(Extract from the Mind Publication "Understanding Phobias and Obsessions ")

'... We got on board and then there was the take-off. There it was again, that horrible feeling as we gathered speed. It was creeping over me again, that old feeling of panic. I kept seeing everyone as puppets, all strapped to their seats with no control over their destinies, me included.

'Every time the plane did a variation of speed or route, my heart would leap and I would hurriedly ask what was happening. When the plane started to lose height, I was terrified that we were about to crash ...'

'If a spider starts to run towards me, I am petrified with fear and unable to move out of the way. I just stand there sobbing and shaking and the colour drains out of my face leaving me white and haggard looking.'

What are Phobias?

A phobia is an irrational and uncontrollable fear of an object or a situation that most people can face without anxiety. If you have a phobia you will experience feelings of intense panic when confronted with whatever it is that frightens you and you will go to considerable lengths to avoid the cause of such distress. Phobias are very common and wide-ranging and many people suffer from than one.

Examples of phobias are:

• specific phobias (fear of flying, fear of germs, fear of certain animals or insects are particularly common examples);
• social phobia (fear of meeting people);
• claustrophobia (fear of enclosed spaces);
• agoraphobia (fear of being away from the security of home or of being alone).

The following are some of the symptoms you may experience if you have a phobia:

• muddled thinking;
• sensations of extreme panic;
• certain physical symptoms associated with acute anxiety such as nausea, dizziness, dry mouth, sweating, trembling, unsteady breathing;
• anxiety about being on your own;
• depression as well as embarrassment once the fear has passed;
• Although these symptoms will pass eventually they can be very frightening at the time and may cause you to feel completely out of control or overwhelmed by your fears.

UNDERSTANDING OBSESSIONS

'... This electrical obsession was later replaced by other obsessions. I would get cancer, go blind, become deaf. Each obsession was accompanied by compulsions - actions I felt I had to repeat such as irritating a mole on my neck because it might become malignant, staring directly at the sun a certain number of times, poking my ear infection ...'

'My compulsion then was to check all the switches were off before leaving my flat. I'd go round the flat four times, increase this to seven and then think each individual switch should be checked four times, seven times, 21 times. It took ages to leave the flat.'

What are Obsessions?

Obsessions like phobias are irrational and uncontrollable. They seem to be more common than was recently thought; between one and three per cent of the population seek treatment. Obsessions appear as recurring thoughts or ideas which are frightening or distressing. Usually they are accompanied by ritual behaviour which is called compulsive as you cannot stop yourself.

For example someone with an obsession about cleanliness may believe that their hands are contaminated. This distressing thought will compel them to wash their hands needlessly hundreds of times throughout the day.

Doctors sometimes refer to people who complete these rituals as suffering from obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD). The purpose behind the rituals is an attempt to ward off or protect against the consequences of a potential danger. After the rituals have been completed you may feel temporarily relieved but then the anxiety starts up again and the rituals have to be repeated.

Obsessions and rituals can severely interrupt daily activities because they are so time-consuming. They can also result in unpleasant physical symptoms, for instance, sore and chapped skin in the case of excessive washing.

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