What are Phobias?

A phobia is an excessive and irrational fear reaction. If you have a phobia you will
experience a deep sense of dread, and sometimes panic, upon encountering the
source of your fear. The fear can be of a certain place, situation, or object. Unlike
general anxiety disorders, a phobia is usually connected to something specific.
The impact of a phobia can range from annoying to severely disabling. People
with phobias often realize their fear is irrational, but are unable to do anything
about it. Such fears can interfere with your work, school, and personal
relationships. If you have a fear that prevents you from leading a normal life, you
should see a doctors help. Its estimated that 19 million Americans have a
phobia that causes difficulty in some area of their lives (ADAA).
Part 2 of 6: Causes
What Causes Phobias?
Phobias can be caused by genetic and environmental reasons. Children who have
a close relative with an anxiety disorder are at risk for developing a phobia.
Distressing events can bring on a phobia. Exposure to confined spaces, extreme
temperatures, nearly drowning, or an animal or insect bite can all be sources of
phobias.
Phobias are often found in patients with ongoing medical conditions or health
concerns. There is a high incidence of phobia development after traumatic brain
injuries. Substance abuse and depression also have been connected to phobias.
Part 3 of 6: Types
Different Types of Phobias
There are more than 100 different phobias recognized by the American
Psychiatric Association (APA). Here are a few of the most common, and some
specific phobias.
Agoraphobia
Agoraphiobia is a fear about places or situations from which one cannot escape.
The word itself refers to fear of open spaces. People with agoraphobia fear
being in large crowds or trapped outside the home in full exposure. Agoraphobics
often avoid social situations altogether and stay inside their homes.
Many agoraphobics fear they may have a panic attack in a place where they
cannot escape. Those with chronic health problems may fear they will have a
medical emergency in a public area where no help is available.
Social Phobia
Social phobia is also referred to as social anxiety disorder. This is extreme
worry about social situations that can lead to isolation. A social phobia can be so
severe that the person can panic over even the simplest interactions, such as
ordering at a restaurant or answering the telephone. As with all phobias, the
person recognizes the fear as irrational, but he or she cannot seem to do
anything stop it. Those with social phobia will often go out of their way to avoid
public situations.
Specific Phobias

Many people dislike certain situations or objects, but to be a true phobia, the fear
must interfere with your daily life. Some of the most common are:
Glossophobia: performance anxiety, or the fear of speaking in front of an
audience. People with this phobia have severe physical symptoms when they
even think about being in front of a group of people.
Acrophobia: the fear of heights. With this phobia, you will avoid mountains,
bridges, or the higher floors of buildings. Symptoms include vertigo, dizziness,
and an overwhelming feeling that one may be unable to control the urge to jump.
Claustrophobia: the fear of enclosed or tight spaces. Severe claustrophobia can
be especially disabling if it prevents you from riding in cars or elevators
Aviatophobia: the fear of flying. It is estimated that 10 percent of the population
avoids airplane travel because of this phobia.
Dentophobia: fear of the dentist or dental procedures. This phobia generally
develops out of an unpleasant experience at a dentists office. The harm is that it
may prevent your from obtaining needed dental care.
Hemophobia: fear of blood or injury. A person with hemophobia may faint when
they come in contact with his or her own or another persons blood.
Animal or insect phobias: most common are arachnophobia (fear of spiders),
cynophobia (fear of dogs), and ophidiophobia (fear of snakes). These often
develop out of normal childhood fears, but may be connected with a past
experience like an animal bite.
Nyctophobia:fear of the nighttime or darkness. This phobia almost always begins
as a typical childhood fear. However, when it progresses past adolescence, its
considered a phobia.
Part 4 of 6: Risk Factors
Who is at Risk for Phobias?
Those with a genetic predisposition for anxiety are at a high risk for phobias. Age,
socioeconomic status, and gender only seem to be risk factors for certain
phobias. For example: women are more likely to have animal phobias. Children or
people with low socioeconomic status often have social phobias. Men make up
the majority of those with dentist and doctor phobias.
Part 5 of 6: Symptoms
What are the Symptoms of Phobias?
The most common and disabling symptom of a phobia is a panic attack. Features
of a panic attack include:
pounding or racing heart
shortness of breath
rapid speech or inability to speak
dry mouth
upset stomach or nausea
elevated blood pressure
trembling or shaking
chest pain or tightness
choking sensation

dizziness or lightheadedness
profuse sweating
sense of impending doom
A person with a phobia does not have to have panic attacks for accurate
diagnosis. The intensity of anxiety can vary among those with phobias.
Part 6 of 6: Treatment
Treatment for Phobias
Treatment for phobias can involve therapeutic techniques, medications, or a
combination of both.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
The most commonly used therapeutic treatment for phobias is cognitive
behavioral therapy (CBT). CBT involves exposure to the source of the fear, but in
a controlled setting. This treatment can decondition patients and reduce anxiety.
The therapy focuses on identifying and changing negative thoughts,
dysfunctional beliefs, and negative reactions to fear. New CBT techniques use
virtual reality technology to safely expose patients to the source of the phobia.
Medication
Antidepressants and anti-anxiety medications can help calm your mind and
physical reactions to fear. Often, it is the combination of medication and
professional therapy that make the biggest difference.
If you have a phobia, it is critical that you seek treatment. While overcoming
phobias is difficult, there is hope. With the right treatment, you can learn to
manage your fears and lead a productive, fulfilling life.
Phobia : : an extremely strong dislike or fear of someone or something

Before showing you some of the reported phobia statistics and facts, I should tell you
that there are different types of phobias, which is why I have divided these statistics
into social phobias and specific phobias.
First, let us look at a few facts and statistics that involves social phobias.

Social phobia facts and statistics

Social phobia is defined as the extreme fear of social situations where the individual
is afraid of being judged by or embarrassed in front of other people.
These are some of the most common phobias, affecting nearly 3% of the worlds
population. More social phobia statistics:

1.

Social phobias are often cultural, but they affect people of all races and social
classes.

2.

Interesting among all of the social phobia facts is that more women than men
are affected by them. Often, people confuse social phobias with
shyness, which is generally more prevalent in women.

3.

Phobia statistics reveal that only 23% of all people with phobias seek
treatment for their anxiety.

4.

Social phobias affect people of all ages, though they usually begin in
adolescence. If phobia statistics and facts are to be believed, then nearly 40%
of them begin before the age of 10, while 95% start before the age of 20.

5.

The more common social phobias include: fear of writing or eating before
someone, meeting people of higher authority, using a telephone or speaking
before a large crowd etc.

6.

Typical symptoms of social anxiety phobias are heart palpitations, dry mouth,
hot cold flashes and trembling.

7.

Another interesting fact tells us that nearly 45% of people with social
phobias will develop Agoraphobia and the fear of having an anxiety attack in
public and embarrassing themselves. This is why many of these phobics try
to avoid social situations completely.

8.

Nearly 17% of people with social phobias develop depression. The majority of
them turn to medication, even substance abuse with illegal drugs (nearly 17%)
or alcohol (nearly 19%). However, the fact remains that anti anxiety medication
and antidepressants are the most effective treatment for social phobias. Apart
from prescription medication, Cognitive Behavior Therapy is also a known
effective treatment for overcoming social phobias.

9.

Many people suffering from these phobias have experienced an impact in their
personal and professional lives. Some refuse promotions and others refuse to
give presentations, attend meetings or other activities that involve social
interactions.

10. As stated before, nearly 80% phobics find relief in medicines and Cognitive
Behavior Therapy. However, treatment should be continued for as long as
required since phobia statistics reveal that 50% of these people also tend to
relapse.
FACTS
-

MORE THAN 400 DISTINCT PHOBIAS WELL RECOGNIZED BY THE

PHSYCOLOGIST
NOMOPHOBIA- PHONE OR LOSING SIGNALS
PHILOPHOBIA- LOVE
PHOBIAS MAY BE MEMORIES PASSED DOWN FROM THE GENERATIONS IN
DNA(NEW RESEARCH)
ALEXANDER THE GREAT, NAPOLEON, HITLER AND MUSSOLINI FEAR OF
CAT(AILURUPHOBIA)

How Common Are Phobias?

Approximately 4 to 5 percent of the U.S. population has one or more

clinically significant phobias in a given year.
Specific phobias occur in people of all ages. The average age of onset for
social phobia is between 15 and 20 years of age, although it can often
begin in childhood.
What Causes Phobias?

Traumatic events often trigger the development of specific phobias, which

are slightly more prevalent in women than men. Research shows that social
phobia may have a hereditary component and occurs in women and men in
equal proportions. However, men may seek treatment for social phobia
more frequently than women.
What Treatments Are Available for Phobias?

Social phobia can be effectively treated with medications including, MAOIs,

SSRIs and high- potency benzodiazepines. People with a specific form of
social phobia called performance phobia have been helped by drugs called
beta blockers.
There is no proven drug treatment for specific phobias, but certain
medications may help reduce symptoms of anxiety before one faces a
phobic situation. A type of cognitive-behavioral therapy known as exposure
therapy is also a very useful treatment for phobias. It involves helping
patients become gradually more comfortable with situations that frighten
them. Relaxation and breathing techniques are also helpful.

Can People With Phobias Also Have Other Physical and Emotional
Illnesses?

People with phobias, particularly social phobia, may also have problems
with substance abuse. Many people with social or a specific phobia become
so anxious that they experience panic attacks, which are intense and
unexpected bursts of terror accompanied by physical symptoms.
As more situational panic attacks occur, people with phobias may take
extreme measures to avoid situations where they fear another attack might
happen or where help would not be immediately available. This avoidance,
similar to that in many panic disorder patients, may eventually develop into
agoraphobia, an inability to go beyond known and safe surroundings
because of intense fear and anxiety. Appropriate diagnosis and treatment of
other disorders are important to successful treatment of phobias.

Phobias
Everyone feels anxious or uneasy from time to time. Your first day on a new job, planning for a
long trip, going to the dentist....your palms sweat, you feel shaky, your heart pounds. Some
anxiety helps to keep you focused on the job at hand. However, when your anxiety is so serious
that it interferes with your work, leads you to avoid certain situations or keeps you from enjoying
life, you may be suffering from a form of the most common type of mental disorder, an anxiety
disorder.

Anxiety disorders are not just a case of "nerves." You cant overcome an anxiety disorder just
through willpower, nor can the symptoms be ignored or wished away. These disorders cause you
to feel anxious most of the time, making some everyday situations so uncomfortable that you may
avoid them entirely. Or, you may experience occasional instances of anxiety that are so terrifying
and intense that you may be immobilized with fear.
Although these conditions can be very frightening and disabling, they are also very treatable. It is
important to recognize the symptoms and seek help.
There are three main groups of phobias which include:

Specific (simple) phobias, which are the most common and focus on specific objects

Social phobia, which causes extreme anxiety in social or public situations, and

Agoraphobia, which is the fear of being alone in public places from which there is no easy
escape.

Agoraphobia causes people to suffer anxiety about being in places or situations from which it
might be difficult or embarrassing to escape--such as being in a room full of people or in an
elevator. In some cases, panic attacks can become so debilitating that the person may develop
agoraphobia because they fear another panic attack. In extreme cases, a person with
agoraphobia may be afraid to leave their house.
Specific Or Simple Phobias produce intense fear of a particular object or situation that is, in
fact, relatively safe. People who suffer from specific phobias are aware that their fear is irrational,
but the thought of facing the object or situation often brings on a panic attack or severe anxiety.
Specific phobias include persistent fear of dogs, insects, or snakes; driving a car; heights;
tunnels or bridges; thunderstorms; and/or flying.. No one knows what causes them, though they
seem to run in families and are slightly more prevelant in women. Specific phobias usually begin
in adolescence or adulthood. They start suddenly and tend to be more persistent than childhood
phobias. When children have specific phobias--for example, a fear of animals--those fears usually
disappear over time, though they may continue into adulthood. No one knows why they persist in
some people and disappear in others.
Social Phobia can produce fear of being humiliated or embarrassed in front of other people. This
problem may also be related to feelings of inferiority and low self-esteem, and can drive a person
to drop out of school, avoid making friends, and remain unemployed.
Although this disorder is sometimes thought to be shyness, it is not the same thing. Shy people
do not experience extreme anxiety in social situations, nor do they necessarily avoid them. In
contrast, people with social phobia can be at ease with people most of the time, except in
particular situations. Often social phobia is accompanied by depression or substance abuse.
People suffering from social phobia may:

view small mistakes as more exaggerated than they really are

find blushing as painfully embarrassing

feel that all eyes are on them

fear speaking in public, dating, or talking with persons in authority

fear using public restrooms or eating out

fear talking on the phone or writing in front of others

There Is Hope

No one should have to endure the terror of phobias or the unrelenting anticipatory anxiety
that often accompanies them. Phobias can be overcome with proper treatment.

A person suffering from a phobia is suffering from a diagnosable illness, and mental
health professionals take this illness very seriously.

A complete medical and psychiatric evaluation should be conducted by a licensed

physician or psychologist to obtain an accurate diagnosis and ensure that the symptoms are
not being caused by another condition.

Lastly, it is crucial to comply with treatment, and to work closely with the therapist in order
to achieve success.

Behavioral therapy and cognitive-behavioral therapy are very effective in treating these
disorders. Behavioral therapy focuses on changing specific actions and uses different
techniques to stop this behavior. One technique involves diaphragmatic breathing which is a
form of deep-breathing. Another technique called exposure therapy gradually exposes the
patient to the object or situation which frightens him/her and helps the patient to develop
coping skills.

Cognitive-behavioral therapy teaches the persons new skills in order to react differently to
the situations which trigger the anxiety or panic attacks. Patients also learn to understand
how their thinking patterns contribute to the symptoms and how to change their thinking to
reduce or stop these symptoms.