An Introduction to Phobia

By Emmanuel U. Ojiaku

An lntroduction to phobia is a basic knowledge on the meaning of phobia, with over 500 types of phobia, signs and symptoms and preventive tips.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lulu.com
• Release date: Dec 3, 2013
• ISBN: 9781304617101

Book preview

An Introduction to Phobia

Meaning of Phobia

Phobia

A phobia is an irrational fear, a kind of anxiety disorder in which the sufferer has a relentless dread of a situation, living creature, place or thing. Phobias are emotional and physical reactions to feared objects or situations. A phobia starts when a person begins organizing their lives around avoiding the object of their fear. A phobia is much more serious than a simple fear. Sufferers have an overpowering need to steer clear of anything which triggers their anxiety.

Fear is the normal response to a genuine danger. With phobias, the fear is either irrational or excessive. It is an abnormally fearful response to a danger that is imagined or is irrationally exaggerated. People can develop phobic reactions to animals (e.g., cockroach, snake), activities (e.g., flying, swimming), or social situations (e.g., eating in public or simply being in a public environment). Phobias affect people of all ages, from all walks of life, and in every part of the world.

If the phobia is of something the phobic person very rarely comes into contact with, such as snakes, their daily lives will not be affected. However, some complex phobias are impossible to avoid, such as agoraphobia (fear of