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Phobias

Disclaimer:

This publication is based on a Mind UK publication and the original version may be found here: https://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/a-z-mental-health/

Thank you to Mind UK for sharing their valuable content with us. Content included in Mental Health A-Z is made available free of charge and does not form part of any commercial activity. The adaptation has been done independently by Mind HK and is intended for general information purposes only.

What are the different types of phobias? 

Phobias can develop around any object or situation, and some people may have multiple phobias. They can be roughly categorised into two groups: 

  • specific phobias 
  • complex phobias. 

Specific phobias

These are phobias about a specific object or situation, such as spiders or flying. They often develop in childhood or adolescence and for some people they will lessen as they get older. 

Some of the more common specific phobias are: 

  • animals (such as dogs, insects, snakes, rodents) 
  • the natural environment (such as heights, water, darkness, storms, germs) 
  • situational (such as flying, going to the dentist, tunnels, small spaces, escalators) 
  • body-based phobias (such as blood, vomit, injections, choking, medical procedures, childbirth) 
  • sexual phobias (such as sexual acts or fear of nudity) 
  • other (such as certain foods, objects, costumed characters). 

However, there are many more specific phobias. 

If you are afraid of something you have to see or do a lot, this can start to have a serious impact on your everyday life. If you have a phobia about something you don’t come into contact with very often, this can sometimes have less of an impact on you. However, you may still experience fear and anxiety even when the object or situation is not present, meaning that your phobia can still affect you on a daily basis. 

Complex phobias

Complex phobias tend to have a more disruptive or disabling impact on your life than specific phobias. They tend to develop when you are an adult. 

Two of the most common complex phobias are social phobia and agoraphobia. 

Social phobia (also called social anxiety or social anxiety disorder) 

A lot of people can find social situations difficult, or feel shy or awkward at certain times – this is completely normal. If you have social phobia, you will feel a sense of intense fear in social situations, and will often try to avoid them. You might worry about the social event before, during and after it has happened. 

Social phobia can be extremely debilitating and can make it very difficult to engage in everyday activities such as: 

  • talking in groups or starting conversations 
  • public speaking 
  • speaking on the phone 
  • meeting new people 
  • talking to authority figures 
  • eating and drinking in front of others 
  • regular trips out to the shops or bank 
  • going to work. 

You might worry about these social situations because you fear that others will judge you negatively or you will offend others by something you say or do. You may also worry about others noticing you are anxious if you start to blush, sweat or stumble over your words. 

Having social phobia can have a huge affect on your daily life. It may affect your self-confidence and self-esteem and can make you feel extremely isolated. It can make it very difficult to develop and maintain relationships and can interfere with your ability to work and perform everyday tasks such as shopping. 

“I have suffered from phobias since I was three years old and couldn’t cope with the social demands of a playgroup. I then went on to suffer from School Phobia right through to my teens, then various phobias surrounding college and work, which led to me becoming unemployed, isolated, agoraphobic and severely depressed.”

Agoraphobia 

Agoraphobia is widely thought to be a fear of open spaces, but it is more complex than this. The essential feature of agoraphobia is that you will feel anxious about being in places or situations that it would be difficult or embarrassing to get out of, or where you might not be able to get help if you have a panic attack. 

If you have agoraphobia you are likely to experience high levels of anxiety and may avoid a variety of everyday situations such as: 

  • being outside the home alone 
  • being in open spaces 
  • being in a crowd of people 
  • travelling by car, bus or plane 
  • being in enclosed spaces such as a lift or in a shop. 

Having agoraphobia can have a serious impact on the way you live your life, and many people with agoraphobia find it hard to leave their home. 

Agoraphobia can sometimes develop after a panic attack. You may start to feel extremely anxious and worried about having another panic attack, and may feel your symptoms returning when you’re in a similar situation. To manage your anxiety, you may start to avoid that particular place or situation. Avoiding particular situations may help in the short term but it can affect the way you live your life and may make your phobia worse. 

Agoraphobia can develop due to a number of different causes, such as panic disorder – but not all people with agoraphobia have panic disorder. 

If you experience agoraphobia, it is common to also dislike being alone (monophobia) or to become anxious in small confined spaces (claustrophobia).

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What is iACT Service?

Improving Access to Community Therapies (iACT®) is one of the services from Mind HK. Trained Wellbeing Practitioners will offer initial assessment and early intervention for people dealing with mild to moderate symptoms of depression, anxiety, or other emotional difficulties.

 

The service includes 6-8 sessions of low-intensity psychological support, the flexibility of the service allows individuals to receive free and timely support when needed.

If you’re aged between 18 – 65 and are facing some emotional challenges, we would like to invite you to take an online assessment for us to gain a better understanding of your current emotional struggle.

 

If you’re eligible, we’ll get you connected with a Wellbeing Practitioner within two weeks to sort out the next steps.

The service runs for about 3 months and includes 6-8 support sessions, tailored to your needs.

 

We encourage you to attend all sessions and actively practice the tips and exercises provided by your Wellbeing Practitioner.

We take your privacy seriously. Your chats with the Wellbeing Practitioner are confidential.

 

We won’t share any of your info unless you’ve provided consent or if there are risks detected.

This programme isn’t suitable for people facing emergencies, major setbacks, or those diagnosed with serious or complex mental health conditions.

 

If you’re having thoughts of suicide or self-harm, this programme might not meet your needs, so please seek help right away. You can check out Mind HK’s “Find Help Now” page for immediate information and services.

Most of our Wellbeing Practitioners have backgrounds in psychology or counselling and are passionate about mental health. They’ve gone through about 140 hours of intensive training and completed at least 120 hours of supervised clinical practice over 9 months to ensure the quality of service.

 

They’re trained by accredited local experts in the mental health field, including clinical psychologists, counselling psychologists, counsellors, and psychiatrists. Plus, we regularly check how effective our services are. All service outputs and performances are subject to consistent monitoring.

Who is suitable for participating in this programme?

This programme welcomes anyone between the ages of 18 and 65 who may be feeling lost or facing emotional difficulties. Please note that this programme is not suitable for individuals diagnosed with severe or complex mental health conditions.

This programme is not suitable for individuals diagnosed with severe or complex mental health conditions, but suitable for those who experience mild to severe moderate anxiety, mild to moderate depression, or other emotional challenges. If you are currently experiencing a major setback or even having thoughts of suicide or self-harm, please visit the “Find Help Now” page on our Mind HK’s website for immediate information and services.

After signing up, our Wellbeing Practitioner will contact you within two weeks to schedule a convenient time for a 45-minute conversation, either via video or phone call, according to your preference. During the conversation, the Wellbeing Practitioner will understand your current situation and help you gain a better understanding of your emotional state based on the questionnaire you filled out during application. Additionally, they will provide recommendations for appropriate community resources based on your needs, helping you take an important first step in taking care of your mental health.

Although the intervention procedure is mostly standardised, Wellbeing Practitioners will work flexibly with clients to address individual presenting problems and unique characteristics.

Our Wellbeing Practitioners are trained to support people who experience mild to moderate mental health difficulties primarily. This programme is not suitable for the situations mentioned above. If you are currently experiencing a major setback or even having thoughts of suicide or self-harm, please visit the “Find Help Now” page on our Mind HK’s website for immediate information and services.

Your conversations with the Wellbeing Practitioner are absolutely confidential. Any information about you will not be shared with anyone without your consent unless you or others are at immediate risk or the Wellbeing Practitioner has reason to believe that you may be in imminent danger.
Supervisors will monitor trainees’ development throughout the placement to ensure that they are meeting the required level of competency to pass the training course at the end of the placement.

Yes, it is necessary to book an appointment in advance by filling out the form. Additionally, you can select one of the five stores yourself. We will allocate clients to different Wellbeing Practitioners based on their chosen location.

Before having the conversation, we will ask you to fill out a basic questionnaire for preliminary screening assessment. This screening process aims to ensure that the training received by the Wellbeing Practitioners is sufficient to meet the needs of the individuals receiving the service. If it is determined after the screening assessment that the service is not suitable for you, Mind HK will provide alternative recommendations to ensure your safety and support.

For adults who are suitable for this service, all Wellbeing Practitioners have received training on how to identify and respond to safety and risk issues. If you have any concerns about the support process, the Wellbeing Practitioners have appropriate measures in place and will develop response plans based on the urgency of the situation. They can also access support from clinical practitioners from Mind HK or participating organisations.

What private training does Mind HK provide?

Mind HK provides 4 themes of mental health training, including: Supporting Self, Supporting Others, Family Wellbeing and DEI (Diversity, Equity and Inclusion).

 

Check out the brochure here for more information.

Mind HK provides a wide range of standardised mental health training, which can be tailored to different circumstances. Chat with our team to explore more! 

Our trainers come from a diverse, accredited pool of clinically experienced professionals. Check out our trainers’ biographies here.

Yes, the Mental Health First Aid class of Mind HK is internationally accredited by the MHFA International. The content and certification is delivered by trainers certified from the Mental Health Association of Hong Kong. You can find out our trainers accreditation here.

We are here to support your mental health education journey! Reach out to us and chat with our team.

What are the different types of phobias?

What are the different types of phobias? 

Phobias can develop around any object or situation, and some people may have multiple phobias. They can be roughly categorised into two groups: 

  • specific phobias 
  • complex phobias. 

Specific phobias

These are phobias about a specific object or situation, such as spiders or flying. They often develop in childhood or adolescence and for some people they will lessen as they get older. 

Some of the more common specific phobias are: 

  • animals (such as dogs, insects, snakes, rodents) 
  • the natural environment (such as heights, water, darkness, storms, germs) 
  • situational (such as flying, going to the dentist, tunnels, small spaces, escalators) 
  • body-based phobias (such as blood, vomit, injections, choking, medical procedures, childbirth) 
  • sexual phobias (such as sexual acts or fear of nudity) 
  • other (such as certain foods, objects, costumed characters). 

However, there are many more specific phobias. 

If you are afraid of something you have to see or do a lot, this can start to have a serious impact on your everyday life. If you have a phobia about something you don't come into contact with very often, this can sometimes have less of an impact on you. However, you may still experience fear and anxiety even when the object or situation is not present, meaning that your phobia can still affect you on a daily basis. 

Complex phobias

Complex phobias tend to have a more disruptive or disabling impact on your life than specific phobias. They tend to develop when you are an adult. 

Two of the most common complex phobias are social phobia and agoraphobia. 

Social phobia (also called social anxiety or social anxiety disorder) 

A lot of people can find social situations difficult, or feel shy or awkward at certain times – this is completely normal. If you have social phobia, you will feel a sense of intense fear in social situations, and will often try to avoid them. You might worry about the social event before, during and after it has happened. 

Social phobia can be extremely debilitating and can make it very difficult to engage in everyday activities such as: 

  • talking in groups or starting conversations 
  • public speaking 
  • speaking on the phone 
  • meeting new people 
  • talking to authority figures 
  • eating and drinking in front of others 
  • regular trips out to the shops or bank 
  • going to work. 

You might worry about these social situations because you fear that others will judge you negatively or you will offend others by something you say or do. You may also worry about others noticing you are anxious if you start to blush, sweat or stumble over your words. 

Having social phobia can have a huge affect on your daily life. It may affect your self-confidence and self-esteem and can make you feel extremely isolated. It can make it very difficult to develop and maintain relationships and can interfere with your ability to work and perform everyday tasks such as shopping. 

“I have suffered from phobias since I was three years old and couldn’t cope with the social demands of a playgroup. I then went on to suffer from School Phobia right through to my teens, then various phobias surrounding college and work, which led to me becoming unemployed, isolated, agoraphobic and severely depressed.”

Agoraphobia 

Agoraphobia is widely thought to be a fear of open spaces, but it is more complex than this. The essential feature of agoraphobia is that you will feel anxious about being in places or situations that it would be difficult or embarrassing to get out of, or where you might not be able to get help if you have a panic attack. 

If you have agoraphobia you are likely to experience high levels of anxiety and may avoid a variety of everyday situations such as: 

  • being outside the home alone 
  • being in open spaces 
  • being in a crowd of people 
  • travelling by car, bus or plane 
  • being in enclosed spaces such as a lift or in a shop. 

Having agoraphobia can have a serious impact on the way you live your life, and many people with agoraphobia find it hard to leave their home. 

Agoraphobia can sometimes develop after a panic attack. You may start to feel extremely anxious and worried about having another panic attack, and may feel your symptoms returning when you're in a similar situation. To manage your anxiety, you may start to avoid that particular place or situation. Avoiding particular situations may help in the short term but it can affect the way you live your life and may make your phobia worse. 

Agoraphobia can develop due to a number of different causes, such as panic disorder – but not all people with agoraphobia have panic disorder. 

If you experience agoraphobia, it is common to also dislike being alone (monophobia) or to become anxious in small confined spaces (claustrophobia).