A phobia is a mainly irrational fear of something. It is not an illness. It is not a mental disorder. Nor is it a lack of will-power, or 'moral fibre', or determination.
A phobia can make one's life miserable, cause embarrassment, and undermine self confidence and self esteem.
The types of phobias
- Simple Phobias: fear of a single stimulus such as fear of heights, ladders, frogs, enclosed places, etc.
- Complex Phobias: a fear of a number of stimuli. In fear of flying, for example, the person may be afraid of crashing, being enclosed in the plane, losing self control etc.
- Social Phobias: simply put, this means you are afraid of what might occur when in the company of other people, for example, fear of blushing, losing self control, forgetting what you are about to say, fear of trembling, etc.
- Panic attacks: a panic attack can be a quite terrifying ordeal unless you understand what is going on and why it is going on. Panics are very common and appear to mainly affect people who normally give the impression of being confident, reliable and dependable.
- Agoraphobia: Literally 'fear of the market place' and, up to a decade or so ago, the term was used to describe people who were afraid of open spaces. 'Agoraphobia' is now used to describe those who experience increasing nervousness the further they travel from their own home. In severe cases they may not venture from home at all.
LIST OF COMMON PHOBIAS
1. Arachnophobia:
- The fear of spiders.
- This phobia tends to affect women more than men.
2. Ophidiophobia:
- The fear of snakes.
- Often attributed to evolutionary causes, personal experiences, or cultural influences.
3. Acrophobia:
- The fear of heights.
- This fear can lead to anxiety attacks and avoidance of high places.
4. Agoraphobia:
- The fear of situations in which escape is difficult.
- This may include crowded areas, open spaces, or situations that are likely to trigger a panic attack. People will begin avoiding these trigger events, sometimes to the point that they cease leaving their home.
- Approximately one third of people with panic disorder develop agoraphobia.
5. Cynophobia:
- The fear of dogs.
- This phobia is often associated with specific personal experiences, such as being bitten by a dog during childhood.
6. Astraphobia:
- The fear of thunder and lightening.
- Also known as Brontophobia, Tonitrophobia, or Ceraunophobia.
7. Trypanophobia:
- The fear of injections.
- Like many phobias, this fear often goes untreated because people avoid the triggering object and situation.
8. Social Phobias:
- The fear of social situations.
- In many cases, these phobias can become so severe that people avoid events, places, and people that are likely to trigger an anxiety attack.
9. Pteromerhanophobia:
- The fear of flying.
- Often treated using exposure therapy, in which the client is gradually and progressively introduced to flying.
10. Mysophobia:
- The fear of germs or dirt.
- May be related to obsessive-compulsive disorder.
