Phobias
Phobias
Overview – Phobias
A phobia is an overwhelming and debilitating fear of an object, place, situation, feeling or animal.
Phobias are more prevalent than fears. People develop them when they have an exaggerated, unrealistic sense of danger about a situation or an object.
If a phobia becomes very severe, a person may organise their life to avoid the thing causing them anxiety. In addition to limiting their day-to-day lives, it can also cause much distress.
Phobia symptoms
Phobias are anxiety disorders. There may be no symptoms until you come into contact with the source of your phobia.
Even thinking about the source of a phobia can cause anxiety and panic in some cases. This is called anticipatory anxiety.
Symptoms may include:
- unsteadiness, dizziness and lightheadedness
- nausea
- sweating
- increased heart rate or palpitations
- shortness of breath
- trembling or shaking
- an upset stomach
If you do not come into contact with the source of your phobia very often, it may not affect your everyday life.
It may be challenging to lead an ordinary life if you have a complex phobia, such as agoraphobia.
Types of phobia
People can develop phobias toward many objects or situations.
The two main categories of phobias are:
- specific or simple phobias
- complex phobias
Specific or simple phobias
Phobias are fear-based reactions to particular objects, animals, situations, or activities.
As you grow older, they may become less severe. They usually develop during childhood or adolescence.
Common examples of simple phobias include:
- animal phobias – such as dogs, spiders, snakes or rodents
- environmental phobias – such as heights, deep water and germs
- situational phobias – such as visiting the dentist or flying
- bodily phobias – such as blood, vomit or having injections
- sexual phobias – such as performance anxiety or the fear of getting a sexually transmitted infection (STI)