Q: I am a 26-year-old woman. I have had an abnormal fear of sharks ever since my older sister took me to see the movie Jaws when I was eight. I was much too young to see such a scary film. Now I am even afraid to go in a boat on a lake. My husband just has to say, “What’s that?” and I freak out, assuming he has seen a shark. I know this is silly because sharks do not live in fresh water, but I can’t help myself. I also have nightmares about sharks. Is this a phobia?
Read Also
Well-being improvement can pay off for farms
Investing in wellness programs in a tight labour market can help farms recruit and retain employees
A: Yes, you have a phobia of sharks. These are irrational fears that can interfere with a person’s life and lead to avoidance behaviour.
Just about everyone has at least one of these fears. I am not fond of heights and my husband has a fear of swimming and water. This dates back to an incident where he nearly drowned in a dugout as a young child.
Children often fear monsters, and sharks would fit into that category. Monsters can appear in their nightmares. Psychiatrists believe that these monsters are often symbols for scary adults, often parents who may lose their tempers occasionally.
As your phobia seems to be causing distress, I suggest you seek help from a psychologist, psychiatrist or other type of psychotherapist to help you get over this fear.
One type of treatment is known as behaviour therapy. It involves gradually exposing you to the feared object.
You may be asked to make up a list of all the things that bother you relating to your fears, and then rank them in order, starting with the least scary item. The therapist will then help you to face up to each one in turn. The therapist may start with a picture of a shark, then give you a small toy shark that you could take home and get used to gradually.
Eventually, a trip to the zoo or aquarium could expose you to the real thing. There is no need to take up scuba diving in the Caribbean. You may also wish to discuss any scary incidents in childhood relating to frightening adult behaviour.
If psychotherapy alone does not work, you may need to take a small dose of tranquillizer or antidepressant medication to help get over your fear. There is a tranquillizer known as Buspar or Buspirone that is less addictive than Valium and Ativan.
A daily headache
Q: I have a headache nearly every day. The doctors cannot find anything wrong, such as migraine, and do not like me to take too many painkillers. Is there any other type of medication I can take instead?
A: You may have what is known as chronic daily headache. These are headaches that last more than four hours at a time and occur for at least 15 days of the month. Stress is the main culprit, but self-medicating with analgesics may be another cause for the pain. Codeine can actually give you a headache if taken too often.
There is a medication known as Neurontin or Gabapentin that can be useful in the management of chronic pain, although it is still being researched for use in this manner. It is a relatively safe medication.
Clare Rowson is a medical doctor with a practice near Belleville, Ont. Her columns are intended for general information only. Individuals are encouraged to also seek the advice of their own doctor regarding medical questions and treatments.
