PHOBIA

Most of us have phobias and at any point in time and we can develop a complete new phobia. It's not abnormal to have phobias, but we should not be tied down by that. We can have multiple phobias or just a single one. If you find, your daily life is getting disturbed because of such phobia, you can always get yourself help from a medic or a good friend. 

Now let's talk about what is a phobia- A phobia is a type of anxiety disorder defined by a persistent and excessive fear of an object or situation. The phobia typically results in a rapid onset of fear and is present for more than six months.

Phobias can develop around any object or situation, and some people may have multiple phobias. They can be roughly categorized into two groups: specific phobias. complex phobias. But some study says, there are three main groups of phobias which include:

• Specific (simple) phobias: which are the most common and focus on specific objects.
• Social phobia: which causes extreme anxiety in social or public situations, and
• Agoraphobia: which is the fear of being alone in public places from which there is no easy escape. Some experts have divided them into two- specific and complex( social+ agoraphobia). 

Specific phobias

These are phobias about a specific object or situation, such as spiders or flying. They often develop in childhood or adolescence and for some people, they will lessen as they get older.

Some of the more common specific phobias are:

-animals (such as dogs, insects, snakes, rodents)

-the natural environment (such as heights, water, darkness, storms, germs)

-situational (such as flying, going to the dentist, tunnels, small spaces, escalators)

-body-based phobias (such as blood, vomit, injections, choking, medical procedures, childbirth)

-sexual phobias (such as sexual acts or fear of nudity)

-other (such as certain foods, objects, costumed characters)

Complex Phobia

Social phobia 

Social phobia can be extremely debilitating and can make it very difficult to engage in everyday activities such as:

-talking in groups or starting conversations

-public speaking

-speaking on the phone

-meeting new people

-talking to authority figures

-eating and drinking in front of others

-regular trips out to the shops or bank

-going to work

Agoraphobia

If you have agoraphobia you are likely to experience high levels of anxiety and may avoid a variety of everyday situations such as:

-being outside the home alone

-being in open spaces

-being in a crowd of people

-traveling by car, bus or plane

-being in enclosed spaces such as a lift or in a shop

Well, as the study shows, almost all phobias can be treated, only that we have to identify early and have a willingness to get over with it. Next time if you find someone with some phobia, extend your hand to make the person overcome the situation, rather labeling him or her as a freak. Who knows, what have you got-watch out. 

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@anindita