Are you terrified of small, enclosed spaces? Do you know someone who freezes up at the thought of getting on a plane? Fears such as these are relatively common, and many people who have them are able to conquer their reluctance and still manage to take the elevator or fly home for the holidays. For others, fears like these become phobias, and therapy may be required to overcome them. If you suffer from the fear that you know is irrational, but you feel helpless to resolve it, admission into a mental health treatment center in Laguna Beach, CA can help you regain control of your life.

Common Debilitating Phobias

Phobias are defined as overwhelming and irrational fear reactions, and millions of people have them. What sets a phobia apart from a rational fear is that the situation or object feared is harmless. The person who’s phobic understands this but is helpless to control their anxiety regardless. If this sounds like you or someone you know, seeking out treatment can greatly improve your life. That’s to say, phobias can severely limit the way you spend your day. Going out of your way to take the stairs or driving across town to avoid crossing a bridge are both time-consuming activities that you might perform if you have specific phobias. These activities may make you late to work in the morning, leave you sweaty and disheveled as you race back from lunch, or otherwise impact your day in a negative manner. Common debilitating phobias include:

Acrophobia, fear of heights
Agoraphobia, fear of open or crowded spaces
Social Phobia, fear of social situations
Aerophobia, fear of flying
Ophidiophobia, fear of snakes
Mysophobia, fear of germs and dirt

There are many more everyday situations and objects that may trigger phobias, including dogs, spiders, storms, and the fear of injections or vomiting. All may cause you to expend unnecessary energy trying to avoid them, when in reality, they’re harmless most or all of the time. If you’re struggling with common debilitating phobias, an anxiety treatment program can help you overcome your phobias.

Treatment for Common Debilitating Phobias

Psychotherapy is a form of therapy utilized at Oceanfront Recovery’s generally the recommended treatment for clients who suffer from phobias. Psychotherapy, or talk therapy, embraces many subcategories of treatment, including exposure therapy. Exposure therapy does exactly what you may envision. It exposes you, little-by-little, to the object of your phobia in the following ways.

If you fear spiders, for instance, your therapist may ask you to think about a spider while you work together to examine your feelings and reactions. Your therapist will help you learn to control your emotions when you think about spiders, instead of letting your feelings control you. After a time, you may advance to looking at images of spiders, to viewing spiders through the glass, to actually being in a room with a spider. All along the way, your therapist is using small steps to advance you forward at your own pace, helping you recognize, identify, and change your thought processes as you go. If you suffer from depression as a result of debilitating phobias, Oceanfront Recovery offers a depression treatment program to help you better manage these symptoms.

However, the ultimate objective of exposure therapy is to help you master your thoughts and feelings regarding common debilitating phobias. You may still feel anxious, but you’ll be able to control your anxiety and to function regardless.

Treatment for Phobias at Oceanfront Recovery

Located in beautiful Laguna Beach, Oceanfront Recovery provides a range of mental health and addiction treatment therapy programs including:

Close to the beach and all it has to offer, Oceanfront Recovery employs highly skilled and compassionate staff and offers a safe, warm environment for recovery from phobias and a full complement of mental health disorders.

If you or someone you love is in need of treatment for a mental health disorder, substance use disorder, or both, Oceanfront Recovery can change your life. Call us today at 877.296.7477 for more information on the services offered at Oceanfront Recovery.