Trauma and phobias are synonymous with feelings of irrational fear. Although similar, the two cannot be considered the same, you know! This is the difference between a phobia and a trauma according to psychologists.
You may already be familiar with the terms phobia and trauma. Both are often interpreted as mental health problems that are synonymous with feelings of irrational fear.
Even though at first glance they look similar, phobias and traumas can’t be considered the same, you know! This is also agreed by Gracia Ivonika, M.Psi., Psychologist.
Recognizing Trauma from the Glasses of a Psychologist
In psychology, trauma is also known as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). This condition is a mental health disorder that occurs as a result of a traumatic event in the past, such as a natural disaster or abuse.
Most cases of PTSD will cause the following symptoms:
1. Complaints related to discomfort on a regular basis
2. Avoidance of past facts.
3. Stimulation and reactivity.
4. Cognitive and mood disorders.
If you are diagnosed with PTSD, your health care provider may prescribe therapy, medication, or a combination of the two treatments. Acrophobia Definition, Symptoms, Reason, Treatment
Here are some treatments that are usually recommended for people with PTSD:
1. Cognitive behavioral therapy or cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). This type of therapy is done to change the negative thought patterns associated with the trauma trigger.
2. Exposure therapy. This type of therapy is done to bring PTSD sufferers closer to the things that triggered the trauma in order to deal with them in a good way. This therapy can help reduce the patient’s sensitivity to the incident, which in turn can reduce the symptoms of trauma.
3. Drug therapy. People with PTSD may also be prescribed medications, such as antidepressants, anti-anxiety, and ‘sleep aids’ to help relieve symptoms.
Recognizing Phobias from the Glasses of a Psychologist
As described by Gracia, a phobia is a specific fear that is intense and irrational towards a particular object or situation. This anxiety disorder can interfere with daily activities.
Launching very well, women are twice as likely to experience specific phobias as men. Some of the things that include specific phobias, among others:
1. Type of nature or environment, including fear of lightning and lightning ( astraphobia ) or water ( aquaphobia )
2. Type of injury, including fear of the dentist ( dentophobia ), or injections ( trypanophobia )
3. Types of animals, including fear of dogs (cynophobia) , snakes ( ophidiophobia ), and insects ( entomophobia )
4. Situational types, including fear of washing ( ablutophobia ), and enclosed spaces ( claustrophobia )
5. Other types, including fear of choking, vomiting, loud noises, etc.
Broadly speaking, the symptoms that occur in people with phobias are as follows:
1. Unreasonable and excessive fear. This condition usually occurs continuously and intensely, which is triggered by certain objects or situations.
2. Immediate response to anxiety. This condition usually occurs when the sufferer comes face to face with the originator of the phobia in himself.
3. Avoidance or extreme difficulty. In this case, the person with the phobia will try his best to avoid the object or situation that triggers the fear. At the same time, the person will also experience extreme stress.
4. People with phobias tend to limit their lives so they don’t come face-to-face with the source of their fear.
5. Six months duration. That is, people with phobias will usually feel fear continuously for 6 months or more.
Regarding the treatment of phobias, Gracia said that this type of anxiety disorder can only be treated based on the cause or trigger.
“In cases of phobias, there will usually be systematic desensitization therapy and specific exposure therapy to help reduce the intensity of the fear of the phobia,” said Gracia.
“Phobias, in the DSM-5 ( Diagnostic and Statistical Manual ), are included in the big umbrella of anxiety disorders. Meanwhile, trauma (PTSD) is a psychological problem that is influenced by traumatic experiences in the past,” concluded Gracia.