Nyctophobia or phobia of the dark quite often starts at a young age. To some extent this is normal as children quite often fear the unknown or things they cannot see. The fear might go on to become a phobia if thoughts become irrational, excessive, or impacts day-to-day living. In this case the first thing …
Phobias are one of the most common types of anxiety disorders. A phobia is an obsessive, intense and extreme fear of an object, place, situation or creature. People with phobias have developed an irrational apprehension about something they perceive as a danger. Phobias centre on our normal fear mechanism, so someone who has a …
Everyone worries about their health on the odd occasion, but when those worries persist with no evidence for concern, and the fear of illness becomes so great that it affects your day to day living it’s possible you might have health/illness anxiety. You might be surprised just how common this condition is. An estimated one …
In 1979, at the age of 34, I joined the N.H.S. at Napsbury hospital, near St. Albans in Hertfordshire. Napsbury was, at that time, a large psycho-geriatric hospital of some 1500 beds. My role was that of Domestic Services Manager, i.e. providing a cleaning service. I had approximately 200 staff under my management and I …
Phobias are one of the most common type of anxiety disorders. A phobia is an obsessive, intense and extreme fear of an object, place, situation or creature. People with phobias have developed an irrational apprehension about something they perceive as a danger. Phobias centre on our normal fear mechanism, so someone who has a …
I should begin by saying that I am not a fan of using words that have a Greek derivation to describe phobic states. Indeed, some years ago I was attending a quiz night when the topic of fears and phobias came up. Those at my table, recognising my expertise in this area, played a Joker …
A phobia is an obsessive fear of an object or situation that exists over a long period of time. People with phobias have no rational explanation for their fears, and often there is no discernible cause. People with phobias worry about imagined events that are unlikely to happen in reality or are only a remote …
The beginning of a phobia usually follows periods of stress and often starts after a final trauma. “The last straw, which breaks the camel’s back” or after a first panic attack which appears to come out of the blue. In the early stages of a phobia, sufferers feel frightened when in a particular place or …
By Professor Kevin Gournay Agoraphobia was a term coined by the German neurologist Westphal in 1871. In his original description, Westphal described four patients (all men) who had attacks of anxiety in public places. Interestingly, he described how several of them used alcohol to reduce their fears. The term ‘agoraphobia’ derives from the Greek, the …
By Professor Kevin Gournay Dysmorphophobia, which has been re-named Body Dysmorphic Disorder is one whereby there is a preoccupation with one’s appearance and this leads to considerable distress. I am currently engaged in some research on the nature and treatment of this condition but it is a common accompaniment of phobic and obsessional states. People …
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