What Are the Symptoms of Specific Phobias?
Symptoms of specific phobias may include: • Excessive or irrational fear of a specific object or situation. • Avoiding the object or situation, or enduring it with great distress. • Physical symptoms of anxiety or a panic attack, such as a pounding heart, nausea or diarrhea, sweating, trembling or shaking, numbness or tingling, problems with breathing (shortness of breath), feeling dizzy or lightheaded, feeling like you are choking. • Anticipatory anxiety, which involves becoming nervous ahead of time about being in certain situations or coming into contact with the object of your phobia. (For example, a person with a fear of dogs may become anxious about going for a walk because he or she may see a dog along the way.) Children with a specific phobia may express their anxiety by crying, clinging to a parent, or throwing a tantrum.
