I never go in water unless I am taking a shower/bath or swimming in a pool. But I am afraid without even being in water that I will get caught in a whirl pool. Lol, I don’t know why I am, because it seems like it’d be no big deal. But I looked up pictures of a whirl pool and I got all nervous and insanely panickey.

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.

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I have suriphobia- the phobia of rats. When I was younger my aunt would always mention that rats carried diseases. As a youngster, this left a big impression in me and it caused me to become phobic of rats. I guess our gullibility when we’re younger contributes to this enormously.
Do you fear any animal? And what has caused you to become afraid of it?
Was it a suggestion from someone when you were younger, seeing others around you react with fear towards it or a traumatic experience with that animal?

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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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*has – typo sorry.

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. 

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Would it be consider ichthyophobia, the fear of fish?