When something that has been labeled as dangerous happens, the amygdala releases hormones into the body to throw it into a “fight or flight” response. Darwin would approve of this theory; a trigger in our brain to tell us that something is dangerous puts us in a state of heightened awareness.

Phobias range in severity among individuals. Some people can simply avoid the subject of their fear and suffer relatively mild anxiety over that fear. Other people will have full blown panic attacks. Most people know that they are suffering from a fear that is irrational, but they unfortunately do not come equipped with the tools to override their initial panic reaction.

Therapeutic treatment will generally work to take the memory and reaction that was perceived as harmful and replace it with a more realistic scenario. That clown may make you feel uncomfortable, but he is hopefully not out to get you, you know.

Therapeutic approaches to treating phobias differ, and often different approaches will be taken concurrently. Introducing things to trigger small portions of phobia is one popular method. Therapists think that by systematically desensitizing their patients to the trigger, their response will be much less severe. Some therapists will utilize virtual reality or imagery exercises to accomplish this goal. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, an approach to psychology that focuses in on negative thought patterns and measures that one can take to change these thought patterns has shown to be successful as well.

As far as medicine is concerned, antidepressant medications like SSRIs and MAOIs can be helpful, and benzodiazepines may occasionally be used in acute treatment of severe symptoms. If you feel as though you may suffer from a phobia that inhibits your ability to deal with life, it is strongly encouraged that you seek help, therapy has been shown to be effective.

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