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One of the most difficult parts of adolescence is navigating the complex social life as a teenager.

Whether it’s tests, auditions, dating, or life in general, teens fear failure — just like adults. While it is normal for teens to experience a bit of anxiety or fear in certain situations an irrational and excessive fear that affects daily life is called a phobia, which affects about 10% of them, and contributes to much of the depression and anxiety that teens are diagnosed with each year.

Many simply don’t want to disappoint their parents, friends, teachers, or themselves, which is why it’s considered one of the top fears in 2020.

The media likes for simplicity the lump everything together and just call it social phobia or social anxiety, while it is actually one or more of the following phobias

Fear of failure:- Atychiphobia or Kakorrhaphiophobia is a pervasive emotion for teenagers,

Fear of negative evaluation Atychiphobia, is a psychological construct reflecting ” apprehension about others’ evaluations, distress over negative evaluations by others, and the expectation that others would evaluate one negatively”. Individuals coping with Atychiphobia often have rigid or unrealistic expectations and/or excessive standards of behaviour.

Kakorrhaphiophobia is the intense fear of failure. Those exhibiting this phobia may suffer from very low self-esteem and may find themselves to be very anxious. Their anxiety may be paralysing to the point to where they are unable to challenge themselves even slightly as they are extremely fearful that they will fail.

Katagelophobia – fear of ridicule, can be defined as an intense fear of something that does not actually pose a threat. They themselves may already be very self-critical, so when someone else ridicules them or when they perceive that they are being ridiculed by someone else, this may only confirm what they already believe about themselves.

These phobias often first appear during childhood or adolescence and females are twice as likely as males to suffer from these phobias.

The symptoms of phobias can vary from mild to severe. They can include:

• Fast, shallow breathing / shortness of breath
• Pounding heart
• Hot flashes or chills
• Sweating
• Chest tightness or heaviness
• Nausea, Numbness or tingling
• Sense of danger or impending doom
• Feeling as if you’re outside your body or in a dream
• Intense fear that one is dying, losing control, and / or “going crazy”
• Feeling like fainting is imminent
• Feeling an intense need to escape
• Feelings of overwhelm or panic

Treatments

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)

CBT is a psycho-social intervention that aims to improve one’s mental health.

Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction

MBSR is an 8-week evidence-based program that offers secular, intensive mindfulness training to help people who are suffering from anxiety, stress, depression, and other sorts of mental anguish.

Meditation

Mindfulness has the potential to significantly help those suffering from phobia’s by refocusing their attention onto something else that does not have any sort of emotional baggage attached to it, eg focusing on the breath for example.

Exposure Therapy

Is one of the a common way to treat anxiety disorders. It can be an efficient way to help desensitise the patient to their specific fears.

Exercise

Exercise has been shown to be extremely beneficial for people suffering from anxiety disorders. Specifically, cardiovascular exercise can significantly help to relieve one’s stress.

Reducing Caffeine

It is no secret that consuming large amounts of caffeine throughout the day can aid in making you more anxious.

Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT)

DBT is a very effective form of treatment for people struggling with emotion regulation. It is often used to treat people suffering from borderline personality disorder.

Anti-anxiety meds

Not a long term solution

Antidepressants

Very short term just to assist with depression

Supporting and Encouraging Your Teen

It can be challenging to know the best ways to support and encourage your teen who’s struggling with a phobia.  You want to help, but you don’t want to enable.  Following are some helpful tips:

Educate yourself about specific phobias so you can have a better understanding about what your teen is going through

Reassure your teen that his or her fear isn’t an indication of a flaw or personal weakness

Never ridicule, criticise, or admonish your teen about his or her specific phobia

Pay attention to signs that your teen is using alcohol or other substances to self-medicate his or her anxiety

Be willing and available to listen and talk to your teen regarding his or her fears and anxiety

Pay attention to how you express and manage your own anxiety, as your teen will look to you as a role model

Don’t enable your teen’s avoidance behaviour by lowering your expectations or constantly “rescuing” or protecting him or her from the feared object or situation.

If your teen starts to become anxious or feels a panic attack coming on, encourage and instruct him or her to use the coping skills learned in treatment

If you can’t overcome your fear with practice alone, consider seeking professional help.

Sydney Phobia Therapy has an online therapy for the fears and phobias around peer pressures and not fitting in.

We currently use a 3rd generation version for fear of public speaking phobia therapy based on the original Fast Phobia Cure initially created by Richard Bandler and John Grinder in the 1970’s.

Now when I say fast, I mean typically one session only, no homework and its content free.

Content free means you don’t talk about, and you certainly don’t tell me, because I don’t want it either. You’re seeing me online, so stay in the comfort of your own space and no travel time, to have it removed, not to see if we can talk it to death.

Mysophobia, or the fear of germs, refers to an unhealthy fear of germs. In this case, “germs” refers broadly to any microorganism that causes disease — for instance, bacteria, viruses, or parasites..

Also known as verminophobia, germophobia, germaphobia, bacillophobia and bacteriophobia

The term was coined by William A. Hammond in 1879 when describing a case of obsessive–compulsive disorder exhibited in repeatedly washing one’s hands. Mysophobia may be an extension of obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) as many people who suffer from this mental illness often experience a fear of germs as well.

However, the distinction between the two is that the individual with OCD will often perform irrational and bizarre compulsions to minimise their obsessive thoughts. With mysophobia, there is more of an emphasis on the sheer terror of germs and bacteria as opposed to additionally experiencing irrelevant compulsions (e.g. counting to a “safe” number) like with OCD.

How is Mysophobia diagnosed

Mysophobia falls under the category of specific phobias in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5), and is actually one of the more common phobias, along with the fear of the number 13, fear of dogs, fear of planes, among several others.

A clinician will conduct an interview, which may include questions about current symptoms, family, medical, and psychiatric history.

The criteria used is:-

the phobia is causing significant distress

impacts your ability to function

lasts for six months or more

also you may be asked if the mysophobia is caused by OCD

Symptoms of Mysophobia

The distress and anxiety caused by a germ phobia are out of proportion to the damage that germs are likely to cause. Someone who has mysophobia might go to extreme lengths to avoid contamination.

The emotional and psychological symptoms of Mysophobia include:

intense terror, anxiety, worries, or nervousness related to exposure to germs

thoughts of germ exposure resulting in an illnesses or other negative consequence

thoughts of being overcome with fear in situations when germs are present

trying to distract yourself from thoughts about germs or situations that involve germs

feeling powerless to control a fear of germs that you recognise as unreasonable or extreme

The behavioral symptoms of Mysophobia include:

avoiding or leaving situations perceived to result in germ exposure

spending an excessive amount of time thinking about, preparing for, or putting off situations that might involve germs

difficulty functioning at home, work, or school because of fear of germs (eg the need to excessively wash your hands  limiting  your productivity in places where you perceive there to be many germs)

The physical symptoms of mysophobia are similar to those of other anxiety disorders and can occur during both thoughts of germs and situations that involve germs.

They include:

• rapid heartbeat
• sweating or chills
• shortness of breath and light-headedness
• chest tightness or pain
• tingling, shaking or tremors
• restlessness, headache, nausea or vomiting
• Children depending on their age,  may experience additional symptoms, such as:
• tantrums, crying, or screaming
• clinging to or refusing to leave parents
• difficulty sleeping
• nervous movements
• self-esteem issues

Causes of mysophobia

Like other phobias, mysophobia often begins between childhood and young adulthood.

Negative experiences in childhood. Many people can recall a specific event or traumatic experience that led to germ-related fears.

Family history. Phobias can have a genetic link.

Environmental factors. Beliefs and practices about cleanliness or hygiene that you’re exposed to as a young person may influence the development of mysophobia.

Triggers are objects, places, or situations that aggravate phobia symptoms.

Triggers can include:

bodily fluids such as mucus, saliva, or semen

unclean objects and surfaces, such as doorknobs, computer keyboards, or unwashed clothes

places where germs are known to collect, such as airplanes or hospitals

unhygienic practices or people

Treatment for Mysophobia

Therapy

Therapy, also known as psychotherapy or counselling, can help you face your fear of germs. Exposure therapy or desensitisation involves gradual exposure to mysophobia triggers. The goal is to reduce anxiety and fear caused by germs. Over time, you regain control of your thoughts about germs.

Medication

Medications are used to relieve symptoms in the short term.
These medications include:

selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs)

serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs)

Certain lifestyle changes.

These include:

practising mindfulness or meditation to target anxiety

applying other relaxation techniques, such as deep breathing or yoga

getting enough sleep

eating healthy

seeking a support group

confronting feared situations when possible

reducing caffeine or other stimulant consumption

Sydney Phobia Therapy has an online therapy for Mysophobia.

We currently use a 3rd generation version for fear of Mysophobia phobia therapy based on the original Fast Phobia Cure initially created by Richard Bandler and John Grinder in the 1970’s.

Now when I say fast, I mean typically one session only, no homework and its content free.

Content free means you don’t talk about, and you certainly don’t tell me, because I don’t want it either. You’re seeing me online, so stay in the comfort of your own space and no travel time, to have it removed, not to see if we can talk it to death.

Emetophobia is a specific phobia that involves an extreme fear of vomiting, seeing vomit, watching other people vomit, or feeling sick.

Generally, most people don’t like vomiting. However this dislike is usually contained to the time it happened.  People with emetophobia, on the other hand, spend a lot of time worrying about vomiting, even if they or those around them don’t feel ill. Just the thought that someone might vomit is often enough to cause intense distress.

Vomit Phobia in Children and Teens

Consequences associated with the fear of throwing up can be extreme. In children, vomit phobia can lead to school refusal and avoidance. Academic performance may suffer, and children may miss out on certain developmentally important social milestones. Even when long standing social problems do not develop, children with vomit phobia still experience a great deal of distress, unhappiness, fear, and anxiety.

Vomiting isn’t the most pleasant or graceful experience, however it’s an inevitable fact of life. We all do it at some point. However, this natural act can cause anxiety in a lot of people, especially in children. If your child doesn’t want to go to school out of fear of getting sick and throwing up, or gets hysterical when she sees another person vomit or gag, you are not alone.

Other behaviors that might point to emetophobia include:

• eliminating foods that you associate with vomiting
• eating slowly, eating very little, or eating only at home
• smelling or checking food often to make sure it hasn’t gone bad
• not touching surfaces that could have germs that lead to illness, such as doorknobs, toilet seats or flushes, handrails, or public computers
• washing hands, dishes, food, and food preparation tools excessively
• avoiding drinking alcohol or taking medication that could cause nausea
• avoiding travel, school, parties, public transportation, or any crowded public space
• having trouble breathing, tightness in the chest, or increased heartbeat at the thought of vomit

What causes it?

• getting extremely sick in public
• having a bad case of food poisoning
• seeing someone else throw up
• having someone vomit on you
• having a panic attack during an incident of vomiting

The Cycle of Emetophobia

A person with Emetophobia goes through a repetitive cycle that’s quite similar to the cycle of Panic Disorder. First, something reminds them of vomiting. Maybe they hear a coworker is home with the flu; or sees a movie or TV show in which a character vomits.

Then, a thought about vomiting quickly passes through their mind, consciously or unconsciously. Next thing you know, they are checking for physical sensations that they associate with vomiting.  You don’t have to look too hard to find a sign of something you fear, and sooner or later you feel as though you have some symptom that suggests the possibility of vomiting.

Finally, they enter the vomit phobia phase. To protect themselves they might leave work early, or skip a meal. Maybe avoiding a trip to the bathroom, fearing that the sight of a toilet might induce vomiting. And so the cycle of fearful anticipation, looking for signs of trouble, and chronic avoidance that characterises Panic Disorder plays itself out with Emetophobia as well.

Tips to Help You Overcome Emetophobia

1) Get to the root of your fear

If you want to know how to overcome emetophobia, one of the first things you need to do is figure out what caused you to develop emetophobia in the first place.

2) Challenge fearful thoughts

Once you know what caused your emetophobia and the things that frighten you most about vomiting, spend some time challenging your fears with logic.

3) Recognise anxiety isn’t the same as sickness

One of the challenges with emetophobia is that the fear it creates can cause stomach upset and digestive distress, and since these sensations feed into the fear of throwing up, it becomes a vicious cycle.

4) Learn mindful breathing

This can be very calming. Practise doing 7-11 breathing . It’s one of the most common breathing techniques for anxiety.

5) Make it funny

This technique is geared towards kids and teens who suffer from emetophobia, but can be helpful to adults as well. The idea behind this technique is to try and replace fear with humour. This will take time, but can be very helpful with little ones!

6) Exposure Therapy

If none of the tips and strategies you’ve tried are working, Exposure Therapy (ET) is perhaps an option to consider. The idea of being exposed to vomit can feel extremely overwhelming to someone with emetophobia, but rest assured that ET is focused more on challenging the avoidance behaviours that negatively reinforce your fear of throwing up.

While the anxiety caused by emetophobia might feel overwhelming, the condition is usually treatable with the help of a therapist.

Sydney Phobia Therapy has an online therapy for emetophobia.

We currently use a 3rd generation version for fear of vomiting phobia therapy based on the original Fast Phobia Cure initially created by Richard Bandler and John Grinder in the 1970’s.

Now when I say fast, I mean typically one session only, no homework and its content free.

Content free means you don’t talk about, and you certainly don’t tell me, because I don’t want it either. You’re seeing me online, so stay in the comfort of your own space and no travel time, to have it removed, not to see if we can talk it to death.

It’s one of many fears of harmless things, and is more likely disgust than fear, which is why the American Psychiatric Association (APA) doesn’t officially recognise this disorder in its Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th edition (DSM-5).

A peer-reviewed study published in the March 2015 issue of the Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology estimated that 15 percent of adults (18 percent of females and 11 percent of males) experience trypophobia to some degree.

The origins of trypophobia are in 2005 a blogger going by the name Louise wrote that she’d consulted Oxford English Dictionary spokesperson Margot Charlton about the correct way to combine the Ancient Greek prefix trypa, meaning “holes,” with phobia, meaning “fear.” resulting in the creation of a term that gets over 1 million results on Google.

People with trypophobia have a strong physical and emotional reaction whenever they see patterns made up of holes or spots. The bigger the cluster of circles, the more uncomfortable they feel.

• Trypophobia Triggers
• Poppy-seed bagels
• Strawberries
• Pomegranates
• Honeycombs
• Swiss cheese
• Air holes in chocolate
• Air holes in a slice of bread
• The head of a lotus flower
• Holes or pebbles in concrete
• Sponges
• Soap bubbles
• Patterns in the frosting of a cake or pie
• Shower heads
• The holes in an old hockey mask
• Hair follicles
• Skin problems like sores, scars, and spots
• Spotted animals
• LEDs in traffic lights
• Others respond only to more exotic or unusual images, such as:
• Coral reefs
• Lotus seed pods
• Surinam toad giving birth
• Photo-shopped pictures, such as rows of holes or teeth embedded on an arm, shoulder or face.
• Trypophobia Risk Factors

Trypophobia is more common in women than in men. It also runs in families. In one study, about 25% of people who had trypophobia also had a close relative with the condition.

Trypophobia Symptoms

The symptoms of trypophobia look a lot like a panic attack. You might have:

• Itching, goosebumps, or a feeling like your skin is crawling
• Nausea
• Shaking
• Sweating
• Shortness of breath
• A fast heartbeat

Some people who are afraid of hole patterns also have other mental disorders, such as:

• Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)
• Generalised anxiety disorder (GAD)
• Social anxiety
• Panic disorder
• Bipolar disorder
• Major depression

How Do You Stop a Trypophobic Reaction?

Relaxation techniques can shorten trypophobia duration while it is occurring and reduce it’s frequency and intensity in the future.

One simple, effective technique is called box breathing.

• Exhale slowly through your nose for a count of four.
• Inhale slowly through your nose for a count of four.
• Exhale slowly through your nose for a count of four.
• Continue breathing this way for one to five minutes.

Exposure therapy

People who find that trypophobia disrupts their daily routines, reduces their self-esteem, or causes extreme anxiety can turn to the most widely accepted technique for taming phobias, a desensitising process called exposure therapy.
In progressive steps by yourself or with the help of a therapist, you begin by looking at fairly benign triggering images while using a relaxation technique, such as box breathing, and reminding yourself that you are not in any danger. Then slowly work up to being able to stare at the images that previously felt most threatening until you realise that nothing bad is happening.

If exposure therapy is not successful, or is too terrifying to even try then Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT) might work.

Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT)

aka tapping, is a mind-body method for reducing stress and anxiety, may help reduce or eliminate trypophobia, says Roberta Temes, PhD, a clinical psychologist and the author of The Tapping Cure: A Revolutionary System for Rapid Relief From Phobias, Anxiety, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and More.

EFT involves tapping specific acupuncture points on the body with the fingertips while focusing on the phobia and repeating positive affirmations.

The first step is identifying a feared object. “Let’s say it’s Swiss cheese,” says Dr. Temes. “This technique works best when you start in a state of terror, so you would visualise Swiss cheese until you became more and more upset. You then would tap different points on the face, upper body or hands, while saying something like, ‘Even though Swiss cheese disgusts me, I love and accept myself’; ‘Even though Swiss cheese disgusts me, I am safe,’ or ‘Even though Swiss cheese disgusts me, I’m okay. I can still go into the dairy aisle.’”

“This technique shifts the nervous system away from fight or flight and permits you to be brave in the face of your phobia because it permits you to accept yourself,” Temes says.

If you can’t overcome your fear with practice alone, consider seeking professional help.

Sydney Phobia Therapy has an online therapy for trypophobia.

We currently use a 3rd generation version for fear of public speaking phobia therapy based on the original Fast Phobia Cure initially created by Richard Bandler and John Grinder in the 1970’s.

Now when I say fast, I mean typically one session only, no homework and its content free.

Content free means you don’t talk about, and you certainly don’t tell me, because I don’t want it either. You’re seeing me online, so stay in the comfort of your own space and no travel time, to have it removed, not to see if we can talk it to death.

Are You Glossophobic?

Glossophobia, or a fear of public speaking, is a very common phobia

You might feel a slight nervousness at the very thought of public speaking, or it could be full-on panic and fear.

Symptoms of Glossophobia

• Avoiding public speaking situations at all costs
• Increased blood pressure
• Dry mouth
• Excessive perspiration
• Nausea

Causes of Glossophobia

Glossophobia may relate to one’s prior experiences, if you had a bad experience once during public speaking you may fear a repeat of that prior experience for the next attempt at speaking.

You may be put on the spot to speak to a group with no chance for advance preparation, and if it does not go well, you may begin to fear public speaking.

People who fear public speaking may have a real fear of being embarrassed or rejected.

Why Are We Scared of Public Speaking?

Communicating your ideas clearly and presenting them is an essential element of success. Being a good public speaker can help advance your career, develop strong collaborations, and grow your business. Fear of public speaking is often thought of as one of the biggest fears, it is not so much the quality of the speach as how the speaker feels, thinks, or acts when faced with speaking in public.

There are 4 main areas to the fear of public speaking

1. Physiology

Fear and anxiety involve the arousal of the autonomic nervous system in response to a potentially threatening stimulus and our bodies prepare for battle. Moreover, some people experience anxiety sensitivity, or the fear of the fear. It interferes with our ability to perform comfortably in front of audiences, and eventually prevents people from pursuing opportunities for public speaking.

2. Thoughts

Overestimating the stakes of communicating ideas in front of others, viewing the speaking event as a potential threat to ones credibility, image, and chance to reach an audience. Negative views of oneself as a speaker (I’m not a good public speaker, I’m boring, I’m not good at speaking in front of crowds, etc) can also raise anxiety around public speaking.

3. Situations

• Lack of experience
• Degree of evaluation, ie how important the audience is to you
• Status difference, ie professionals or people more senior in your workplace
• New ideas, ie fear of judgement, or challenging the norms
• New audiences ie speaking to your work group verse a friends wedding

4. Skills

Working on developing the skills, instead of relying on natural talent. Increased competence leads to increased confidence, which is an effective antidote to fear.

Negative impacts of public speaking fear on career statistics

Public speaking fear has 10% impairment on wages

Public speaking fear has 10% impairment on college graduation

Public speaking fear has a 15% impairment on promotion to management

Sadly only 8% of those who have public speaking fear seek professional help despite the documented negative impact on career and wages.

How can I overcome my fear of public speaking?

Know your topic.

The better you understand your topic,the less likely you’ll make a mistake or get off track.

Get organised.

Ahead of time, carefully plan out what you want to present, including any props, or aids.

Practice, and then practice some more.

Practice your complete presentation several times. Do it for a few people you’re comfortable with and ask for feedback.

Challenge specific worries.

When you’re afraid of something, you may overestimate the likelihood of bad things happening. List your specific concerns and challenge them.

Visualise your success.

Imagine that your presentation will go well. Positive thoughts can help your social performance and relieve some anxiety.

Do some deep breathing.

This can be very calming. Practise doing 7-11 breathing before the presentation.

Focus on your material, not on your audience.

People tend to focus on new information, not how it’s presented. They may not notice your nervousness.

Don’t fear a moment of silence.

If you lose track of what you’re saying or start to feel nervous and your mind goes blank, it may seem like you’ve been silent for an eternity. In reality, it’s probably only a few seconds.

Recognise your success.

After your speech or presentation, give yourself a pat on the back. It’s positive reinforcement.

Get Support.

Join a support group for people who have difficulty with public speaking. Meetup groups provides plenty of choices.

If you can’t overcome your fear with practice alone, consider seeking professional help.

Sydney Phobia Therapy has an online therapy for Glossophobia.

We currently use a 3rd generation version for fear of public speaking phobia therapy based on the original Fast Phobia Cure initially created by Richard Bandler and John Grinder in the 1970’s.

Now when I say fast, I mean typically one session only, no homework and its content free.

Content free means you don’t talk about, and you certainly don’t tell me, because I don’t want it either. You’re seeing me online, so stay in the comfort of your own space and no travel time, to have it removed, not to see if we can talk it to death.