Phobias and Fears

Phobia is an irrational, intense and persistent fear of certain situations, activities, things, animals, or people. The main symptom of this disorder is the excessive and unreasonable desire to avoid the feared stimulus. When the fear is beyond one's control, and if the fear is interfering with daily life, then a diagnosis under one of the anxiety disorders can be made. The actual threat of the phobia that you feel is much greater than the actual threat it often poses. Often phobic people are able to realize that their fears are unreasonable. But unreasonable or not, the phobic can experience physical reactions such as stress, anxiety, blushing, trembling, sweating, vomiting and trouble breathing.

Have you ever been frightened by a snake or been afraid to use public restrooms or other areas because of your fear of germs? You are not alone Phobias are more common place than we may think and the thing you fear the most may be the same phobia that your spouse or coworker may have. Phobias can often be know by several terms or names so if your phobia is referred by a different name here this is why.Some of the more common or more heard about phobias include. Arachnophobia- the fear of spiders, Achluophobia- Fear of darkness.Claustrophobia- Fear of confined spaces. Hydrophobia- Fear of water. This is just a few of the more common phobias there are to many to list them all here

One of the most common phobias isArachnophobia the fear of spiders. It is the most common example of an animal-based phobia and is one of the most common of phobias. For some people it has very intense effects. Different people suffer phobias to different degrees, the afflicted person reacts intensely to the merest sign of the phobia causing spider. It is often difficult, if not impossible, for those of us not suffering to make any sense of what they are experiencing. Phobias can be stimulated by many animals but spiders are the most common source. People who suffer badly can not even enter a room without having someone else check it for spiders first.

Arachnophobia does effect some people, young people are more likely to accept spiders as just another fascinating animal if given the chance. It is a fact that most serious sufferers are middle aged and older. It is also a fact that 9 out of ten recorded suffers are female. This of course may well reflect our social gender expectations in that men find it much harder to admit to being frightened of anything.

The most accepted form of treatment for Arachnophobia is aversion or behavior treatments. These tend to involve a mixture of education and experience, most sufferers of Arachnophobia have little real knowledge of spiders, learning allows the sufferer to use their own mind to counteract the rising emotions. Familiarization or experience has a similar effect, giving people the opportunity to gain perceptual evidence of spiders as being basically harmless, to desensitize them. Although the details of all treatments depend on the therapist as well as on the age and experience of the sufferer a large degree of moral support is essential.

Being Claustrophobic is not as uncommon as you may think.Claustrophobia is known as a morbid dread of enclosed spaces or a fear of being closed in.

Claustrophobia may be the result of a long-forgotten childhood experience or may be brought on by a trauma, such a being stuck in a elevator or a small room. The impact of being claustrophobic can have far reaching consequences such as fear of flying, fear of traveling on the underground trains and buses, fear of having an MRI scan, fear of elevators etc. and each of these fears can be added to, as the person gets older and encounters more situations to be frightened of.

Symptoms may include excessive sweating or clamminess, rapid breathing, rapid heartbeat, nausea, dizziness and panic attacks.

As The common phobias usually get the most attention, some people can be afflicted with phobias of a more rare and unusual nature. Below are some of the more unusual phobias people may experience. While some of these more uncommon fears may sound comical or implausible, people who have these phobias feel the effects as powerfully as those who suffer the more common and understandable phobias. A fear of the flowers or a teenager may sound laughable to the phobia-free among us, but they can be just as serious as a fear of flying to an aerophobic person.
A few of the most uncommon phobias that I encountered during my research on phobias are.

Ambulophobia - the fear of walking
Arachibutyrophobia - the fear of peanut butter sticking to the roof of one's mouth
Barophobia - the fear of gravity
Chromatophobia - the fear of colours
Cyberphobia - the fear of working with computers

this is just a short list and if you have a phobia that I have not mentioned dont feel alone as many others probably suffer the same phobia as you.We may not understand the extreme fear response some people give to the uncommon phobias. But somewhere in there is a threat to their survival and that is dangerous and fearful for the sufferer

Triskaidekaphobia, or fear of the number 13, The number 13 is not an object or a situation, and it can be impossible for the sufferer to avoid. Moreover, in order for a phobia to be diagnosed, it must significantly impact the sufferer's life. Most people with triskaidekaphobia find that their fear only arises in certain situations, and does not significantly impair their lives

triskaidekaphobia is an age-old and pervasive fear. It is commonly linked to the early Christians, as the number 13 appears in certain Biblical traditions. For example, there were 13 people present at the Last Supper, Jesus and his 12 Apostles. Some say that betrayer Judas was the 13th to join the table. This may be the origin of the superstition that states that when 13 dine; one will die within the year. However, the number 13 is also presented positively in the Bible. For example, the book of Exodus speaks of the 13 attributes of God. Evidence also shows of other references such as in Viking mythology, Loki is believed to be the 13th god. He is also said to have intruded on the Banquet of Valhalla, to which 12 gods were invited. The god Baldr was soon killed accidentally by his brother, using a spear given to him by Loki.

triskaidekaphobia is widely accepted among Western cultures. Most Western hotels omit the 13th floor. Many airlines omit the 13th row in seating. Even some cities and towns skip over 13th Street. Fear of the number 13 can be found in the Mesopotamian Code of Hammurabi, a Babylonian code of law that dates to approximately 1760 BC. The laws are numbered, but number 13 is omitted (along with numbers 66 through 99). Therefore, it is possible that triskaidekaphobia was widespread even among the ancient peoples.

Phobias and fears have been around since the beginning of man and since the early days of Hollywood movie makers have been preying upon our fears and phobias making movies that are meant to scare and frighten us.

Phobias did help create some of the most memorable, and Human, characters of all time: the snake-fearing Indiana Jones; Vertigo's height-fearing Scottie Ferguson, played by Jimmy Stewart; Agoraphobic Carol White (Julianne Moore) played in Safe's. Perhaps the most recent example is Ben Stiller's character in Along Came Polly, an Insurance risk analyst with a briefcase full of phobias. Movies such as Arachnophobia,Spider and the Starship troopers preyed upon our fear of spiders.

Stephen Kings movie IT in 1990 and Killer Clowns from outer Space preyed upon the phobia of clowns.Pediaphobia the fear of children was portrait ed in movies such as Children of the damned or Problem Child.

Even the phobia Pupaphobia- the fear of puppets wasnt safe from hollywood or television, have you see any of them muppet movies they really scared me. Phobias have also been featured in many popular television series as well. Remember on Seinfeld that Kramer was petrified of clowns, while Elaine was afraid of dogs. some phobia-afflicted celebrities include Joe Pantoliano and Billy Bob Thornton, who share Cosmo Kramer's fear of clowns. In interviews, Billy Bob has also admitted fears of komodo dragons and antique furniture. Woody Allen, he's claustrophobic. Anne Rice is Afraid of the dark. Alfred Hitchcock He was scared of eggs. Kim Basinger She's agoraphobic, or afraid of appearing in public.

Pediophobia, or fear of dolls, is relatively common. It is believed to be a type of automatonophobia, or fear of humanoid figures. Some people are afraid of all dolls and stuffed toys, while others fear only a specific type. Dolls that talk or move and old-fashioned china dolls are especially common targets of fear. Pediophobia has been heavily exploited in the Hollywood Movie scene with such classics as The1975 horror film Trilogy of Terror or the more popular Childs play movies featuring the evil doll Chucky.

Since pediophobia may be linked to a range of other fears, it is important that only a trained professional attempt to make a diagnosis. Your therapist will ask directed questions that are designed to help you clarify exactly what you fear. You can, however, prepare for your visit by making a list of your specific triggers. Are you afraid of all dolls or only certain types? Have you always been afraid or can you pinpoint when the fear began? Do you have other fears that may or may not be related?

Pediophobia is easily treatable. Depending on the exact nature of your fear, a range of talk therapy styles may be appropriate. Cognitive-behavioral is the most common for those with a specific phobia, as it is both time-limited and effective. It is not the only choice, though.