What is a phobia, its types, symptoms and causes

A phobia is a type of anxiety disorder. It can usually affect anyone. It is triggered by the presence or anticipation of a specific object or situation. Children and teens with one or more phobias have persistent anxiety when exposed to the object or situation. Fear of animals, blood, heights, enclosed spaces, or flying are common phobias. In children and teens, the phobia must last for at least six months to be called a phobia rather than a fear.

Types of phobias

There are three types of phobias- social anxiety disorder, agoraphobia and specific phobias. The first two are considered complex phobias and the latter one is considered severe. Specific phobias are also sometimes called simple phobias.

Social anxiety disorder

This is known as social phobia. It involves an extreme fear of social situations. People with social phobia often try to avoid social gatherings or events where they might feel embarrassed. People with this type of phobia often avoid parties, work events, public speaking, or making small talk with strangers. It depends on which situation they feel most afraid and uncomfortable in. People with this anxiety disorder may generally feel distressed, uncomfortable, and self-conscious if they attend social events.

Agoraphobia

Between 1% and 2.9% of teens and adults in the U.S. suffer from agoraphobia, a phobia that refers to an intense fear of being in unfamiliar or open spaces. People with agoraphobia often fear situations in which they might be trapped and difficult to escape—such as public transportation, lines, or crowded areas. In severe cases, people with the phobia avoid leaving their homes.

Specific phobias

A specific phobia or simple phobia is a persistent fear of a certain object, animal, person, or situation that causes extreme distress. About 8% to 12% of American adults have a specific phobia.

Social class	Examples of fear
Animal	Crocodiles, dogs, snakes.
natural environment	Heights, storms, water.
blood, medical procedures, or injuries	Needles, sharp objects, pain.
circumstances	Driving, flying, confined spaces.
Other	Kids, suffocation, clowns.

Animal

• Arachnophobia – fear of spiders
• Chiroptophobia – fear of bats
• Cynophobia – fear of dogs
• Ophidiophobia – fear of snakes
• Zoophobia – fear of animals

natural environment

• Acrophobia – fear of heights
• Aquaphobia – fear of water
• Astrophobia – fear of storms
• Thalassophobia – fear of the ocean

blood, medical procedures, or injuries

• Hemophobia – fear of blood
• Nosocomophobia – fear of hospitals
• Tomophobia – fear of surgery
• Trypanophobia – fear of needles

circumstances

• Aerophobia – fear of flying
• Amaxophobia – fear of driving
• Claustrophobia – fear of confined spaces
• Escalaphobia – fear of escalators

Other

• Coulrophobia – fear of clowns
• Chorophobia – fear of dancing
• Phonophobia – fear of loud noises

Symptoms of phobias

Specific phobias and agoraphobia have similar potential symptoms, but they can occur in different ways or circumstances. Phobias can cause you to have physical, mental, and behavioral symptoms. These symptoms will also occur when you are exposed to or think about the feared object or situation.

Physical Symptoms

Sweating, abnormal breathing, rapid heartbeat, tremors, chills, chest pain, dry mouth, dizziness, headache, etc. Feeling anxious or needing to flee.

Psychological symptoms

• Distorted thoughts regarding the situation or stimulus.
• Sweating, feeling hot or cold.
• Shaking or trembling.
• Stomach ache or upset stomach.
• Tightness or pain in the chest.
• Difficulty breathing or feeling suffocated.
• Feeling dizzy or lightheaded.

Behavioral traits

• Avoiding routine medical or dental care because you are afraid of needles, dentists, etc.
• Moving away from the coastal area due to fear of storm.

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• Specifically making positive changes – so that you don’t have to face triggers, such as avoiding buying a home or taking a job overlooking a river, lake or ocean because of your fear of water, swimming or drowning.

Causes of phobias

Phobias occur when your brain takes fear and anxiety to extremes. Under normal circumstances, these feelings can be protective and helpful. They are your brain’s way of warning you. Many factors and processes may contribute to having a phobia. These include:

Painful experience

These could be experiences that happen to you or that you see happening to someone else.

Genetics

Certain types of phobias are more likely to occur in people who have a relative with that type of phobia. The types with higher rates in family members are animal, blood/medical procedure, injury, and situational phobias.

Informational transmission 

Some phobias may be caused by things you learn about or that you see or hear repeatedly.

Learned fear

People may learn about another’s fears or phobias and develop phobias as a result. People with overprotective parents are more likely to have specific phobias.

Phobia Related Questions

Can phobias be prevented?

No, there is no way to prevent a phobia from developing. Most phobias are treated.

How long can a phobia last?

Phobias can persist for a lifetime without treatment.

What does it feel like to have a phobia?

Feeling unsteady, dizzy, lightheaded or faint. Feeling like you are choking. Palpitations, anxiety or a fast heart rate. Chest pain or tightness.

What is the best medicine for phobia?

The most prescribed medication for phobias is benzodiazepine, drugs such as Xanax, Ativan, and Chloropin.