to me and my wife and beg to leave the area where the poor, mustached gentleman was situated. We could not trace any traumatic event or situation to account for this phobia and, thankfully, it lasted for only a few months.

Many of us share the anxiety displayed by Jimmy Stewart in the classic Alfred Hitchcock thriller Vertigo, in which the main character had an intense fear of heights. Another prevalent phobia is that of animals, such as fear of dogs, cats, or birds. A fear of insects, snakes or rodents is also experienced by many individuals. The queasiness and even fainting that occur in some individuals when they see blood or certain medical procedures are another example of specific or simple phobias.

Situations that arouse fear often cause avoidance problems. For example, an individual with an intense fear of heights avoided a promotion which involved moving from a first story office to one on the 25th floor. The thought of losing the promotion because of the fear of heights produced anger, depression, and still more anxiety.

In another situation, free round-trip tickets on a cruise liner were awarded to an individual who refused the gift because of an intense fear of water. An intense fear of storms is often experienced by many individuals. For them, even a large cloud formation can produce anxiety. A reader of this column once told me about an intense fear of long airplane flights. Fear of flying was not the issue. Instead, intense anxiety was aroused at the thought of using the tiny restrooms found in most airplanes since this person had a fear of enclosed places.

More women than men suffer from simple phobias, and phobias are common in the general population. Phobias that result in less significant impairment or those that can be “hidden” from public scrutiny often go untreated although treatment could be beneficial. Mental health professionals can assist those individuals needing help in dealing with phobias.

Harold H. LeCrone, Jr., Ph.D. Copyright © 2004