HOMOEOPATHY AND PHOBIA

by

Dr. Varsha Sharma

 

        We all frequently come across the word ‘PHOBIA’ in our daily routine. There are various questions which arise in our minds related to phobia like, “What is phobia?, How does it arise?, Does Homoeopathy have any role in treating phobia?” and many more. To have a better understanding of phobia let’s go through the article below.

 

DEFINITION:-

        Phobia is defined as an irrational fear of a specific object, situation or activity, often leading to persistent avoidance of feared object, situation or activity.

 

CLASSIFICATION:-

        As per The Clinical descriptions & Diagnostic Guidelines (CDDG) of International Statistical Classification of Diseases & Related Health Problems – 10th Revision (ICD-10), Phobias have been classified under neurotic, stress related & somatoform disorders. In DSM III, phobic disorders are sub classified as Agoraphobia, simple phobia & social phobia.

 

COURSE:-

-   Common in women.

-   Onset in late second decade or early third decade.

-   Sudden onset.

-   Chronic course increasing with restriction of daily activities.

 

ETIOLOGY:-

  1. Psychodynamic Theory -

In phobia, by displacement, anxiety is transferred from a really dangerous object to a neutral object. This neutral object chosen unconsciously is the one, which can be avoided, in day to day activities.

  1. Behavioural Theory -

Phobia is explained as a conditioned reflex to a neutral object.

  1. Biological Theory -

Genetic factors.

 

CHARACTERISTIC FEATURES OF PHOBIA:-

  1. Presence of fear of an object, situation or activity.

  2. Fear is out of proportion to the dangerousness perceived.

  3. Patient recognizes the fear as irrational and unjustified (insight is present).

  4. Patient is unable to control the fear and is very distressed by it.

  5. This leads to persistent avoidance of the particular object, situation or activity.

  6. Gradually the phobia & the phobic object become a preoccupation with the patient, resulting in marked distress & restriction of the freedom of mobility (afraid to encounter the phobic object- phobic avoidance).

 

MIASMATIC BACKGROUND:-

        Psora lies in the background of all sorts of phobias. As psoric miasm manifests various types of fear, they are anxious to the point of worry & fear.

 

DIFFERENTIAL DIAGNOSIS:-

-         Anxiety Disorder.

-         Panic disorder.

-         Obsessive compulsive disorder.

-         Delusional disorder.

-         Major depression.

-         Hypochondriasis.

-         Avoidant Personality Disorder.

-         Schizophrenia.

 

TREATMENT:-

  1. PSYCHOTHERAPHY-

Supportive psychotherapy in adjunct to behaviour therapy. Cognitive therapy is used to break the anxiety pattern in phobic disorder.

  1. Behaviour Therapy –

If well planned this mode of treatment is usually successful. Important techniques of behaviour therapy are –

a)    Flooding.

b)    Systematic desensitization.

c)     Exposure & response prevention.

d)    Relaxation techniques.

  1. Homoeopathic –

Alongwith all these above therapies, Homoeopathic treatment is quite essential. There are various important remedies for different types of phobias alongwith their constitutional remedy. Some of them are as follows –

 

MEDICAL TERM

MEANING

IMPORTANT REMEDY

Zoophobia

Fear of animals

China

Coitophobia

Fear of coition

Kresote

Cynophobia

Fear of dogs

Belladonna

Phagophobia

Fear of eating

Causticum

Coprophobia

Fear of faeces

Cuprum met.

Pyrophobia

Fear of fire

Cuprum met.

Thermophobia

Fear of heat

Ars. Alb.

Bacillophobia

Fear of infection

Borax

Traumatophobia

Fear of injury

Stramonium

Noctophobia

Fear of night

Camphora

Androphobia

Fear of man

Lycopodium

Algophobia

Fear of pain

Bryonia, Pip. M.

Peniaphobia

Fear of poverty

Bryonia

Ombrophobia

Fear of rain

Elaps.

Anthrophobia

Fear of mankind

Hyoscyamus

Xenophobia

Fear of strangers

Carbo veg

Autophobia

Fear of self

Arg. Nit.

Syphilophobia

Fear of syphilis

Hyos

Phronemophobia

Fear of thinking

Phos.

Astraphobia

Fear of thunder

Phosphorus

Haphephobia

Fear of being touched

Ars. Alb.

Emetrophobia

Fear of vomiting

Ars. Alb.

Phonophobia

Fear of voice

Cann. Indica

Anemophobia

Fear of wind

Chamomilla

Gynophobia

Fear of women

Pulsatilla

Hydrophobia

Fear of water

Lyssin

 So the answer is “YES”, Homoeopathy does have a significant role to play in phobic disorders.

                        Dr. VARSHA V. SHARMA

MD(Hom.)

Email: varsha139@yahoo.com