Social phobias

bluefin · Regular Joined: 27 Jun 2005 Posts: 16

Specific phobias affect all strata of society and are twice as common in women as in men. The causes of specific phobias are not well understood, though there is some evidence that these phobias may run in families. Specific phobias usually first appear during childhood or adolescence and tend to persist into adulthood.

If the object of the fear is easy to avoid, people with specific phobias may not feel the need to seek treatment. Sometimes, though, they may make important career or personal decisions to avoid a phobic situation, and if this avoidance is carried to extreme lengths, it can be disabling. Specific phobias are highly treatable with carefully targeted psychotherapy or medications like Zoloft [url=http://www.drugdelivery.ca/s3739-s-ZOLOFT.aspx]Zoloft Dosage[/url]

dawn39 · Posted: Mon Sep 26, 2005 2:00 pm Post subject: phobias

just had to add my experience regarding phobias. i have suffered from a severe vomitting phobia for as long as i can remember, i believe this was "learnt" from my mum who has the same phobia. it has ruined my life as basically you are constantly on the alert to any thing going on in your body ie stomach rumbling slight pains ect that may indicate the onset of a "bug" a typical emetophobe will be frightened to eat out, avoid certain situations and in the extreme form which i have suffered, even be frightened to eat for long periods of time incase you may vomit. this can frequently be confused with anorexia which it bears no relation to. then when you have children you worry that they may be coming down with a bug and watch them constantly even going to the extreme of taking them from school in anyone in their class has a bad stomach. this phobia isnt well understood apart from the people who suffer from it and it ruins lives. i am finding it very hard to cope at the moment as am awaiting results of a biopsy on a lymph gland, and to me if this is cancer the fear of chemopherapy and the subsequent vomitting is as frightening as the cancer itself. and also someone with this phobia cannot take anti depressants or many other medications because of the fear of side effects ie vomitting.
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i have been ill for two years now and am awaiting a biopsy on an enlarged node. i have been told by many doctors that there is nothing wrong and it is all in my head, so now even my family believe this i feel hopeless and very scared/

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