Phobias

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A phobia is a persistent, excessive or irrational fear of an object, place or situation.

The person has a compelling need to avoid exposure to the cause of the phobia, If exposed, or sometimes even anticipating exposure, the reaction is of extreme anxiety or panic. Avoidance may be fairly easy if the feared object is seldom encountered (e.g. fear of snakes) and therefore will not restrict the person's life greatly. However avoiding the feared situation of more complex phobias of agoraphobia and social phobia, may limit life severely.

Phobias usually develop in late childhood, adolescence, or early adult life.The physical symptoms of anxiety may include shaking, a rapid heart beat, breathing difficulties, sweating, chest pain, dizziness, sometimes together with an intense fear - of losing control, embarrassing oneself, fainting or even dying.
Phobias can be divided into two types: simple and complex.
Simple phobias are specific to a single object, situation, or activity, for example a fear of insects, heights, snakes, enclosed spaces, dentists or flying. The person with a simple phobia may react with mild anxiety or even with panic when confronted with the prospect of facing source of their fear.

Complex Phobias include phobias that have a number of component fears.

Agoraphobia is an example of a complex phobia. It involves multiple anxieties, including fear of entering shops, crowds, and public places, or of travelling alone in trains, buses, or planes. It also includes the anxiety associated with being unable to immediately escape to a place of safety, usually home. Agoraphobia usually develops slightly later than other phobias.

Social phobia is also classified as a complex phobia. A social phobia is a marked fear of social or performance situations. People with a social phobia have an extreme fear of embarrassing themselves or of being humiliated in public. They also feel inappropriate anxiety when anticipating appearing at some social function. Whenever possible individuals will avoid meeting people in social situations, including parties, eating in restaurants, public speaking etc. In extreme cases this may result in almost complete social isolation.

Social phobias are equally common in men and women and are usually associated with low self-esteem and fear of criticism. Social phobia is found equally in men and women and affects 1 or 2 % of people.