participants’ negative experiences, such as
particularly painful drills. “It is really a case of
both nature and nurture,” says Randall.
But the degree to which phobias can be
inherited varies wildly, depending on the
fear. In a 2013 analysis of previous research,
published in the Journal of Anxiety Disorders,
scientists sought to pin down how much
genes can affect phobias. After a review of 10
relevant papers, the authors concluded that
the influence of genetics can range between 0
and 71 percent. Fears of certain specific situa-
tions, like getting trapped in a stuck elevator,
tend to be explained by related past events,
not by genetics. Fears of blood, injury and
injections, on the other hand, could be up to
71 percent heritable, driven more by genetics
and less by experience.
The genetic roots of some phobias run
particularly deep. For instance, trypophobia
— the fear of clusters of circular objects like
coffee bubbles or the holes in a sponge — may
stem from an ancient aversion to infectious
diseases and parasites, according to a 2017
study in Cognition and Emotion. Researchers
exposed nearly 700 people to pictures portray-
ing clusters of circular shapes; about half of
the participants reported having trypophobia,
while the rest reported being phobia-free.
Some of the photos showed a skin rash or clus-
ters of ticks, whereas others focused on clusters
of items unrelated to disease or parasites, such
as drilled holes in a brick wall. Both groups of
people found the disease- and parasite-related
clusters unpleasant. However, only those in
the trypophobia group were also averse to the
other batch of images.
Meanwhile, other research has looked
at how nurture may shape certain fears.
In a 2016 study in the journal Pain, the
authors found that parents’ behavior dur-
ing their young kids’ vaccinations affected
the children’s likelihood of developing pre-
vaccination fright. For instance, repeating,
“It’s OK, it’s OK,” appeared to increase the
youngsters’ distress. “What we are hypothesizing is
that the more a parent says that, the more anxious
they are, so they’re communicating their anxiety
by saying it over and over again,” says senior study
author Rebecca Pillai Riddell.
Although my early childhood days are a bit fuzzy,
I do remember sensing my mom’s own fears when-
ever we went to get my shots. This memory made me
wonder if parental anxieties could ever spark
phobias in the children. “Absolutely,” says
Pillai Riddell, a clinical psychologist at York
University in Ontario, Canada. “They call that
vicarious conditioning. So watching a parent is
one of the ways phobias are learned.”
FEAR NOT
While my occasional fainting bouts are ulti-
mately a minor nuisance, other phobias can
wreak havoc on health, work and relationships.
For example, some people refuse to undergo
life-saving treatments because of their fear of
needles. Odontophobics who avoid the dentist
for years often end up collecting cavities. Those
afraid of flying may miss key business meetings
and family gatherings in faraway destinations.
That’s why overcoming these fears is so
important, and it is possible. Exposure therapy,
where patients confront their triggers gradu-
ally, tends to yield good results. In fact, Randall
says, it’s the most effective type of treatment for
many specific phobias, such as a fear of eleva-
tors. Researchers have also seen success tackling
phobias through less direct means. In a 2018
study published in The Lancet, treatment with
virtual reality scenarios that mimicked various
elevations helped alleviate participants’ fear
of heights. And a study published in 2017 in
Depression & Anxiety found that in people
who had odontophobia, cardio exercise before
a dental procedure helped reduce their anxiety.
Still, I wondered if there was an easier way for
me to cope with my phobia symptoms. Some of
the research I came across suggested that simple
distraction might do the trick. When I asked
Randall about it, he agreed, calling it a viable
strategy.
So, at a recent blood test, I put this approach
into practice. After reluctantly dragging my
feet to the doctor’s office, I immediately con-
fessed my phobia to the nurse. We then joined
forces to trick the enemy. I swiped through the
photos of my beloved cats on my phone while
the nurse distracted me with questions about
my three feline “daughters.”
I still moaned and groaned, panicking as usual.
But this time I didn’t pass out. Keeping my mind
off the fear helped my body deal with the situation.
While I may not have fully defeated my phobia, at
least I’ve tamed it.
D
Agata Boxe is a New York-based freelance writer.
Heritability of Fears
and Phobias
Some fears and phobias — fears
that have become so excessive
or irrational that they negatively
impact daily life — are more likely
to have genetic roots than others.
Psychiatrists classify them into
different types, including animals
(dogs, spiders, etc.); situational
(airplanes, enclosed spaces, etc.);
medical (blood, needles, etc.);
and other. — LACY SCHLEY
ANIMALS
Odds of inheriting fear:
45%-47%
Odds of inheriting
specific phobia:
22%-44%
SITUATIONAL
Odds of inheriting fear:
N/A
Odds of inheriting
specific phobia:
0%-33%
MEDICAL
Odds of inheriting fear:
2%-71%
Odds of inheriting
specific phobia:
28%-63%
OTHER
Odds of inheriting fear:
0%-41%
Odds of inheriting
specific phobia:
N/A
Source: “A review and meta-analysis
of the heritability of specific phobia
subtypes and corresponding fears,”
Journal of Anxiety Disorders, 2013
28
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