How can phobias be developed

Here are a few more of the most common ones:. Glossophobia: This is known as performance anxiety, or the fear of speaking in front of an audience. People with this phobia have severe physical symptoms when they even think about being in front of a group of people. Glossophobia treatments can include either therapy or medication.

Acrophobia: This is the fear of heights. People with this phobia avoid mountains, bridges, or the higher floors of buildings. Claustrophobia: This is a fear of enclosed or tight spaces. Severe claustrophobia can be especially disabling if it prevents you from riding in cars or elevators. Learn more about claustrophobia, from additional symptoms to treatment options. Aviophobia: This is also known as the fear of flying.

Dentophobia: Dentophobia is a fear of the dentist or dental procedures. It can be harmful if it prevents you from obtaining needed dental care. Hemophobia: This is a phobia of blood or injury. Nyctophobia : This phobia is a fear of the nighttime or darkness.

It almost always begins as a typical childhood fear. People with a genetic predisposition to anxiety may be at high risk of developing a phobia. Age, socioeconomic status, and gender seem to be risk factors only for certain phobias. For example, women are more likely to have animal phobias. Children or people with a low socioeconomic status are more likely to have social phobias.

Men make up the majority of those with dentist and doctor phobias. For instance, watching a devastating airplane crash on the news may trigger a fear of flying. That said, discerning the origin of the disorder can be difficult because people tend to do a poor job of identifying the source of their fears. Our understanding of how and why phobias crop up remains limited, but we have made great strides in abating them.

Exposure therapy, a form of cognitive-behavior therapy, is widely accepted as the most effective treatment for anxieties and phobias, and the vast majority of patients complete treatment within 10 sessions.

During exposure therapy, a person engages with the particular fear to help diminish and ultimately overcome it over time. An individual might, for example, look at a photograph of the dreaded object or become immersed in the situation he or she loathes. Fortunately for those plagued by irrational fears, we can treat a phobia rapidly and successfully without necessarily knowing its origin. Already a subscriber? Most importantly, CBT can teach a person experiencing phobia to control their own feelings and thoughts.

Phobias can be a source of genuine and ongoing distress for an individual. However, they are treatable in most cases, and very often the source of fear is avoidable. If you have a phobia, the one thing you should never be afraid of is seeking help.

They also offer a range of talks on how to overcome specific phobias. Agoraphobia is an anxiety disorder. It can cause intense fear in situations where escape may be difficult or help hard to access.

Learn about…. A phobia is a type of anxiety disorder. It causes a person to experience an overwhelming or debilitating fear of a situation or thing. Learn more here. Anxiety is a normal emotion that causes increased alertness, fear, and physical signs, such as a rapid heart rate.

However, when anxiety reactions…. Many people have difficulty finding effective ways to relax. Read this article to learn about different relaxation techniques and how they can benefit…. A look at different types of meditation and the benefits of each. Included are tips for better meditation and information on how long it takes to work. Everything you need to know about phobias. Medically reviewed by Timothy J. Legg, Ph. What is a phobia?

Symptoms Types Causes Treatment Takeaway A phobia is a type of anxiety disorder that causes an individual to experience extreme, irrational fear about a situation, living creature, place, or object. Exposure to air pollutants may amplify risk for depression in healthy individuals. Costs associated with obesity may account for 3. Related Coverage. What you need to know about agoraphobia.

Medically reviewed by Marney A. White, PhD, MS. Although specific phobias may seem silly to others, they can be devastating to the people who have them, causing problems that affect many aspects of life. If you have a specific phobia, consider getting psychological help, especially if you have children.

Although genetics likely plays a role in the development of specific phobias, repeatedly seeing someone else's phobic reaction can trigger a specific phobia in children. By dealing with your own fears, you'll be teaching your child excellent resiliency skills and encouraging him or her to take brave actions just like you did.

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This content does not have an English version. This content does not have an Arabic version. Overview Specific phobias are an overwhelming and unreasonable fear of objects or situations that pose little real danger but provoke anxiety and avoidance. Request an Appointment at Mayo Clinic. Share on: Facebook Twitter.