Mental Health Care

Man’s rendezvous with fear must date back to the beginning of life itself. The moment Adam and Eve took their first steps on this planet, they must have bumped into fear. The ‘terrible’ elements of nature-including storms, lightning, dizzy heights, water bodies, fierce and powerful animals, and caves and hidden crevices-must have filled them with trepidation. This natural instinct of self-protective fear still dwells within us after thousands of years of evolution. If we were in a jungle, with no arms and ammunition for safety, and a tiger were to suddenly spring on us, most of us would be petrified. A severe earthquake, tornado, or storm would evoke the same emotion.

This natural fear, in the face of danger, is an in-built mechanism within all human beings. Sometimes, however, some people begin to fear a specific object, situation, or activity, without any logic or justification. This pathological fear, which is persistent, intense, and has no relationship to the real situation, is termed phobia.

People who have phobia realize that their fear is unreasonable. Yet, faced with a feared object or situation, they lose control over themselves, are stricken by terror and go through acute bodily changes. The heart begins to race and thump against the ribs. The skin turns cold and deathly pale and breaks out in cold sweat. The hair stands on end. The eyes and the mouth are open wide. The pupils dilate. The breathing becomes hard and laboured. The mouth turns dry. The lips tremble. The voice becomes indistinct or husky or fails. The bowels and the bladder may move. The muscles become tense. All in readiness to flee or fight.

Most people, who suffer from phobia, try to sidestep their illness. They learn to avoid the object or situation that causes the fear, even if it cripples their freedom. This avoidant behaviour may hamper their daily routine, compromise their social life and rob them of career prospects. For example, a sales manager who develops a phobia of flying might avoid travel, fail to meet his sale targets and be thrown out of his job. Yes, phobia can make life most difficult!

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