Phobias

If an intense fear of flying prevents you from living life to the fullest, you can find help for phobias at Texas Advance Behavioral Health. The medical team specializes in psychiatric evaluations to assess the impact a phobia has on your life. They tailor a care plan using psychotherapy and other tools to help you overcome severe anxieties and move forward with your life. Therapy is available in person and through a telepsychiatry platform to make it easy to keep your treatment on track. Call the Arlington, Texas, office today to schedule a phobia consultation or book an evaluation online.

What are phobias?

A phobia describes an intense, overwhelming fear about certain objects or situations. The fear is often severe enough to limit someone’s activities and lower their quality of life.

Phobias can develop in people from all walks of life and at any age. However, the majority of people with phobias experience intense fears or anxieties by age 10. Women are also twice as likely to develop a phobia than men.

Texas Advance Behavioral Health specializes in diagnosing and treating phobias in adults and adolescents. Psychiatric evaluations are available in the office and through a virtual telepsychiatry platform.

When should I seek treatment for phobias?

Schedule a psychiatric evaluation at Texas Advance Behavioral Health if you or your child feel overwhelmed or limited by a fear of objects or circumstances. Common phobias relate to animals, water, heights, and pain, but anything can trigger a phobia.

In addition to intense fear, a phobia can cause symptoms like:

• Shaking
• Sweating
• Fainting
• Panic attacks
• Chest tightness
• Tunnel vision
• Shortness of breath
• Disconnection from your body

Phobias can also cause behavioral changes to avoid encountering people, places, or things that relate to a phobia.

Texas Advance Behavioral Health offers diagnostic evaluations to learn more about the underlying cause of phobias. The empathetic team provides personalized care plans to manage the extreme stress and fears of adults and adolescents with phobias.

How are phobias treated?

An effective tool for treating one or more phobias is psychotherapy, a form of talk therapy that allows you to express your thoughts and feelings in a safe space.

In addition to psychotherapy, Texas Advance Behavioral Health also offers exposure therapy, a treatment that involves gradual exposure to phobia triggers to reduce the severity of your reaction. Under the careful supervision of your therapist, you can face your fears while learning how to manage your behaviors and thinking.

In some cases, antidepressant or antianxiety medicines are beneficial for the treatment of moderate to severe phobia symptoms. Texas Advance Behavioral Health offers medication management services to ensure your medicines work well and cause no unwanted side effects.

Ongoing therapy sessions in-office or online offer the support you need to rebuild your confidence and optimize your mental health. 

Call Texas Advance Behavioral Health today to schedule a diagnostic evaluation for phobias. The online feature to book an appointment is also available.