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Phobias, Irrational But Real:
by Susan Eskdale

Phobia sounds like such a funny word, but to sufferers of this disorder it strikes fear into their very souls. Understanding phobias is important, join me as I delve into the world of phobias.

What are phobias and do they truly provide a cause for concern? Often people will say that they are afraid of something, but how does that translate into what is a medical condition?

Phobias are irrational fears that can limit a person’s ability to interact in the world normally. Individuals who suffer from phobias realise that the fears are irrational, but are somehow still unable to overcome the fears. Many people who suffer from this type of disorder will change their lives to avoid being put into situations where their phobias would come into play.

Perhaps you have heard of an individual that begins to hyperventilate when they are in an enclosed space. This person is suffering from claustrophobia, the fear of being trapped in a small space, which causes panic to overcome the individual. This person will begin to suffer physical symptoms if they are not removed from the situation immediately. The person may begin to shake uncontrollably, begin to sweat profusely, compact his/her body to take up less space, hyperventilation is yet another physical reaction that can lead to the eventual fainting of the individual.

Every person has something that they are afraid of, but when does this fear become a phobia and why? The sad truth is that there is no real answer to why we all have fears. Often fears are related to experiences we have had during our lifetime. A person who was bit by a dog may have a healthy respect for dogs and may in fact have a fear of coming into contact with dogs in the future. Some individuals have a fear of dogs, but have never interacted with the animals before, since the person didn’t have a negative experience it points to a phobia. Individuals who suffer from phobias often try to talk themselves out of their fears; they feel that the fear is unwarranted if not altogether unreasonable. No amount of telling them that they should not be afraid will cause the fear to go away, in fact often the more a person hears how irrational their fears are the more entrenched the phobia becomes.

There are literally hundreds of phobias, with new phobias being reported every day. A few of the more common phobias include:

Aerophobia the fear of flying

Claustrophobia fear of enclosed spaces

Acrophobia fear of heights

Hemophobia fear of blood

Social phobia fear of being judged in public, e.g. public speaking

Agoraphobia fear of venturing outside one’s own home, therefore a fear of public and/or open spaces.

Arachnophobia – fear of spiders

Photophobia fear of light

Triskaidekaphobia fear of the number 13

Ophidiophobia – fear of snakes

Nyctophobia – fear of the dark

The battle waged against phobias can be long and involved due to the fact that phobias are chronic in nature. All is not lost; people have been successfully treated for phobias and have been able to resume their normal lives. Besides determination, professional help is often required in order to defeat the irrational fear that is ruling the person’s life.

If you feel that you may be suffering from a phobia, you may wish to investigate phobias more deeply. Speaking with your doctor may be the best option if you feel that phobias are affecting your life in any way shape or form. If you just would like more information on what phobias are and the names of phobias I have included links to two sites below:
Anxiety Disorders Association of America
The Phobia List™