A phobia is a type of anxiety disorder: a strong, irrational fear of something that poses little or no real danger.
Kinds of phobia
There are many specific phobias. A few have well-known names:
| Phobia | Fear of |
|---|---|
| Acrophobia | heights |
| Agoraphobia | public places |
| Claustrophobia | closed-in places |
| Social phobia | everyday social situations — feeling anxious and extremely self-conscious in them |
Other common phobias involve tunnels, highway driving, water, flying, animals and blood.
What happens
People with phobias try to avoid what they fear. When they cannot, they may have:
- panic and fear;
- a rapid heartbeat;
- shortness of breath;
- trembling;
- a strong urge to get away.
Who gets them
Phobias usually begin in childhood or the teenage years and carry on into adulthood. The causes of specific phobias are not known, though they sometimes run in families.
Treatment
Treatment helps most people with phobias. Options are medicine, therapy, or both.
Sources
- "Phobias," MedlinePlus, U.S. National Library of Medicine, drawing on the National Institute of Mental Health (NIH). https://medlineplus.gov/phobias.html
- Rewritten in hubnx's own words.
许可协议： CC0 1.0（公有领域） · 改编自 medlineplus.gov
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