As you can see by looking at this list, almost any object or situation can become the source of fear. Phobias can have a serious impact on well-being, but it is important to remember that you are not alone. Phobias are common, but also treatable. Ever wonder what your personality type means?
Sign up to find out more in our Healthy Mind newsletter. The DSM Classification and criteria changes. World Psychiatry. Spiegel SB. Current issues in the treatment of specific phobia: Recommendations for innovative applications of hypnosis. Am J Clin Hypn. National Institute of Mental Health. Specific Phobia Among Adults. Your Privacy Rights. To change or withdraw your consent choices for VerywellMind. At any time, you can update your settings through the "EU Privacy" link at the bottom of any page.
These choices will be signaled globally to our partners and will not affect browsing data. We and our partners process data to: Actively scan device characteristics for identification. I Accept Show Purposes. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Arachnophobia is the fear of spiders and other arachnids. The sight of a spider can trigger a fear response, but in some cases, simply an image of an arachnid or the thought of a spider can lead to feelings of overwhelming fear and panic.
So why are so many people terrified of arachnids? While there are an estimated 35, different spider species, only around a dozen pose any type of real threat to humans. One of the most common explanations for this and similar animal phobias is that such creatures once posed a considerable threat to our ancestors who lacked the medical know-how and technological tools to address injuries from animals and insects.
As a result, evolution contributed to a predisposition to fear these creatures. Ophidiophobia is the fear of snakes. This phobia is quite common and often attributed to evolutionary causes, personal experiences, or cultural influences.
Some suggest that since snakes are sometimes poisonous, our ancestors who avoided such dangers were more likely to survive and pass down their genes. Another theory suggests that the fear of snakes and similar animals might arise out an inherent fear of disease and contamination. People who suffer from this phobia may go to great lengths to avoid high places such as bridges, towers, or tall buildings.
While in some cases this fear of heights may be the result of a traumatic experience, current thinking suggests that this fear may have evolved as an adaptation to an environment in which a fall from heights posed a significant danger.
While it is common for people to have some degree of fear when encountering heights, this phobia involves a severe fear that can result in panic attacks and avoidance behaviors. Some of the common symptoms associated with this phobia include trembling, rapid heartbeat, and feeling disoriented. The fear of flying sometimes causes people to avoid flying altogether.
It is often treated using exposure therapy , in which the client is gradually and progressively introduced to flying. Cynophobia , or the fear of dogs, is often associated with specific personal experiences such as being bitten by a dog during childhood.
Such events can be quite traumatic and can lead to fear responses that last well into adulthood. This particular phobia can be quite common. This phobia is not just a normal apprehension of unfamiliar canines; it is an irrational and excessive fear that can have a serious impact on a person's life and functioning.
For example, a person with cynophobia might feel unable to walk down a certain street because they know that there is a dog living in that neighborhood. This avoidance can impact the individual's ability to function in their daily life and make it difficult to get to work, school, or other events outside of the home.
Astraphobia is a fear of thunder and lightning. People with this phobia experience overwhelming feelings of fear when they encounter such weather-related phenomena.
Symptoms of astraphobia are often similar to those of other phobias and include shaking, rapid heart rate, and increased respiration. During a thunder or lightning storm, people with this disorder may go to great lengths to take shelter or hide from the weather event such as hiding in bed under the covers or even ducking inside a closet or bathroom.
People with this phobia also tend to develop an excessive preoccupation with the weather. They may spend a great deal of time each day tracking the local and national weather in order to know when any type of storm might take place.
In some instances, this phobia may even lead to agoraphobia in which people are so afraid of encountering lightning or thunder that they are unable to leave their homes. Trypanophobia is the fear of injections, a condition that can sometimes cause people to avoid medical treatments and doctors. Like many phobias, this fear often goes untreated because people avoid the triggering object and situation.
When people with this phobia do have to have an injection, they may experience feelings of extreme dread and elevated heart rate leading up to the procedure. Some people even pass out during the injection.
Because these symptoms can be so distressing, people with this phobia sometimes avoid doctors, dentists, and other medical professionals even when they have some type of physical or dental ailment that needs attention.
Social phobia involves the fear of social situations and can be quite debilitating. In many cases, these phobias can become so severe that people avoid events, places, and people who are likely to trigger an anxiety attack. People with this phobia fear being watched or humiliated in front of others. Even ordinary, everyday tasks such as eating a meal can be anxiety-provoking.
Social phobias often develop during puberty and can last throughout life unless they are treated. The most common form of social phobia is a fear of public speaking. In some cases, social phobias can cause people to avoid social situations including school and work, which can have a major impact on the individual's well-being and ability to function. Agoraphobia involves a fear of being alone in a situation or place where escape may be difficult.
This type of phobia may include the fear of 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 entirely. As a result, they avoid going into any place or situation where previous panic attacks have happened. People with the disorder often become so disabled that they literally feel they cannot leave their homes.
Others who have agoraphobia, do go into potentially "phobic" situations, but only with great distress, or when accompanied by a trusted friend or family member. People with agoraphobia may also have depression, fatigue, tension, alcohol or drug abuse problems, and obsessive disorders, making treatment crucial. Join psychiatrist and former public school teacher Hal Kronsberg, M. EDT, as he discusses the signs of anxiety that children may be feeling about returning to school after a tumultuous year of virtual learning.
Health Home Conditions and Diseases. Who is affected by phobias? What causes phobias? What are the main types of phobias? Specific phobia What is specific phobia? Specific phobia is an extreme fear of an object or situation that typically isn't harmful. Examples may include a fear of: Flying fearing the plane will crash Dogs fearing the dog will bite or attack Closed-in places fear of being trapped Tunnels fearing a collapse Heights fear of falling What are the characteristics of specific phobia?
Treatment for specific phobia When phobias interfere with a person's life, treatment can help. Social phobia What is social phobia?
Even when they manage to confront this fear, people with social phobia usually: Feel very anxious before the event or outing Feel intensely uncomfortable throughout the event or outing Have lingering unpleasant feelings after the event or outing Social phobia often happens with the following: Public speaking Meeting people Dealing with authority figures Eating in public Using public restrooms What are the characteristics of social phobia?
Most people with social phobia will try to avoid situations that cause distress. Diagnosing social phobia Social phobia is diagnosed when the fear or avoidance significantly interferes with normal, routines, or is excessively upsetting.
Treatment for social phobia People with social phobia often find relief when treated with cognitive-behavioral therapy, medicine, or a mix of both. Agoraphobia What is agoraphobia? Agoraphobia involves fear of situations like the following: Being alone outside his or her home Being at home alone Being in a crowd Traveling in a vehicle Being in an elevator or on a bridge People with agoraphobia typically avoid crowded places like streets, crowded stores, churches, and theaters.
What are the characteristics of agoraphobia?
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