We Are Family!

They will walk right into your house without knocking. They will judge your décor in the living room, question your parenting skills, and also remind you of how bad of a cook you are.  They’re big.  They’re mean.  They are…your in-laws!

According to anxietymatters.com, soceraphobia is fear of your mother-in-law and father-in-law. Although there is no specific cause of this phobia, soceraphobia usually happens because of traumatic experiences with his or her parents-in-law.

Most people who suffer from this phobia only experiences mild symptoms.  However, with any phobia, the symptoms vary from person to person and also depend on the level of severity the person faces with the fear. Usual symptoms of socerphobia include:

·      Dreading seeing parents-in-laws.

·      Rapid breathing

·      Sweating

·      Nausea

·      Dry mouth

·      Inability to articulate words or sentences

Now don’t worry! If you suffer from this phobia there are ways overcome it! According to hypnoshop.com, there are different treatments for this phobia.  Medicine can be prescribed; however, most people with this fear usually attend therapy.  Two of these therapies include:

·      Hypnoanalysis - method of psychotherapy combining psychoanalysis with hypnosis.

·      Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) - technique for recognizing and transforming unconscious linguistic and conceptual patterns that limit health, self-actualization, and well-being.

In 2007, a short film, Conquering Soceraphobia, was released about a man who thinks he suffers from soceraphobia has put off meeting his girlfriend's family for years. Until one day he makes the decision to finally meet the in-laws. Not only will this movie give you a good laugh, but it will also show all soceraphobia sufferers that overcoming this fear is possible! 

What do all you bloggers think about this phobia? Do you suffer from this phobia?  Share your story here! Who knows? You might just meet someone who has the same fear as you!

Also, check back next week for a new phobia that will be crawling your way!

Don't Get Trapped in Your Phobia!

Imagine sitting in a tiny box-like room where the windows are non-existent. Imagine having nothing to look at besides the four white colored walls that surround you. Imagine feeling as if all four walls are closing in on you. Imagine being afraid of enclosed spaces. Imagine feeling trapped.

According to psychologist Lisa Fritscher, claustrophobia is defined as a fear of enclosed spaces. In the United States, about three percent of people suffer from claustrophobia. Like any other phobia the severity of claustrophobia can vary widely from person to person.

Victims of claustrophobia may experience symptoms in small rooms, crawl spaces and crowds. Many people who suffer from this phobia feel uncomfortable on rollercoasters and even in MRI chambers or other medical testing.  According to www.epigee.org, a medical website, symptoms of claustrophobia include:

• ·      Sweating
• ·      Accelerated heartbeat
• ·      Nausea
• ·      Fainting
• ·      Light-headedness
• ·      Shaking
• ·      Hyperventilation
• ·      A fear of actual imminent physical harm

When a person suffers from claustrophobia, he or she may feel panicked when in a small space. He or she may cry or yell and may attempt to get out of the situation by any means possible. Some people with claustrophobia find it difficult to breathe and say that it feels as if the walls are closing in on them. Researchers have yet to find the cause claustrophobia. However, many doctors believe that it may be rooted in bad childhood experiences.

Curing this phobia can be quite difficult. However, psychotherapy, specifically cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) has been shown to be very successful in treating claustrophobia. Some doctors also prescribe anti-anxiety medications or antidepressants to help manage your symptoms.

A 2007 study, published in CyberPsychology and Behavior, showed that immersive virtual reality might be effective in helping those who suffer from claustrophobia. Researchers found that virtual reality was more successful than distraction with music in helping sufferers successfully complete a MRI scan. Some people find relief through hypnosis and other alternative forms of treatment. Others find that self-help methods such as visualization can help them through claustrophobia attacks. Claustrophobia can be devastating if not treated. However, treatment is usually successful.

Personally, I do not suffer from claustrophobia; however, I know someone who does…my father.  Although my dad does not suffer from a severe case of claustrophobia, I can still see how this phobia can be life affecting.  My dad loves rollercoasters, but sometimes he avoids going on them because of the feeling of being unable to move.  If you suffer from claustrophobia it is important to get help so you can live a full life!

Check back next week for another post about phobias!  Who knows? Your phobia might just be next!

Lions and Tigers and Bears, Oh My!

Walking into an animal shelter the first thing people notice are big puppy-dog eyes and tiny kitten paws.  While visiting the zoo people are able to see harmless chimpanzees swinging from trees, calm birds flapping their wings, and playful polar bears swimming in their own little pool. Although visiting an animal shelter and visiting a zoo may be entertaining to most people, to some it is a scary experience.

According to wisegeek.org, zoophobia is a fear of animals. In some cases, an individual with zoophobia may fear all animals, no matter the size. This phobia is usually common among young children; however, sometimes zoophobia continues into adulthood.

When it comes to recognizing this fear there are two concepts one must understand before he or she can know why certain people fear all animals. Those two concepts are negative past experiences and animal phobia and over generalization and fear of animals. 

An example of negative past experience and animal phobia is if a cat scratched a child's arm and scared the child there may be a possibility that the child will develop a phobia of cats in adulthood.

Over generalization is the way of thinking that lets someone create general beliefs based on only one event. For example, a child that was scratched by one cat may now believe that all cats will scratch him or her. 

After understanding the two concepts one can now take a look at general symptoms of zoophobia. General symptoms of zoophobia include:

·      Panic when the individual encounters animals

·      Nervousness

·      Anxiety

·      Accelerated heart rate

·      Sweating

·      Dizziness

·      Vomiting

The individual may even think of worst-case scenarios. According to widegeek.org, individuals sometimes feel awkward around uncomfortable because other people do not understand how life affecting this phobia can be.

Although this phobia can be distressing and serious, there are treatments to help individuals overcome this phobia. Treatment can incorporate a number of approaches, such as behavioral therapy. Behavioral therapy can include sessions in which a patient simply talks with a therapist about the phobia.  Through this therapy session, the patient will explore the cause and possible approaches to overcome the phobia. Therapy animals that have been specifically trained to deal with people in distress may also be used for a treatment.

People may also take medications to manage zoophobia. This option is usually offered in cases where people suffer from severe cases of zoophobia. Medications can be used to calm the patient around animals so that the patient and therapist can work together on developing a plan to bring the fear under control. 

After reading this blog is it possible that you may suffer from either a minor or severe case of zoophobia?  Do you know someone who suffers from zoophobia?  Comment below with how you or that person deals with their fear!