In our world today there are a lot of different kinds of phobias. Phobia is defined as a form of fear that is thought to be illogical or extreme. Usually in most situations, a phobia can include both an extreme and illogical fear. 

People that endure these types of fears do not always realize that their fear is illogical. On the other hand if someone does in fact identify their fear as being illogical, it can still be extremely difficult to conquer it.  Did you know that the body will experience a tremendous amount of stress when it comes to a phobia? The body responds to this stress by getting itself mentally and physically prepared to face the threat.    

Let us investigate the many different types of phobias that exist today and also include the symptoms that are commonly linked to these fears.  

There are hundreds if not thousands of different kinds of phobias that people experience. However, there are phobias that are much more common amongst people. The most common phobias are social and specific related. If you suffer from a phobia you will experience painful symptoms that will place a great deal of stress on your body.

A specific phobia is a fear of a certain thing or circumstance. If a person suffers from this condition, they will do their best to avoid the circumstance or item that causes them fear. For example, if someone has a fear of dogs or rabies, they suffer from Cynophobia.

A social phobia is a fear of social situations and experiences. These fears can include even the most basic social situations that are normally experienced on a day to day basis. The people that suffer from this anxiety believe that other people are watching them and are placing opinions on them. These people are often very afraid when it comes to public speaking. They can also be afraid of other social situations like eating in front of others.  

People can also suffer from spatial phobias. Spatial phobias exist when someone is afraid of the amount of space in the area. For example, if someone has a fear of open spaces they suffer from Agoraphobia. If they are afraid of closed spaces they suffer from Claustrophobia.  

There are numerous amounts of phobias that people suffer from. A phobia is basically an illogical fear of something. Most people who suffer from phobias realize there is no rational reason to be scared of that fear. However, the fear they endure is very legitimate. The most common symptom of fear is to panic.

A phobia, from the Greek phobos, meaning to fear, is a recurrent irrational emotional and physiological reaction to an object or situation. Phobias are actually one of the most common forms of anxiety disorder and the National Institute of Mental Health estimates that as many as 10% of Americans suffer from phobias. The most well known phobias are the Specific Phobias produced in reaction to animate objects, such as spiders, cats, dogs and moths or inanimate objects such as needles. This class also includes fear of enclosed spaces, heights, darkness, lack of cleanliness, injury, as well as activities such as driving a car. Some of these specific phobias may have had evolutionary origins as defence reactions against real threats, but most have no clear explanation. Another major group of phobias are the Social Phobias. Most of us feel a degree of fear if we are called on to give a presentation, but for a social phobic the fear reaction takes the form of panic, accompanied by an elevation in heart rate, rapid breathing, sweating and blurred vision and an uncontrollable urge to flee the situation. This class of phobias also includes fear of crowds, parties and social gatherings and is often accompanied by e xtreme self-consciousness and embarrassment. Agoraphobia is perhaps the most disabling phobia in which there is a generalized fear of a wide range of stimuli associated with being outside of a defined safe space such as home.

Phobias have a major impact on the quality of life and can cause a great deal of stress. They cause embarrassment and lead to all manner of conscious and unconscious avoidance reactions that limit choices and freedom. Phobias can have a major influence on self-esteem and self-confidence.

What causes phobias to arise is far from clear. However, it is well known that emotional trauma in which the individual is confronted with an overpowering sense of helplessness may manifest as a phobia long after the event and it is not unreasonable to assume that phobias contain a core of unresolved emotional conflict. The treatment options for phobias are varied, but the general consensus is that effective psychotherapy must involve some form of desensitization protocol coupled with controlled exposure to the phobic trigger. Clients are taught a relaxation response to use whenever they encounter the stimulus. They are gradually introduced to the stimulus, learn to monitor their stress response and respond with the relaxation technique. This is repeated many times until the client can encounter the object without having the phobic reaction.

Neuro-Linguistic Programming has attracted considerable attention as a treatment for phobias and claims many success stories. The central premise in NLP is that an emotional reaction is built around an internal mental representation. This Structural Theory of Emotions is a useful concept when working with intense emotional reactions such as phobias or past-traumatic stress reactions. Basically, the theory states that an emotional reaction has an internal structure built around sensory modalities. The principle modalities are visual, auditory and psychophysical sensations. Of these, the visual modality of inner imagery is usually dominant. In effect, when an arachnophobe encounters a spider, what he sees is not the actual animal, but an internal image, his internal representation of spiders. Most likely this will consist of a very large, very vivid in-your-face image that is in color and probably moves in a particular way. The emotional fear is encoded in these various sub-modalities of size, position, color and movement. This is the internal structure of the emotion and this structure encodes the feelings that form the emotional reaction. The external object seen through the eyes is simply a stimulus that evokes this internal representation and it is the internal representation generates the fear.

During MMT, the client learns how to establish a safe and non-reactive relationship, the Mindfulness Based Relationship, with the core internal representation of a phobia. There are a number of techniques that he can experiment with to create this safety, such as making the image very small and distant. He might imagine looking at the spider through a thick glass window. The therapist and client engage their creativity to find what works for the client. In MMT, the emphasis is always on helping the client form a non-reactive relationship with his or her inner representation of emotions and when working with a phobia much time is spent on establishing a mindful relationship. This is called the RELATIONSHIP PHASE of Mindfulness Meditation Therapy. This in itself can be highly transformative, because as the client learns not to react to his internal representation he will find that he will be les reactive when he encounters the actual object or situation.

The next phase of MMT is the TRANSFORMATIONAL PHASE. Now that you are able to relate to the inner imagery with mindfulness, continue to observe and investigate the imagery, to become more familiar with its structure and all the various feeling sensations associated with the color, size and other sub-modalities. There is no attempt to analyze or interpret, only to fully observe and know what is being experienced, like a scientist observing an experiment as it unfolds, or a fisherman observing the river for subtle features and changes that indicate where the fish are to be found. As this wealth of subtle details begins to unfold, you will simultaneously become aware of what needs to happen next. The psyche naturally looks for changes at the experiential level that reduce suffering and when you remain mindful and present with the unfolding experience of inner imagery, it will present changes to you. You may discover that placing the spider in a glass jar and putting the jar on a shelf is sufficient to completely neutralize the fear reaction or that changing its color from blood red to pale pink does the job. What is important is that you experiment for your self and find what works for you. But, rather than stopping there, you stay with the inner experience and continue to sense what needs to happen next. Perhaps you sense a need to take the spider jar and take it to a place where you can release the spider or you may discover some other thing that needs to happen. The important thing is to allow these solutions to arise experientially and that they feel right.

Next is the RE-EXPOSURE PHASE. You deliberately imagine seeing a spider in your home or other environment. Start with the least difficult encounter and progress to the most difficult encounter of all, such as imagining the spider crawling on your hand. Check the feeling response in each case and repeat the visualization many times. If the emotional reaction is still too intense, then return to the Relationship phase and continue working with the sub-modalities. If you can successfully manage all the different imaginary situations, then you are ready to try exposure to a real spider. Do this gradually, first observing the spider at a distance, then move closer and finally place the spider on your hand. If the reactions are too intense, then return to the visualization phase. It may take many repetitions of the process, from the relationship phase through to re-exposure, but you now have a strategy for working with your inner experience of a phobia at the experiential level and eventually this will lead to the desired results.

Peter Strong, PhD is a scientist and Buddhist psychotherapist who specializes in the study of mindfulness and its application in Mindfulness Meditation Therapy. He teaches mindfulness meditation (vipassana) and works with individuals and couples using Mindfulness Meditation Therapy for resolving difficult emotional problems, including anxiety, depression, phobias, grief and trauma and the management of anger and stress. Besides face-to-face work, Peter also works with individuals and couples online via email and Skype. Visit http://www.mindfulnessmeditationtherapy.com

Email enquiries welcome.

You can purchase a copy of his book ‘The Path of Mindfulness Meditation’ through Amazon.

We are in the 21st century, so high-tech gadgets would, of course, present themselves to treat phobias and fears. In actuality, virtual reality has proven to be quite effective in treating phobias – especially arachnophobia.

This is one therapy you will not be able to do on your own. You will have to find a place that offers this treatment since it requires a virtual reality setup. However, we can touch on the basics of what it can do and how it works.

Virtual Reality (VR) is a type of exposure therapy in a virtual setting that is safer, less embarrassing, and less costly than reproducing the real world situations. Besides situations can be created that are difficult to find in real life and it’s more realistic than imagining the danger.

Already some experiments have proven VR to be a useful tool in treating specific phobias such as fear of heights, fear of spiders, fear of flying and claustrophobia, as well as agoraphobia. However most research that is done on VR exposure consists of single case studies and controlled group studies are necessary to support the conclusions of case studies. Research in this area is still in its infancy, but is progressing rapidly.

The therapy consists of a few sessions with a psychologist to determine the origin of the fear. The VRT portion of the therapy begins after there is a sufficient understanding of the phobia. Using a platform and a headset, a patient is immersed in a computer-generated environment designed to reproduce a real-world setting. Real digital video is incorporated into the virtual environment to promote a sense of reality. A process known as habituation is used to help patients manage their anxiety.

Habituation occurs with exposure over time. The therapy might begin with exposure to the virtual room only. Then the stimulus (spider) is introduced far away and gradually gets closer. It’s sort of like taking baby steps. As the patient becomes more and more comfortable in the room, the body’s anxiety reaction will become less and less severe.

The headset is attached to a desktop computer and sensors pick up any head movement so when the user turns his head, he can look around. The earphones will simulate the sounds of the environment. The platform also moves to simulate the physical nature of the situation.

The process is started in a hierarchical way beginning with the less intimidating scenario and gradually making it more difficult. The patient is kept in the environment until their anxiety begins to lessen (habituation).

Overall the experience is convincing but still cartoon-like; there’s no mistaking this for the real situation. But, for most people with phobias that doesn’t matter–it’s real enough to elicit their fears. The advantages of virtual reality are becoming very evident. First, the therapist can carefully control the amount of exposure in each session. For fear of flying, for example, they can slowly take clients through the steps of a flight–from takeoff to landing–over many sessions, waiting at each step and working with them until they feel comfortable and habituated.

Also there is the convenience and confidentiality factor: One therapist explains, “I could take someone with a fear of elevators onto a real elevator, but this way they don’t have to worry about running into people and explaining who this guy with them is.”

Finally, it’s easier to get people with phobias to agree to exposure therapy when it’s begun virtually, rather than in vivo. In vivo [exposure therapy] is very effective, but you have to convince people to try it. By definition, someone with a phobia wants to avoid what they’re afraid of.

Of course, virtual reality has some disadvantages as well. First, there is the cost: A Virtually Better VR system sells for more than $6,000 and requires a monthly licensing fee. That price tag doesn’t put it out of reach for most therapists, but it is a significant investment.

For the patient, it can be expensive as well. The treatment costs between $100 and $300 an hour. Typical treatments are completed in eight one-hour sessions. Also, the therapy does not work for everyone–and it works better for some people than for others. Some studies have found, for example, that people who are more hypnotizable or more easily able to block out distraction and be absorbed in an activity like reading are also more likely to benefit from virtual reality exposure therapy. There are people who try it and it doesn’t work, but that’s not true for most people.

The goal, of course, is to eventually move all clients from the virtual to the real world.

When it comes to arachnophobia, virtual reality appears to work very, very well. On the screen, the phobic will see a 3-D virtual spider in what appears to be a normal setting like the kitchen. The subject will be encouraged to “walk” closer to the spider while their anxiety level is monitored.

Eventually, they will be asked to touch a realistic larger version of a spider while virtually touching the one in the setting. Again, habituation is used to minimize the body’s fear response and the patient will eventually become less stressed to touch the spider – both virtually and in reality.

While not everyone is able to do this, they are able to make great strides towards reducing their anxiety level and better deal with the spider in real life.

aren’t we interesting lol

Ponder an existence restricted by anxiety and terror, in which each action is analyzed and even the least decision is angst-ridden. Extensive time is exhausted examining daily responsibilities or situations that many people handle easily. According to the National Institute of Health, nearly 40 million people in the United States who suffer from anxiety disorders are inflicted with this type of reality.

Concordantly, better than 18 percent of those living in the United States are diagnosed with some kind of a panic disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, broad anxiety disorder or phobias, such as a social phobia, agoraphobia, or a specific phobia, which embody common fears of items such as heights, elevators or germs.

Are you like them? A lot of people aren’t sure how to tell if their natural apprehensions have transformed into a phobia. A phobia is classified as an illogical dread or fear. When a person encounters a phobia trigger, they may grow panicked with increased heart palpitation and respiration. Frequently, he or she may begin feeling a choking sensation or their palms turn clammy. They might additionally notice ringing in their ears and find they are powerless to concentrate on the environment.

As with any unpleasant sensation, people can try great lengths to circumvent the incident, things or places that produce them. If a person has a social phobia, that person might evade people, or if it is a common phobia, like spiders or coffins, people who suffer a phobia may seek to elude those triggers.

The anxiety disorder phobia could be one of the most complicated to get to the bottom of because related coping problems commonly result from the anxiety / phobia relationship, such as despair or substance addiction. In fact, the majority of people who suffer from one anxiety disorder commonly acquire additional anxiety disorders.

Though it can be valuable to visit with a mental health professional to identify your phobia and inspect the root of it, the chief action is entering into treatment for the anxiety and phobia. Several therapeutic approaches exist for effectively eliminating a phobia, including talk therapy, drugs, systematic desensitization, hypnotherapy and Neuro-Linguistic Programming.

Often, medication for anxiety and phobia treatment include sedatives, which actually exacerbate the trouble because they don’t tackle the deep reason for the phobia. Other mental health professionals prefer to use talk therapy; however, discussing or even thinking about the situation or setting of the fundamental anxiety phobia can generate a panic attack.

Traditional hypnosis – which simply helps the client to achieve a relaxed hypnotic state and then offering post-hypnotic commands or suggestions can be very successful if the he or she is receptive to it. However, a lot of people with phobias snub the idea that they will be more comfortable and calm when they are challenged with the environment or situation that prompts anxiety from the associated phobia.

Given the challenges and even setbacks of other types of phobia treatments, systematic desensitization can be a valuable treatment. It is the practice of progressively desensitizing a person to the trigger that produces the anxiety disorder phobia and resulting panic attacks.

For example, if a client desires to prevail over a phobia of dogs, she is asked to first sit down and imagine a dog until she is comfortable with the picture. Then, she is given a picture of a dog to view. Perhaps she proceeds to holding a stuffed dog and so on until she is able to remain in the presence of a canine without the panic symptoms – possibly even touch it.

The principal point is that, after each action, the subject acknowledges that nothing unpleasant transpired and that she is protected. If at any time she encounters fear or panic, the therapist asks her to go back to the previous step until she has redeemed a feeling of ease.

Fortunately, there is a method to make this process less painful and frightening: Systematic desensitization can be completed while the client is in a relaxed hypnosis state. While in a relaxed hypnotic trance, the subject would be asked to perform the same actions, but she would actually feel very peaceful as she visualized herself feeling comfortable and relaxed in the anxiety-provoking situation.

Just as in the live systematic desensitization that happens without the assistance of hypnosis, if she feels any anxiety concerning her phobia, she is coached to step back to the previous action. The only shortcoming is that this method may require a fair amount of time to beget release from a phobia.

The quickest and most effective technique to get rid of a phobia is a Neuro-Linguistic Programming technique called a Visual/Kinesthetic Disassociation. It commonly cures the client of a chronic phobia in only one session. The practice actually programs subjects to disassociate, or mentally step outside of themselves at the point that they might usually undergo their anxiety attack. The process literally splits the subjective feelings from the mental images that generate the panic attack in the first place.

CONCLUSION: While any phobia treatment that someone embarks on will require commitment and work, systematic desensitization coupled with hypnosis can offer an effective cure. But the NLP Visual/Kinesthetic Disassociation can offer a solution that almost seems magical by allowing the client to overcome the phobia quickly with significantly less – perhaps even no discomfort or panic.

The answer isn’t as easy as you might think. Fear is an emotion which develops out of uncertainty. And uncertainty itself is, basically, the perceived inability to control. Put this way it appears very simple – fear is not real, fear is just a perception. If only we could convince ourselves of that! Much is still unknown about what causes phobias. However, there may be a strong correlation between your phobias and the phobias of your parents. Children may learn phobias by observing a family member’s phobic reaction to an object or a situation. An example of a common learned phobia may be the fear of snakes. The biggest trigger of fear is the thought of the “unknown” – that is, when we are confronted or experiencing particular situations, we are not exactly sure of what will happen to us and how it will ultimately affect us. Or in some instances, we jump ahead of ourselves and imagine what the outcome of a situation will be, which is usually ten times worse than the actual reality of the situation.

Phobias often begin with a sudden trigger, a minor or major traumatic event. A phobia can begin because of an unpleasant or frightening experience involving a particular object or situation. This situation generally occurs in childhood and persists through to adult remaining with the person almost as if it’s a part of them.

While this can be – and often is – the reason for a person’s developing a phobia it isn’t the only way in which phobias begin. Often, people say that a phobia comes ‘out of the blue’ – it starts one day for no apparent reason and quickly grows into a major problem.

This is, naturally, confusing, because the individual concerned has no idea why they have become phobic. So, can this be explained? Yes it can, though not necessarily simply. Perhaps there are latent fears in the mind that aren’t in the forefront initially, but become exposed later.

As an example, let’s say in 7th grade, a boy is the popular kid in school. All the girls swoon over him, all the guys are his friends. He is teacher’s pet and a favorite with his friend’s parents. 

All this overt acceptance could instill in his mind a latent fear of rejection that he isn’t cognitively aware of: sort of a “too good to last” mentality. As an adult, he finds himself avoiding social situations and even relationships in an effort to protect his feelings and fend off the rejection he thinks might be coming.

In fact, phobias don’t develop for no reason at all, they develop for no logical reason. A long period of severe stress, an unresolved childhood fear, an unrelieved frustration and an insoluble life problem can all lie behind the beginning of a phobia. What’s more, knowing the originating problem doesn’t always help because the phobia may bear little relation to it.

Some people believe that phobias develop from the body’s natural desire to protect itself. 

Unconscious or emotional learning takes place to keep us safe. In primitive conditions when coming into contact with something dangerous, the mind/body would create the optimum state for survival – a panic attack.

This type of learning is not of the intellectual or rational type. If you had to think, “Yes, I think this would be a good time to have a panic attack” our species would have died out long ago.

This type of learning takes place at an emotional level so that the response can bypass the ‘thinking brain’ In the past, an immediate phobic response to a predatory or poisonous animal would have been exceedingly useful.

We therefore evolved with the ability to become phobic. In today’s complex world however, this learning mechanism often works in an inappropriate way.

Non-specific phobias can come about either through a ‘spreading-out’ of panic attacks, or through a person’s levels of general anxiety becoming so high that panic is easily triggered whenever stress levels are raised even slightly. Phobias are very real to the people who are experiencing them and should not be taken lightly by those around the phobic. My own grandmother is deathly afraid of cats. We own two cats. While we might think her fear is silly – our cats are really cute – we still accommodate her when she visits by putting the cats away. Phobias have actually been around for years. Here are some interesting facts about phobias and people who suffered from them.

P.S If you’re not gonna answer my question with something I applicable don’t bother to answer @ all.

Ponder a life limited by terror and anxiety, where each act is scrutinized and even the most inconsequential decision is agonized over. Hours are spent looking at daily obligations or situations that the majority of people manage easily. According to the National Institute of Health, better than 40 million people in the United States who experience anxiety disorders have this kind of existence.

Concordantly, better than 18 percent of those living in the United States are diagnosed with a kind of a panic disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, general anxiety disorder or phobias, such as a social phobia, agoraphobia, or a specific phobia, which embody common fears of articles like germs, elevators or heights.

Are you like those people? A lot of people aren’t aware how to figure out if their natural fears have transformed into a phobia. A phobia is categorized as an unfounded dread or fear. If a person comes upon a phobia trigger, that person may become panicked with faster heartbeat and respiration. Commonly, that person may begin experiencing a choking sensation or their palms get clammy. The person could additionally have ringing in their ears and find they are not able to focus on their surroundings.

As with any unpleasant consciousness, people will go to great lengths to sidestep the incident, settings and items that cause them. If someone has a social phobia, that person may steer clear of social settings, or if it is a common phobia, including spiders or coffins, those who have a phobia may try to escape those triggers.

The anxiety disorder phobia could be one of the most complicated to solve because related coping issues commonly result from the anxiety phobia relationship, such as despair or substance dependence. In fact, the majority of people who suffer from one anxiety disorder commonly cultivate other anxiety disorders.

Though it can be helpful to make an appointment with a mental health professional to diagnose your phobia and look at the origin of it, the principal action is entering into treatment for the phobia and anxiety. Several therapeutic approaches exist for successfully eliminating a phobia, including talk therapy, drugs, systematic desensitization, hypnotherapy and Nuero-Linguistic Programming.

Normally, medication for phobia and anxiety treatment include sedatives, which actually worsen the trouble because the medications don’t deal with the deep reason for the phobia. Other mental health professionals favor talk therapy; however, discussing or even thinking about the situation or setting of the causal anxiety phobia can bring about a panic attack.

Traditional hypnosis which simply assists the client maintain a relaxed hypnosis state and then giving post-hypnotic suggestions or commands can be very effective if the person is receptive to it. However, a lot of people with phobias refuse the idea that they will be more comfortable and calm when they are challenged with the situation or environment that activates anxiety from the associated phobia.

Knowing the challenges and even setbacks of other types of treatment for phobias, systematic desensitization can be a helpful treatment. It is the process of progressively desensitizing a client to the trigger that causes the anxiety disorder phobia and ensuing panic attacks.

For example, if a client aims to rise above a phobia of dogs, she is asked to first sit down and envision a dog until she is secure with the image. Then, she is given a photograph of a dog to look at. Perhaps she advances to embracing a plush dog and so on until she is able to remain in the presence of a canine without the panic symptoms possibly even stroke the dog.

The principal point is that, following each action, the subject admits that nothing terrible happened and that she is secure. If at any time she encounters fear or panic, the therapist asks the subject to revert to the preceding step until she has reclaimed a feeling of security.

Thankfully, there is a way to make this process less painful and frightening: Systematic desensitization can be carried out as the subject is in a relaxed hypnosis state. While in a relaxed hypnotic trance, the client would be asked to complete the same actions, but she would actually remain very peaceful as she imagined herself feeling relaxed and comfortable in the situation that produces anxiety.

Just as in the live systematic desensitization that happens without the advantage of hypnosis, if the client experiences any anxiety regarding her phobia, she is commanded to go back to the previous action. The only negative aspect is that this method can require a fair amount of time to create release from a phobia.

The fastest and most effective technique to do away with a phobia is a Neuro-Linguistic Programming technique called a Visual/Kinesthetic Disassociation. It commonly cures the subject of a chronic phobia in only one session. The practice actually programs the subject to disassociate, or mentally step outside of themselves at the time that they would usually begin their anxiety attack. The process literally separates the subjective feelings from the mental images that cause the panic attack in the first place.

CONCLUSION: While any phobia treatment that someone takes on will involve work and commitment, systematic desensitization coupled with hypnosis can offer an effective cure. But the NLP Visual/Kinesthetic Disassociation can offer a solution that almost seems magical by allowing the subject to overcome the phobia quickly with significantly less perhaps even no discomfort or panic.

Phobia comes from the Greek word for “fear”. It is a strong, persistent fear of situations, objects, activities, or persons. The main symptom of this disorder is the excessive, unreasonable desire to avoid the feared subject. When the fear is beyond one’s control or if the fear is interfering with daily life then a diagnosis under one of the anxiety disorders can be made.

So, in essence, phobias are a type of anxiety disorder much along the lines of panic and fear. An American study by the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) found that between 8.7% and 18.1% of Americans suffer from phobias.

Broken down by age and gender, the study found that phobias were the most common mental illness among women in all age groups and the second most common illness among men older than 25.

Phobias affect people of all ages, from all walks of life, and in every part of the country. The American Psychiatric Institute for Research and Education (APIRE) has reported that in any given year, 7.8% of American adults have phobias. They are the most common psychiatric illness among women of all ages and are the second most common illness among men older than 25.

Phobias are among several anxiety disorders, which also include panic disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, and obsessive-compulsive disorder and generalized anxiety disorder. Such unrealistic or excessive fear of objects or situations is a psychological disorder that can makes life miserable for years.

Phobias should not be confused with fear. Fear is much less dramatic than a phobia. According to the dictionary, the word “fear” denotes a painful feeling of impending danger, evil; trouble etc…the feeling or condition of being afraid. While fear is a consequence of a phobia, it is not the definition of it. It is simply a symptom.

Phobia is also used in a non-medical sense for aversions of all sorts. These terms are usually constructed with suffix -phobia. A number of these terms describe negative attitudes or prejudices toward the named subject.

Some examples include homophobia (fear or dislike of homosexuals), xenophobia (fear or dislike of strangers), and even Christianophobia (fear or dislike of Christians).

It is possible for an individual to develop a phobia over virtually anything. The name of a phobia generally contains a Greek word for what the patient fears plus the suffix -phobia as we have said. Creating these terms can become a type of word game, however, few of these terms are found in medical literature.

Still, many people wear their phobic badges around their family and friends. They may be claustrophobic (afraid of closed in spaces), agoraphobic (afraid of wide open spaces or crowds), hydrophobic (afraid of water), or genophobic (afraid of sex). The list goes on and on.

It is not exaggerated to say that majority of people have an irrational fear of certain things or situations, without necessarily fulfilling the diagnostic criteria for a phobia (irrational fear may grow into a phobia when it starts interfering with the person’s usual activities). The most common simple (specific) phobias are those of the insects (arachnophobia in your case), mice, reptiles and other animals. These phobias usually begin in childhood and often disappear without treatment.

While technically we can call anything a phobia, the actual definition – you will remember – involves having an irrational fear of something that can cause no physical harm or trauma. For example, to have a fear of cotton balls (yes, some people do) would technically be classified as a true phobia since cotton balls cannot cause harm.

However, fearing lions or a hurricane does not classically qualify as a phobia because encounters with either do carry a possibility of harm or death. So what about the fear of spiders?

Technically called arachnophobia, the fear of spiders is real, but is it irrational? Perhaps. After all, we, as humans are slightly bigger than our arachnid neighbors, so can they cause us harm? Yes, but only if we are unaware of their presence. Well, unless it’s the spider in that episode of “Gilligan’s Island” that was the size of a hippopotamus.

At any rate, even though some spiders are poisonous, we still should not have fear of them. We can exterminate them and be on with our lives. For the arachnophobe, yes, that is easier said than done, but it is truth.

So, yes, fear of spiders does really qualify as a phobia.

When encountered with the phobic stimuli, people are overcome with a strong and immediate anxiety reaction (sweating, palpitations, paleness, breathing difficulty). Gradually, mere anticipation or imagery of the phobic stimulus comes to provoke anxiety symptoms and can lead to avoidance behavior and/or significant modification of one’s lifestyle.

It is at this point when the phobia becomes problematic and treatment should be explored.

It can be confusing to try and figure out why some people fear certain things.

What steps can I take to conquer the fear of an animal?

A lot of individual, suffer from one kind of phobia or the other. Just as the saying that one mans poison is another mans meat, what may be phobia for me may not be for you. Is it only kids that have phobias? No. Adults equally suffer from phobia. But childhood phobias occur most commonly between the ages of 5 and 9, and tend to be short term as the child ascends.

By definition, phobia is an intense, uncontrollable, irrational and persistent fear of something that poses little or no actual danger. There are many type of phobia but it is not possible for me to discuss all. Thus I will only discuss a few types of phobia common in our day to day life activities.

What actually causes phobia? According to listofphobias.org, Phobia is an emotional disorder, caused by an interaction between biological and environmental factors and such factors include emotional trauma, disturbances and unpleasant situations that often become adapted to a person’s memory. These unpleasant memories are converted to fear after some repetitions of the same situations and consequently make the person to become phobic.

Treatment of phobia could be in form of psychotherapy called cognitive behavior therapy. Cognitive behavior therapy may involve exposure therapy. In this type of therapy, the individual gradually work up to face the situations he or her fear most. This allows the individual to become better skilled at coping with these anxiety-inducing situations and to develop the confidence to face them.

The other type of treatment involves the use of medication, Below are a few types of phobia:-

Social phobia:

Social phobia is an intense fear of becoming humiliated in public places or social gatherings, specifically of embarrassing yourself in front of other people. Individuals with social phobia fear social situations where they may be humiliated embarrassed or judged by others.

Specific phobia:

Individuals that have specific phobia have fear for specific animals, people, situations or the environments.

Agoraphobia

: Agoraphobia is a fear of being in public places where it would be difficult to make a sudden exit. Some individuals find it very difficult to stay in public places. Such individuals with agoraphobia may avoid going to a stadium, church or concert, or traveling on a bus or train.

Aerophobia: This is an intense fear of flying.

Acrophobia: This is an intense fear of heights.

Emetophobia: This is fear of vomit.

Carcinophobia: This is Fear of cancer.

Necrophobia: Fear of death or dead things

In summary, if you suffer from any kind of phobia, then look for a medical expert for proper treatment and guidance.

There are many different types of phobias today. A phobia is a type of fear that is considered to be either excessive, or irrational in basis. In many cases, a phobia includes both an excessive and an irrational fear.

Individuals who suffer from these fears may or may not know and understand that their fear is irrational. However, if one does recognize their fear as irrational, it is still difficult to overcome it as it feels and seems very real.

The body experiences a high level of stress regarding the cause of the fear, and results in physiological and psychological responses of the body preparing itself for danger. Here, you will discover the different types of phobias today, as well as symptoms that are associated with these fears.

Common Phobias

While there are literally hundreds of different types of phobias experienced today, there are a few that are more common than others. These include phobias that are social, phobias that are considered to be specific, as well as phobia that are special or related to specific spaces and the excess or limitations of those spaces.

Individuals who suffer from these common phobia types experience not only a fear that is directly related to these phobias, but also a number of uncomfortable symptoms that can cause physiological and psychological stress on the body.

1.Social Phobia – This type of phobia is actually a type of anxiety that exists when social experiences and situations are encountered. These social situations can be as simple as those that are encountered on a daily basis. Individuals who experience this find that they are scared of others watching and passing judgments on them.

These individuals are also worried when it comes to dealing with embarrassment in public situations. Many may be fearful of to speaking in front of others, or doing other things in front of others, such as eating.

2.Specific Phobia – A specific phobia involves being fearful of a particular situation or thing. When an individual suffers from this, they tend to avoid the item or area that they have a fear of. An example of this type of phobia includes that of Arachnophobia, which is a fear of spiders.

3.Spatial Phobia – A spatial phobia involves a particular area of the amount of space present. This may include a fear of closed in spaces, a fear of open spaces, and even a fear of heights.

Common Phobia Symptoms

When an individual suffers from a phobia, there are many different types of symptoms that are prevalent when he or she comes into close contact with the source. One may constantly fear coming into contact with the source of his or her phobia at any time. Listed below are some common symptoms that may occur when an individual suffers from phobias:

1.One may feel mild to severe levels of dizziness.

2.It is common to feel a certain amount of nausea, and even experience vomiting.

3.Individuals with specific phobias may experience a feeling of “unreality”.

4.It is common to experience complications in breathing.

5.It is not uncommon to have an extreme level of fear.

There are many different types of phobias today. The most common forms are social, specific, and spatial. While phobias are basically an irrational fear of something, most individuals with the fear understand that there is no reason to have the fear. Unfortunately, the fear that is experienced by one seems very real. Symptoms that resemble that of panic are quite common when an individual experiences phobias.

Claustrophobia. Agoraphobia. Triskaidekaphobia. All of these names have one thing in common: they add mystery and confusion to what is already one of the most poorly understood aspects of human behavior.

Phobias have always been classified according to their obvious triggers; the objects or situations that provoke the fear. These triggers are customarily dressed in exotic Greek and Latin labels, giving each phobia a more scientific air.

Unfortunately, the traditional phobic classification system has shed little light on the real, but hidden mechanisms responsible for creating and shaping phobic behavior. In fact, this Greek and Latin name-calling may have done a great deal of harm.

For instead of encouraging us to search for underlying common denominators capable of unlocking the many secrets of phobic behavior, it has led many to believe that these secrets are already known.

Even worse, this classification system has unintentionally led many of the doctors believe that each and every type of phobia i.e. xenophobia, aerophobia, etc. is a separate and distinct disorder with a unique cause having no relation to other phobias aside from the obvious similarity in symptoms.

WHAT’S IN A NAME?

The drawbacks of the traditional classification system are best illustrated with a few examples.

Suppose that a woman is cynophobic and agoraphobic. What do these two labels tell us, apart from the fact that she is afraid of dogs and wide-open spaces?

According to the current classification system, this woman suffers from two separate phobic illnesses, each requiring individual treatment. But what if her fear of dogs stems from a realistic fear of being chased by a dog into a wide-open space, namely, the street (realistic, because it has happened to her). If so, her fear of dogs is clearly part and parcel of her fear of wide-open spaces. The two are not separate disorders.

The connection between this woman’s agoraphobia and her gynophobia is vital if she is to receive proper treatment. But the traditional classification system does not encourage doctors to look for such interrelationships. Let’s look at another example.

Fear of Flying:

Four men suffer from aerophobia, the fear of flying. Although all four men are classified as having the same illness, a closer examination might reveal that each fears flying for a completely different reason.

One man, for example, may be afraid to fly because his neighbor recently died in a plane crash. Another may be afraid because planes fly over water and he can’t swim, hence he does not fear all flying, just flying over water. The third may be afraid of small enclosed spaces, such as the cabin of an airplane. And the fourth man may be afraid of heights.

Each of these possibilities suggests something entirely different about the mechanisms responsible for the fear of flying. More important, these differences clearly demonstrate that each case may require a different treatment approach.

But once we label all four men “aerophobic,” we unwittingly make a tragic mistake. For our label implies that one common mechanism is responsible for the fears of all four men. This makes no more sense than assuming that four men with the same name have the same mother. Yet in essence, this is exactly what we are doing.

This kind of mistake can only encourage physicians and other therapists to search for answers in all the wrong directions. Worse, it encourages them to subject all four men to the same treatment regimen. At best, the results of this kind of treatment approach will be less than satisfactory for at least three of the four.

Two Flaws in the System:

These examples clearly illustrate that two important characteristics of phobic behavior are masked by our traditional classification system:

• Phobias of different names may have one and the same underlying mechanism.
• Phobias of the same name may have distinctly different underlying mechanisms.

Superficial phobic triggers provide an important clue to understanding phobic behavior, but they are only one aspect of the highly complex phobic phenomenon.

By focusing only on these triggers, we are ignoring the far more important underlying mechanisms that create and shape phobic behavior. This interferes with our ability to make an accurate diagnosis and prevents us from developing a successful treatment approach.

Overcoming your phobias can sometimes be difficult. One of the ways to manage your particular phobia is to find out what exactly is your fear. If you have trouble finding out what that fear may be, then try to talk to a professional who can help you figure out what the fear may be. Once you know what the fear is, then the next step is to find the ways to deal with that fear.

For instance, one of the ways to manage your fear is to challenge your negative thinking with positive statements and realistic thinking. When encountering thoughts that make your fearful or anxious, challenge those thoughts by asking yourself questions that will maintain objectivity and common sense. For example, your afraid that if you do not get that job promotion then you will be stuck at your job forever. This depresses you, however your thinking in this situation is unrealistic. The fact of the matter is that there all are kinds of jobs available and just because you don’t get this job promotion doesn’t mean that you will never get one. In addition, people change jobs all the time, and you always have that option of going elsewhere if you are unhappy at your present location. Changing your thinking can help you manage your fears.

Sometimes, we may be nervous doing a certain task that may be scary. When this happens, visualize yourself doing the task in your mind. For instance, you and your team have to play in the championship hockey game in front of a large group of people in the next few days. Before the big day comes, imagine yourself playing the game in your mind. Imagine that your playing in front of a large audience. By playing the game in your mind, you will be better prepared to perform for real when the time comes. Self Visualization is a great way to reduce the fear and stress of a coming situation.

When facing a current or upcoming task that overwhelms you with a lot of anxiety, divide the task into a series of smaller steps and then complete each of the smaller tasks one at a time. Completing these smaller tasks will make the stress more manageable and increases your chances of success.

As a layman, I realize it is not easy to overcome our phobias. Remember that sometimes our worrying and fears can make the problem even worse. Take things in stride and try not focus too much on the problem. In time, you will find the ways to overcome your phobia. If you have trouble, talk to a professional who can give you additional insights on your situation.

And what is the name, please?

Social phobia or social anxiety disorder is a common anxiety disorder that millions of Americans struggle with everyday. It is a fear of embarrassment or humiliation in situations where other people are scrutinizing your actions or statements. 

The fear that social phobics experience is above and beyond the normal unease that people might feel before speaking in front of an audience, performing a play or going to a cocktail party filled with strangers. The fear and anxiety are so strong that they cause you to obsess over the event or avoid the situation altogether. 

Your concern will be out of proportion to the situation, you will recognize it is excessive but will be unable to avoid thinking that you will say or do something that others will judge to be stupid, weak, anxious or just plain crazy. The detrimental impact that this phobia can have on the lives of sufferers is limitless.   

The most common manifestation of social phobia is a problem with public speaking. This fear affects actors, lawyers, people who have to give speeches, presentations and performances in front of others and students who have to speak in front of the class.

Other common manifestations include:

-  Fear of blushing in public

-  Fear of choking on or spilling food while eating in public

-  Fear of being watched at work

-  Fear of using public bathrooms

-  Fear or writing or signing documents in front of others

-  Fear of crowds

-  Fear of taking tests

Social phobia doesn´t have to be so specific though. In many cases, it will just be a generalized anxiety about any social or group interaction where you feel you are being watched or evaluated. 

If your fear covers a broad range of situations such as starting conversations, chatting in small groups, speaking to authority figures, dating, going to parties and other social interactions then you have generalized social phobia.

Social anxiety and nervousness are present in most people and part of normal life. You would only be diagnosed as phobic if your avoidance tactics interfere with work, social activities or important relationships, or cause you considerable distress. 

You can have panic attacks when you have social phobia although that is not a necessary component. The panic attacks are related to being embarrassed or humiliated not necessarily being trapped or confined as with agoraphobia. Social anxiety also crops up at an earlier age than agoraphobia. 

For children, the condition is often diagnosed in late childhood or early adolescence and becomes a problem when children start facing peer pressure at school. Like other anxieties and fear, this phobia can be dealt with. Like most fears, you need to gradually face your fears head on and work to overcome the fear of embarrassment and the worry of rejection. 

Particularly effective techniques in battling this condition are imagery desensitization and real-life exposure. In addition, improving your assertiveness and self-esteem will also help in confronting and managing your social fears.

There are two different types of social phobia. The first is generalized, where anything and everything in the way of social interaction has the potential to send your nerves into overdrive. People who are only afraid of a few or a particular type of social interaction have non-generalized or specific social phobia.

To help determine if you are suffering from social phobia answer “yes” or “no” to the following three questions:

1. Is being embarrassed or looking stupid one of your worst fears?
2. Does fear of embarrassment cause you to avoid interacting with people or doing things?
3. Do you avoid activities where you are the focus or center of attention? 

Affirmative answers to these questions are a good indication that you may be struggling with the disorder. However, there are also physical symptoms and mental attitudes and behaviors that can help clue you in to social phobia.

Some of the physical symptoms that you might be struggling with include:

-  blushing
-  sweating
-  nausea
-  dry mouth
-  tremors
-  diarrhea

Some of the mental and behavioral attitudes that you might be struggling with include:

1.  You have an extreme and persistent fear of one or more social situations where you need to perform, interact or are exposed to unfamiliar people or scrutiny by others. You are afraid that you will humiliate or embarrass yourself by showing anxiety symptoms. 

2.  You experience terrible anxiety or a panic attack when being exposed to the feared social situation.

3.  You know your fear is excessive or unreasonable. 

4.  You either suffer intense anxiety or distress about or avoid situations where social performance is required. 

5.  Your normal routine, work, social activities, or relationships suffer distress or deterioration as a result of fear avoidance. 

6.  You have trouble asserting yourself.

7.  You obsess over the reactions and responses of others to what you say and do.

8.  You are especially sensitive to critiques, evaluations, criticism or rejection.

While this list of symptoms, behavior and attitudes is a good start, it is not exhaustive and you certainly don´t need to encounter all of these problems to have this disorder. Unfortunately, many of the symptoms of the phobia are similar to panic disorder and agoraphobia so the phobia can often be confused with one of these other problems.

It is important to try to pinpoint the particular anxiety disorder you are struggling with. A doctor may need to assist you and should certainly be consulted if you have immediate concerns about your health or well being.

While many of the suggested tactics are similar for dealing with all three conditions, there are some important differences and the focus is different so it is important to define what you are struggling with. 

Since social phobia is an anxiety disorder that frequently strikes children or begins in early adolescence and continues into and through adulthood, it is important to consider the manifestation of symptoms in childhood. Many of the physical reactions will be similar but for children they may also include:

-  tantrums
-  crying
-  clinging to parents or other trusted and familiar people
-  freezing or lack of talking

Many of the behavioral and attitude symptoms will be the same but should be adjusted for the age of the child. Children will also struggle with expressing and understanding their fears. For children and adolescents it is important to distinguish between phobia symptoms and general adolescent growing pains. 

The symptoms of this phobia often work in a vicious circle. The symptoms lead to actual or perceived poor performances, which in turn increase the anxiety and avoidance. Understanding the origins or causes of your social phobia will help with treatment and give you further insight into how to battle these feelings and the difficulties they present.  

Social phobia or social anxiety disorder comes in many forms. For some people, it crops up in specific situations, most commonly public speaking. In other people, it may manifest as fear of dating or talking to an authority figure. For others, it is a more generalized fear of interacting with people you don´t know or aren´t comfortable with. 

Social phobia should not be confused with shyness. Shy people can certainly be uncomfortable around others but they don´t suffer from extreme anxiety anticipating the event and they don´t necessarily avoid the situation that makes them anxious. 

People with social phobia don´t have to be shy at all. In fact they can be completely at ease, even gregarious in many situations until they run into the situation they are phobic about. Walking down an aisle in public or making a speech can suddenly turn these previously at ease people into unrecognizable, nervous, agitated wrecks. 

As with other anxiety disorders and phobias, social phobia hampers your life. A negative impact on your daily life is the key component in any phobia diagnosis. If you pass up a promotion because you can´t give public presentations then your phobia has interfered with your life and you have this disorder. 

For people suffering from phobia the dread and anxiety can take over your life. If you know you need to go to a client´s Christmas party, you can dread that event for weeks beforehand and make yourself sick. The worry and anxiety are both physically and mentally debilitating. 

People who suffer from social phobia know that their feelings are irrational or overblown. However, they can´t escape the immense dread and worry that preoccupies their lives before facing the feared social occasion. The anticipatory dread may lead to avoidance and certainly plagues the mind for a great deal of time beforehand. 

If your phobia isn´t severe you may be able to face the feared social situation but the discomfort you feel during the event is overwhelming. What´s more, the feelings often remain after the event; as you obsess over the details of your interactions, wonder what people thought of you and what their comments might be about you now. 

The preoccupation, extreme anxiety and potential panic attacks surrounding social interaction are not normal. Shyness is fine but when the feelings are so overwhelming that they cause anxiety for weeks or months or years then it has crossed over into a phobia. 

The sufferers have their lives dictated by the need to avoid the specific type of situation they are phobic about. They will go to almost any length to avoid the fear of being judged or looked at by others. This is not a problem that will just go away; it is a situation that requires intervention on your part to retrain your mind to overcome the anxiousness that plagues it.

Is there a certain “-phobia” that describes this?