Phobias

A phobia is a fear that is out of proportion to the situation that causes it and cannot be explained away. The sufferer will often try to avoid the feared situation, as this will help to reduce the anxiety. They are common in the general population but are generally only severe enough to be disabling in a small number of people. Phobias can arise towards many kinds of things or situations. Some are logical from an evolutionary point of view, as they represent a fear of something that would bring danger, such as heights. In other instances, a phobia arise via association, for example having an accident while on holiday in France may lead to a fear of France itself, or of holidays, or of the situation that caused the accident.

Agoraphobia: an intense fear of leaving the home, being in crowded spaces, travelling on public transport and being in any place that is difficult to leave. It commonly occurs with panic attacks. The person may have a panic attack when outside the home and this reinforces the belief that it is safer to stay inside.
Social Phobia: a fear of social interaction with others, talking to people, eating, drinking and speaking in public. Many people have a mixture of both agoraphobia and social phobia. Social phobia is also a common symptom of depression.
Specific Isolated Phobia: these are phobias that are restricted to highly specific circumstances such as proximity to a type of animal, such as a cat, or to exams, or dentists etc. Phobias are as unique as individual people are.

Treatment is available at: