Are You A Walking Contradiction?

[veiled]

While speaking to becvan she said we are walking contradictions. Example we spoke about being agoraphobic and claustrophobic both. As I also spoke of I have a phobia of pills and meds, while I am an addict to them. I am constantly contradicting symptom wise.

[Kathy]

Are claustrophobia and agoraphobia truly opposites though? To me they seem very similar, in that the core fear with both is of losing control and/or being unable to escape, albeit in different ways obviously. One clinical definition of agoraphobia is an irrational fear of being in a situation where escape is difficult or impossible. In claustrophobia the fear is similar; one is trapped in a small space and feels one cannot escape. Yes, one phobia is of open spaces and the other is of closed spaces, however the root fear, losing control, is identical.

[veiled]

Ahh, but is there a form of phobia that does not boil down to a loss of control?

[Kathy]

I absolutely agree Veiled! Phobias all have the same root cause, so how can we say they contradict one another, when underneath it all they are the same? However perhaps I am becoming overly philosophical now and should just leave it at that! ;) You've touched on a topic I'm fascinated with, but I should not be hijacking your thread!