Phobias are intense and irrational fears that create strong fear and panic in a person. They interfere with a person’s ability to socialize, work and in severe cases, live normally.

Most people experience anxiety or fear about certain events in their lives. For example, it is stressful for the majority of people to attend a job interview or to be assessed for performance at work. Phobias, however, are irrational fears that can prevent people from living normal lives.

Phobias belong to a spectrum of mental problems known as “anxiety disorders” and can be separated into three basic types: specific phobias, social phobia and agoraphobia. Specific phobias revolve around the fear of a specific object or situation.

Common specific phobias include fear of flying, and fear of snakes and spiders. If the specific phobia is not encountered often in a person’s life, it will probably not be very disruptive. However, if it is a common occurrence then the afflicted person may well be living in an unhealthy mental and emotional state and not be functioning at their best. Read the rest of this entry »