A phobia is an intense fear or feeling of anxiety that occurs only in a particular situation that frightens you.
This might be something as seemingly logical as a fear of heights, or as illogical as a fear of the colour green. At other times you don't feel anxious. For example, if you have a phobia of spiders (as millions of people do) you only feel anxious when there's a spider around, otherwise you feel fine.
About one in ten people has a significant phobia, although few people seek treatment.
People develop phobias to all sorts of things. Each phobia has its own name. Some (of a very long list) include:
- musophobia - fear of mice
- peladophobia - fear of bald people
- amathophobia - fear of dust
- pnigophobia - fear of choking or smothering
- maieusiophobia - fear of childbirth
- homichlophobia - fear of fog
- arachibutyrophobia - fear of peanut butter sticking to the roof of the mouth
Phobias make people avoid situations they know will make them anxious, but this can actually make the phobia worse. A person's life can becomes increasingly dominated by the precautions they take to avoid a situation they fear. You may know there's no real danger and you may feel embarrassed by your fear, but you're still unable to control it. It's better to confront your fears, even if it's in a very careful way or with the help of a trained therapist.
A phobia is more likely to go away if it has started after a distressing or traumatic event.
This article was last medically reviewed by Dr Trisha Macnair in August 2005.
First published in November 1997.
Phobias News:
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How much do you know about phobias? (Seattle Post-Intelligencer) - This quiz will test your knowledge of different types of phobias and some of the consequences of and treatments for them.
Cowardly Lion, columnist have this in common: both are scaredy cats (The Naperville Sun) - I've tried a lot of new things since writing this column, most of them with catastrophic results. Cross-country skiing - no balance; dancing - no rhythm; hot yoga - no stamina; played a witch - no fear!
Exergames get people off the couch, into fitness (The Indianapolis Star) - Four sisters ages 4 to 12 are throwing punches. Jab. Jab. Uppercut. Hook. One sister connects. Another hits the canvas -- at least on the screen.
What's eating us? (The New Zealand Herald) - Who doesn't know someone who's on a diet? Whether it's rigorously adhering to the guidelines of the latest fad diet, eating only healthy food and "being good" before falling wholly off the wagon, or just restricting your calorie intake, obsessing about food has become the ultimate modern anxiety.
Facing your fears (The Star) - People deal with their phobias in different ways. Most just try to avoid the source of their phobias but those suffering severely sometimes try to get help from the professionals.
So is Paul McKenna a genius or a snake-oil salesman? (Daily Mail) - Flashy, ambitious and a little prone to psychobabble, it is no wonder celebrities have taken DJ turned hypnotist turned self-help guru Paul McKenna to their hearts.
London News and Reviews (Evening Standard) - Flashy, ambitious and more than a little prone to psychobabble, it is no wonder American celebrities have taken DJ turned hypnotist turned self-help guru Paul McKenna to their hearts.
How weather-savvy are you? (Seattle Post-Intelligencer) - Test your knowledge of weather phobias.
Know Your Neighbor: Max Baumgardner, Retired engineer (SaukValley.com) - Before retiring, Max Baumgardner of Franklin Grove worked on jet engines for General Electric in Connecticut. He also had been a director of engineering, working on locomotives for General Motors in La Grange.
Books can help tackle difficult issues with kids (Dayton Daily News) - How do you talk with kids about divorce, depression or death? Many parents have no idea how to even begin such a conversation about serious topics with their children.
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