How do you medically test for a phobia?
925803
I would imagine for a real scientific test, they would monitor the heart and lung functions, as well as the brain. The physical reactions would determine if they were really afraid or faking it.
848225
(m)\n\nAgoraphobia is a fear of open spaces. It is also a fear of having a panic attack in a public place, of losing control in an area from which escape may prove difficult or embarrassing.\n\nSocial Phobia is an irrational anxiety brought forth by exposure to certain social situations, leading to avoidance behaviour.\n\nSpecific Phobia is a persistent and irrational fear in response to some specific stimulus, which commonly results in avoidance of/withdrawal from that stimulus. It could be triggered by an insect or animal (zoophobia), by a situation like being trapped in an enclosed space (claustrophobia) or it could be a fear of disease (pathophobia).\n\nFear of heights is one of the most widespread of fears. In some situations a fear of heights is quite appropriate and a matter of common sense. According to psychologists, there are only two natural fears – fear of loud noises and fear of heights.\n\nHowever, a morbid fear of high places, which is the definition of acrophobia, can be very bad for you. If you found yourself in a "high" situation, it would be much better for you to have your wits about you. Feeling an intense fear while inside a safe environment such as a skyscraper is not an appropriate response.\n\nAs with many fears, acrophobia often goes hand in hand with other phobias, a fear of flying in particular. As it is a fairly common phobia, many sufferers choose to live with it rather than try to get help, accommodating their lifestyle to the limitations. This can prove crippling to many aspects of life from holidays to accommodation, even limiting your possible career options.\n\nThe best methods for curing acrophobia involve gradual desensitisation, slowly exposing the sufferer to ever-greater heights while teaching them relaxation techniques that will enable them to maintain their presence of mind. Some of the methods that work best are NLP and timeline therapy.
527231
Hello,\n\n     Having a dental phobia is not uncommon. In fact, according to a recent study from Germany, it has been estimated that 11% of people are scared of the dentist (phobic). A bad experience is related in approximately 2/3 of the patients, followed by the fear of needles (1/3). You might also reply your hubby by saying that according to that study, 72% of women go to the dentist regularly, while only 60% of men do so. \n\n      But no matter the statistics and why you're scared, the situation is that you're in need of dental surgery. You have to get it done now. Delaying treatment IS NOT the solution. You have to deal with that now, and procrastination with your dental health won't help your cause. You have to know what is scary.\n\n      Do the following exercise. Take a sheet of paper and write down EVERYTHING scary in a dental office that might prevent you to undergo dental surgery. Do it now!!! Costs, Needles, Blood, Pain, Noise... Write it down.\nIt's a good mental exercise to identify what is repulsive in the dental environment.\n\n      After that, you can now discuss with your dentist of these factors. If you want to know more about this or about that, ASK! This will help to answer most of your questions. If you want to ask more details about the procedure, feel free to do so; he will be pleased to answer.\n\nYou know, the WEB and bingo rooms are excellent places to hear horror stories that won't help you to overcome your phobia. Stories of needles "long like this" and swellings "big like that" and affirmations like "Root canal treatments never work" are way too common. Your dentist knows the numbers and the procedures, and he's the person who will answer the best. Also, affirmations like "dentists always fail on me" are probably not only exagerated, but won't help to get a positive image and high expectations of dental treatments.\n\nToo often, patients don't express their concerns (except for delaying the next dental appointment). Nobody is the same, and your dentist must know what you expect, what you like and what you're scared of. Some patients like the dentist to explain everything before the procedure, some don't want to hear a single word. Everybody is different, and talking to your practicionner might help you to build a dentist-patient relationship based on trust and complaisance.\n\nAnd please, jump on the phone and take an appointment. Do it now! You don't have any other logical choice.
997304
Face it, panic attack and all. Don't take this as medical advice, but from personal experience, the only way you can overcome a fear is to face it head on.
965914
I suggest that a GP is not the doctor you need to see.  You need to see a psychiatrist.  You are agoraphobic, and anxiety is the least of your problems.
507601
Being Aichmophobic (phoibic of needles) is no easy thing at all... True phobias can affect our lives in powerful and horrifying ways. They can control us and even reduce our life spans by making constant stress. Being affraid of needles can hinder in your general health as well... You are less likely to visit doctors or get important medical atteniton because you are afraid of a shot. You are also likely to hurt yourself in an attempt to flee someone with a needle, or can hurt others.\n\nFirst we need to discuss the underlying reasons for Aichmophobia...Most Aichmophobia stems from a childhood memory of pain. So, unbeknownst to the person, they really have TWO phobias... Aichmophobia AND Agliophobia (phobia of pain). Knowing and accepting this allows better treatment.\n\nTreating a true phobia can be very hard...Besides self treatment, which is you constantly repeating to yourself, "It doesn't hurt that bad." until you are desensitized, most people need to seek professional help. Doctors can provide therapy, hypnosis, and medication that are tailored for each indiviual person.\n\nI'd like to share more with you and your friend about phobias. I have a blog that I wrote entitled, "Understanding The Face of Fear...Phobias In Our Lives...". I invite you to read it... God bless! :)\n\nhttp://blog.360.yahoo.com/blog-Owqx0FA7eqJiQrwovLruo7NQuosKnA--?cq=1&p=3
181426
You have a fairly common anxiety disorder that is beginning to generalize to other aspects of your life. The optimal treatment for panic disorder and specific phobias is cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). You need to find a psychologist who specializes in CBT. The outcome of this therapy has been demonstrated to be superior to all other treatments, including medication. NIMH even list CBT as the primary treatment option for your problems over medication. When you look for a psychologist you want to find one who graduated from an APA accredited program. If you can see one with a Ph.D. or Psy.D. even better. You should expect therapy will last 5 to 20 sessions depending on the severity of your problems. I've treated this problem many times with patients and they typically find complete remission of their symptoms by session 10 and then I help them learn relaxation exercises for 2 to 3 sessions. You'll learn that anxiety typically is an adaptive emotion that helps people respond appropriately to stressors; however, in the case of panic and phobias, something has gone wrong and you have to re-learn how to react to anxiety symptoms in an adaptive, non-distressing manner. After therapy 80 to 90% of people's anxiety problems don't return--ever!! Or if they do they have the skills to easily control them. CBT is a highly effect therapy.
741172
There is nothing weird about being afraid of anything in particular, and no matter what you might be afraid of, its unlikely that you are the only person.\n\nI've just googoed 'phobia belly button' and found out that your fear is named omphalophobia, and that it is apparently 'very rare' - biut not so rare that it dfoesant have a name!\n\nI'm sure you can find out more if you google omphalophobia......\n\nhttp://encycl.opentopia.com/term/Omphalophobia
692200
Fear is about not having control. Phobias are irrational fears that are  very powerful and hard to get rid of.
916204
u can look it up on www.phobialist.com. i has a LONG list of phobias.
639765
This is a trick that works for many phobias. It's surprisingly effective. I used it to help me deal with my claustrophobia. Do this exercise when you can find a few moments of uninterrupted quiet.\n\nYou imagine you are experiencing the event that scares you...in your case getting a shot or having blood drawn. Try to make the vision as vivid and real as possible. Put yourself into it completely. Play out your "movie" to the end, then reverse the film and play it back to the beginning.\n\nThe next step: You are sitting in a large movie theater. Look at the screen and watch your movie, but this time you are watching yourself on the screen, not actually in it. Again play out the movie to the end, then reverse it.\n\nNow make the movie in black and white. Play it through and reverse it.\n\nNext you are in the projection room. See it as vividly as possible. See where the movie is on a reel and projecting out into the theater below. Impress on yourself how flimsy the movie which is holding your fear is. Play the movie through from this perspective and reverse it.\n\nThat's all there is to it. Do this for a few days before you are to see the doctor. I know it seems too simple to work, but it certainly did for me. I had to have an MRI that required me to go head first into a large claustrophic machine. I was scared to death until I read about this exercise. I sailed through the test without a problem.
538354
If it's really bad, you could talk to your doctor and he could give you something to take the edge off. I'm not really sure how I do it. I just take a long deep breath, and just do it, like pretending that I'm not afraid at all. After a while, I don't have to pretend anymore.
674155
We treat a lot of phobic patients.  They start vomiting the day before coming to the dental office.  They are in tears when they walk through the door.  They usually are about to pass out from lack of sleep.  For one real bad case, we let them come in and sit in a dental chair for a visit,  just sit their watching a movie, talking, or whatever.  We looked at her teeth on the second visit.  AFter ten visits and two years or so now she just reports getting nervous a bit. \n\nStill comes in crying though.
562088
you have to start within you and stop saying I cant do math-that is when your phobia kicks in because you program yourself not to believe you can do it--get a good math tutor such as Silvan online or score or even someone who is patient to break down the math problems for you\n\nI know how you feel I needed to pass statistics for College and I hated math so I had to change my tune go to math tutoring and stay dedicated and focus for and to myself at first its going to be a bit edgey but you can do it I passed my test with flying colors\n\nyou have to have the motivation, dedication, and time to get what you need done
661940
You tell your doctor about it and then you ask him what he recommends...most likely an allergist.  When you go to the allergist, they do some kind of a test that may look scary, but it isn't at all!  Then, they come back with a list of what you are allergic to!  It worked for me!!!!
920522
About Emetophobia\nEmetophobia is the irrational and overwhelming fear of vomiting. We all know that it is not a nice bodily process to go through, but for people who suffer from emetophobia it is the worst thing you or I could imagine. It is far more common than people think in fact its the sixth most common phobia in the UK. The chances are you know someone who suffers from Emetophobia, there are many signs such as, not eating out at all, and very Hygienic. A lot of emetophobes will not even read words that are associated with being sick (You may have noticed on the forum pages.) because of the feelings of panic and feelings it brings with it. \n\nA long with the actual phobia there are many other disorders and phobias that suffers can get, such as IBS, Agoraphobia among others. It is a phobia that can get worse with time, if not treated correctly (It often gets diagnosed as an eating disorder (as sufferers tend not to eat a lot), there is no magical cure for it. \n\nI have a partner who has got emetophobia and realise that it should get more publicity, I never knew it existed before Hayley & I got together and now I can think how I did not know about it. I have seen second hand what this phobia is capable of, and would do anything at all to get her through it.\nQuestions & Answers\nDo you have any questions that you would like answering? Are they related to emetophobia? If so you can post them on this area of the site and automatically be notified when someone answers your question. You can see what questions have already been asked, and maybe answer a question and help someone understand this phobia that little bit more.\nFilm List\nHave you seen a film recently, was it good/bad and did it contain any vomit scenes that may disturb others. Have you ever wanted to go and see a film, but do not know what it is like or if it contains vomit scenes? Well if so, take a look at films added by our members, and then decide if you want to see it. \nOdd Behavior\nEmetophobes can have some strange habits that make us all feel a little more at ease with the phobia. These habits may be strange to to other people who do not know about this phobia or just do not understand it. In fact everyone has a strange little habit that they do, whether it is washing your hands or something stranger, you can take a look at some of the strange behavior that our members have.\nRelated Phobias/Disorders\nEmetophobia can cause many different problems for everyone that suffers from this phobia, in fact there are so many different things that an emetophobe can suffer from, including, depression and anxiety. This area provides suffers with a list of related problems that can be associated with emetophobia, it also allows our members to add to this list. You can find out what an emetophobe has to go through, as it is not just the phobia.\nBook Reviews\nHave you read a good book recently? Was it helpful in combating this fear of vomiting Or was it just a good old fashioned read. If you have want you can review any books that you have read on this section of the site. Why not take a look at some of the books other members have reviewed.
422487
Having a phobia means that the fear that you have gets in the way of doing everyday tasks. For example, if you were to avoid seeing your boyfriend or going to public places for fear of being touched, that would qualify as a phobia. Even if you don't think it's that serious, if it's really bothering you, you could always see a therapist and try to talk through it. Good luck!