A person can develop a specific phobia of anything, but in most cases the phobia is shared by many and has a name. People who suffer with this phobia will literally let their teeth rot out because they are afraid to go to a dentist. Jackson says that most specific phobias do not cause a serious disruption in a person's life, and, consequently, sufferers do not seek professional help. Instead, they find ways to avoid whatever it is that triggers their panic, or they simply endure the distress felt when they encounter it. Some may also consult their physicians, requesting medication to help them through a situation, such as an unavoidable plane trip for someone who is phobic about flying.
Some phobias cause significant problems that require long-term professional help.
While anti-anxiety medication sometimes may be used initially, systematic desensitization may also be an effective initial approach. Jackson explains that this nondrug treatment works on the theory that the more a person is exposed to the object of his phobia, the less fear that object generates. First, the patient and therapist establish a hierarchy of feared situations, from the least to the most feared. With each additional flight the anxiety increases until it becomes intolerable. Therapy begins with the patient and therapist practicing the least fearful event, riding out the anxiety until the physiological symptoms subside.