Dr. Anuja Nanda

An irrational or excessive fear of anything can be classified as a phobia. Phobias can often interfere with a person’s daily life and create hindrances where there aren’t any. Unlike anxiety disorders, phobias are triggered by specific stimuli. This could be caused by environmental factors, genetics, traumatic events etc. depression and substance abuse could also contribute towards phobias. Life events are also a common cause of phobias.

For example, being bitten by a dog at a young age could make a person scared of animals even when he or she is an adult. The most common types of phobias are:

1. Agoraphobia: This can be described a fear of open spaces. People suffering from Agoraphobia fear being trapped in a situation and of large crowds. In extreme cases, this fear can confine a person to his or her home.
2. Social phobia: Some people may be very afraid of simple interactions with other people. Simple tasks such as answering the phone or placing an order at a restaurant can spike panic attacks. This can very often lead to social withdrawal.
3. Glossophobia: This can be described as performance anxiety or the fear of speaking out in a crowd. This may also be referred to as stage fright. People suffering from this phobia may begin to show physical signs of being uncomfortable when they are put in the spotlight.
4. Acrophobia: This refers to a fear of heights. People suffering from this phobia may be unable to even look down from a window on the first floor of a building. The common symptoms of this phobia include sweating, dizziness, vertigo and loss of consciousness when looking down from a height.
5. Claustrophobia: People suffering from Claustrophobia have a fear of small spaces. Any space this is enclosed or tight can feel suffocating to them. This may prevent them from rising in a taxi or a metro or even taking the elevator.
6. Hemophobia: Some people are more afraid of blood as compared to others. This is known as Hemophobia. In such cases, the patient may be affected by the sight of their own blood as well as another person’s blood. Hemophobia patients may often faint at the sight of blood or an injury.
7. Aviophobia: The fear of flying is known as Aviophobia. People with this phobia are unable to sit in an aircraft as they are scared of something going wrong.

Phobias may also be present in combinations. For example, a person suffering from Claustrophobia may also have a fear of heights. The only way to combat these phobias is with counselling and professional help.

In case you have a concern or query you can always consult an expert & get answers to your questions!

If you are suffering from excessive stress, it is likely that your physical and emotional health may be affected. Your sexual life too is affected due to stress. Too much of stress leaves you physically tired and exhausted. Because of this, you will not have enough energy to have sex. Moreover, when you are stressed out about some issue, your libido gets affected, and you might not have any interest in having sex.

Effects of stress on your sexual life

1. Stress results in a negative body image. The hormones which are associated with stress may impact metabolism. With the increase in the production of these stress hormones, you may feel sluggish and gain weight, thereby providing a negative body image due to which you might not have the desire to indulge in sexual activity. Stress causes lowered self-esteem which results in less sex.
2. Stress results in reduced libido. The hormones associated with stress are required by the body in small amounts, but the overproduction of these hormones can suppress sexual hormones, leading to decreased libido.
3. Extreme stress may affect personal relationships and cause conflicts between a couple. This will result in rare sexual activity as proper communication between a couple gets reduced.
4. You may start drinking excessively because of stress. Too much alcohol is bad for sexual health. It makes sex dull and less pleasurable. Alcohol causes dehydration, which affects lubrication. Stress also affects a person’s fertility and menstruation cycle, which could hamper your sex life.

Ayurvedic treatment for stress
Ayurveda offers effective treatments to get rid of stress. By using natural and herbal Ayurvedic medicines, you can get rid of unnecessary stress from your life and revive your sexual life. Here are some effective Ayurvedic treatments for getting rid of stress:

1. Several Ayurvedic herbs are stress reducing in nature. You can use herbs such as ashwagandha, bala, brahmi, gotu kola, saraswati churna, vacha, tulsi, shankapushpi, Siberian ginseng, liquorice, vidari and shatavari.
2. You should consume food items, which help in reducing stress. These include coconut, walnut, mangoes, pineapples and bananas, fried in ghee.
3. Several natural drinks can help in relieving stress. These include tomato juice, ginger tea, garlic milk, and tulsi tea.
4. You should practice stress relieving activities such as yoga and meditation. Several yoga asanas in different poses should be practiced.
5. You can try several stress relieving Ayurvedic therapies. These may include Shirodhara (bliss therapy), Abhyanga (warm oil massage), Shiro Abhyanga and Nasya (head massage).

Ayurveda helps in controlling stress. A combination of several benefits known as Panchakarma is provided by Ayurveda for reducing stress. Reduced stress will drastically improve your sexual performance and sexual stamina. In case you have a concern or query you can always consult an expert & get answers to your questions!