[1] Phobophobia differentiates itself from other kinds of phobias by the fact that there is no environmental stimulus per se, but rather internal dreadful sensations similar to psychological symptoms of panic attacks.
[1] The psychological state of the mind creates an anxious response that has itself a conditioned stimuli leading to further anxiety,[1] resulting in a vicious cycle.
It is also common in individuals with pre-existing anxiety disorders, where heightened awareness of physiological responses (e.g., rapid heart rate or shortness of breath) leads to a fear of those very symptoms.
[4] Generalized anxiety disorder is when our minds are troubled about some uncertain event,[5] or in other words, when we feel threatened, although the source of the threat might not be obvious to us.
Anxiety becomes a disorder only when we experience psychological trauma, in which our knowledge of past events trigger a fear of uncertain danger in the future.
If either of these initiating disorders are not treated, phobophobia can be developed because an extended susceptibility and experience of this feelings can create an extreme predisposition to other phobias.
[6] When people experience panic attacks, they are convinced that they are about to die or suffer some extreme calamity[7] in which some kind of action is done by the individual (such as fleeing or screaming).
Moreover, in combination with phobophobia, a patient might be more susceptible to believe that their continuing anxiety symptoms will eventually culminate in a much more severe mental disorder, such as schizophrenia.
Cognitive modification also seeks to correct other minor misconceptions, such as the belief that the individual will go crazy and may need to be "locked away forever" or that they will totally lose control and perhaps "run amok".
[7] Probably, the most difficult aspect of cognitive restructuring for the majority of the patients will simply be to identify their aberrant beliefs and approach them realistically.