What Causes Phobias?
A phobia is a persistent and irrational fear of a particular type of object, animal, activity, or situation that poses little to no actual danger.
Causes, incidence, and risk factors
Specific phobias are a type of anxiety disorder in which exposure to the feared stimulus may provoke extreme anxiety or a panic attack. Specific phobias are among the most common of all psychiatric disorders, affecting up to 10% of the population.
Common phobias include the fear of:
- Blood, injections, and...
More information on "What Causes Phobias?"
From Our Experts
Understanding the Symptoms of Phobia
A phobia is often described as a strong, persistent, and unwarranted fear of a specific object or situation. Most people can relate,... Read more »
School Phobia
School Phobia can severely impact a child's education and social life. It is thought to stem from separation anxiety, a fear of leaving... Read more »
What Are Phobias?
Are you afraid to fly? Maybe you are afraid to get on an elevator? Or do you have an intense fear of spiders or dogs? These are all types... Read more »
Is it Possible to Inherit a Phobia?
For as long as I can remember, I’ve had a spider phobia. I always dread the beginning of spring and fall because after a relatively... Read more »
Characteristics of Social Phobia
Most of the research into social phobia has been conducted over the past decade or so; although it is easy enough to trace it back at least... Read more »
From Our Sources
Needle Phobia
Approximately 10% of the population has needle phobia, or an intense fear of needles and sharp objects. Fear of needles is a “specific... Read more »
Treating Your Fear of the Dentist
Between nine and fifteen percent of people in the United States avoid seeing a dentist because of fear. This is considered to be dental phobia.... Read more »
Social phobia
Source: ADAM Encyclopedia
Social phobia is a persistent and irrational fear of situations that may involve scrutiny or judgment by others, such as parties and other social... Read more »
Phobia: simple/specific
Source: ADAM Encyclopedia
The goal of treatment is to help you function effectively. The success of the treatment usually depends on the severity of the phobia.Systematic... Read more »
Phobia
Source: Harvard Decision Guide
What Is It? A phobia is a persistent, excessive, unrealistic fear of an object, person, animal, activity or situation. It is a type of anxiety... Read more »
9 Unusual Phobias That People Really Have
What are YOU afraid of? President Franklin D. Roosevelt once said: "...we have nothing to fear but fear itself." For many people, however, there are many other things to fear, some of them seemingly strange or unusual to other people who don't...
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