Main Types of Phobias

February 18th, 2009 by admin

There seems to be a million different phobias that are named, but in essence all phobias fit into one of three groups, although these groups do tend to overlap to some degree. The three categories of phobias are specific phobias, social phobias, and Agoraphobia.

Specific phobias are phobias of a specific object, situation, or thing that triggers extreme and unjustified fear. The majority of strange or spectacular phobias you read or hear about are specialized phobias. The main kinds of specific phobias are animal phobias, natural environment phobias, situational phobias, blood injection phobia, and other phobias. Animal phobias are simply the fear of a specific type of animal, like dogs, snakes, spiders, etc. Natural environment phobias are caused by events or situations in the natural world, such as storms, darkness, and heights, while situational phobias concern a specific event. Common situational phobias include claustrophobia, fear of flying, and fear of going to the doctor. However, there is some overlap between situational phobias and social phobias and Agoraphobia. Blood injection phobias include the fear of blood, being injured, and medical procedures. The fifth category of specific phobias, other phobias, includes all specific phobias that do not fit cleanly into the other four groups, like the fear of death or illness. Specific phobias are very common, especially in children and teens, and can resolve themselves in these younger age groups.

The next kind of phobia, social phobia, is a type of anxiety disorder. Social phobias are essentially an aversion to certain social situations because of a fear of embarrassment or being judged. Fear of speaking in public is the most common social phobia, but there are many types.

The third category of phobia is Agoraphobia, which was originally thought to be a fear of public (it actually means ‘fear of the marketplace’). It has recently been discovered that Agoraphobia is actually caused by a fear of having a panic attack in a public place, or somewhere that it could not be controlled or would be made worse. Many Agoraphobes avoid traveling by bus or plane, restaurants, and other public and social settings where it would be awkward to have a panic attack. In severe cases, some people who suffer from Agoraphobia become home bound and may not leave their home, or even their bed, for a number of years. Agoraphobia can be made worse by being overly conscious of the symptoms of a panic attack, which can easily trigger a panic attack. For instance, an Agoraphobia sufferer might become lightheaded, which is a panic attack symptom, because they sat up too quickly, but instead they dread panic attacks so much, become alarmed, and have an actual panic attack. Because of the cycle that Agoraphobia causes, it can be difficult to deal with, and medication is often used to control the panic attacks.

Even though phobias all have the same symptoms, the cause and the cure are different. In order to effectively treat a phobia, you must first know what type of phobia it is. Specific phobias can be dealt with on your own, but if you have social phobia or Agoraphobia, you will probably need some kind of medication to get your phobia under control.

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