Phobias and Fears Information
What is a Phobia?
A phobia can be classified as a disability in that it can effect a persons psychological being and ability to perform certain tasks. A phobia is an irrational, intense, persistent fear of certain situations, activities, things, or persons.
According to the National Institute of Mental Health, approximately 8.7% of people, or about 19.2 million American adults, suffer from one or more specific phobias.
The main symptom of this disorder is the excessive, unreasonable desire to avoid the feared subject. When the fear is beyond one's control, or if the fear is interfering with daily life, then a diagnosis under one of the anxiety disorders can be made.
It is generally accepted that phobias arise from a combination of external events and internal predispositions.
Phobias are more often than not linked to the amygdala, an area of the brain located behind the pituitary gland in the limbic system. The amygdala secretes hormones that control fear and aggression, and aids in the interpretation of this emotion in the facial expressions of others.
Phobia's in Children - Fears and Childhood Phobia's
Fears are common and normal in childhood, however, for some children and teenagers, their fears can become very severe over time, and even develop into a phobia. In children and adolescents, the identified fear must last at least six months to be considered a phobia rather than a transient fear.
Childhood phobias can make it difficult for your child to go to school, be around other kids, or get involved in combined activities, such as school camping trips and day camps etc.
Phobias can be very hard on children and teenagers, especially when their friends and/or family don't understand why the child is getting upset over something that is nothing to them. An adult or teenager can often realize their fear is unreasonable or excessive, whereas a younger child might not be aware of this.
A child psychiatrist, psychologist or other qualified health or mental health professional usually diagnoses anxiety disorders in children or adolescents following a comprehensive medical and psychiatric evaluation. Parents who note signs of severe anxiety in their child or teen should help by seeking an evaluation and treatment early. Early treatment can prevent future problems.
Most psychologists and psychiatrists classify most phobias into three categories:
a) Social phobia - Also known as social anxiety disorder - fears involving other people or social situations such as performance anxiety or fears of embarrassment by scrutiny of others, such as eating in public.
b) Specific phobias - Fear of a single specific panic trigger such as spiders, snakes, dogs, elevators, water, flying, catching a specific illness, etc.
c) Agoraphobia - A generalized fear of leaving home or a small familiar 'safe' area, and of possible panic attacks that might follow.
View our list of common phobias
Articles
| Pub. Date | Topic | Author |
|---|---|---|
| 2010-11-14 | Talk Therapy in Children with Anxiety Disorder | Georgetown University Medical Center |
| 2010-11-11 | Brain Neural Circuits Responsible for Fear Identified | Friedrich Miescher Institute |
| 2010-10-28 | Nyctophobia - Fear or Being Afraid of the Dark | Disabled World |
| 2010-02-21 | Phobia Treatments using Hypnotherapy | Alan B. Densky, CH |
| 2009-01-31 | Anxiety Disorders and Panic Attacks | Thomas C. Weiss |
| 2009-01-18 | What Is Social Phobia? | Gary M. Miller |
| 2009-01-18 | Overcoming Social Phobia | Disabled World |
| 2009-01-18 | Fear of Spiders - Arachnophobia | Disabled World |
| 2009-01-18 | Conquer Your Fears or Phobia | Catya |
| 2009-01-18 | Phobia Treatments | Disabled World |
| 2009-01-17 | Agoraphobia Definition and Information | Thomas C. Weiss |
