What are the three primary types of phobias?
What is specific phobia? Specific phobia is characterized by extreme fear of an object or situation that is not harmful under general conditions. Examples may include a fear of the following: • flying (fearing the plane will crash) • dogs (fearing the dog will bite/attack) • closed-in places (fear of being trapped) • tunnels (fearing a collapse) • heights (fear of falling) What are the characteristics of specific phobia? People with specific phobias know that their fear is excessive, but are unable to overcome their emotion. The disorder is diagnosed only when the specific fear interferes with daily activities of school, work, or home life. Approximately 19 million American adults ages 18 to 54, in a given year, have some type of specific phobia. There is no known cause, although they seem to run in families and are slightly more prevalent in women. If the object of the fear is easy to avoid, people with phobias may not feel the need to seek treatment. Sometimes, however, they may make
