Simple phobias, such as
a fear of going to the dentist
, usually start during early childhood, often between the ages of four and eight. Simple phobias often disappear on their own as the child gets older and usually do not cause problems in adulthood. Complex phobias usually start later in life.
What is a simple phobia?
A specific phobia, formerly called a simple phobia, is
a lasting and unreasonable fear caused by the presence or thought of a specific object
or situation that usually poses little or no actual danger.
What is an example of a simple phobia?
Common examples of simple phobias include:
animal phobias
– such as dogs, spiders, snakes or rodents. environmental phobias – such as heights, deep water and germs. situational phobias – such as visiting the dentist or flying.
What are the 3 types of phobias?
There are three types of phobia:
social phobia, agoraphobia, and specific phobia
. Symptoms, or phobic reactions, may be psychological, such as an intense feeling of unease or foreboding; physical, such as crying or gastrointestinal distress; or behavioral, which includes a wide variety of avoidance tactics.
What are four types of phobias?
- Animal phobias. …
- Phobias of the natural environment. …
- Situational phobias. …
- Body-based phobias. …
- Sexual phobias. …
- Other phobias.
What’s the rarest phobia?
- Ablutophobia | Fear of bathing. …
- Arachibutyrophobia | Fear of peanut butter sticking to the roof of your mouth. …
- Arithmophobia | Fear of math. …
- Chirophobia | Fear of hands. …
- Chloephobia | Fear of newspapers. …
- Globophobia (Fear of balloons) …
- Omphalophobia | Fear of Umbilicus (Bello Buttons)
Does everyone have a phobia?
What is a phobia?
Almost everyone has an irrational fear or two
—of spiders, for example, or your annual dental checkup. For most people, these fears are minor. But when fears become so severe that they cause tremendous anxiety and interfere with your normal life, they’re called phobias.
What are the top 10 phobias?
- Atychiphobia. Fear of Failure. …
- Thanatophobia. Fear of Death. …
- Nosophobia. Fear of developing a disease. …
- Arachnophobia. Fear of spiders. …
- Vehophobia. Fear of driving. …
- Claustrophobia. Fear of enclosed spaces. …
- Acrophobia. Fear of heights. …
- Aerophobia. Fear of flying.
What is the most common phobia?
- Arachnophobia – fear of spiders. …
- Ophidiophobia – fear of snakes. …
- Acrophobia – fear of heights. …
- Agoraphobia – fear of situations where escape is difficult. …
- Cynophobia – fear of dogs.
What happens if phobia is not treated?
If not treated, a
phobia may worsen to the point where the person’s life is seriously impacted by the phobia
and by attempts to avoid or hide it, resulting in problems with physical health, friends and family, failure in school, and/or lost jobs while struggling to cope.
What is Hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia?
Hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia is one of the longest words in the dictionary — and, in an ironic twist, is the name
for a fear of long words
. Sesquipedalophobia is another term for the phobia. The American Psychiatric Association doesn’t officially recognize this phobia.
What classifies as a phobia?
A phobia is
a persistent, excessive, unrealistic fear of an object, person, animal, activity or situation
. It is a type of anxiety disorder. A person with a phobia either tries to avoid the thing that triggers the fear, or endures it with great anxiety and distress.
Is a phobia a mental illness?
Phobias are
among the most common of all mental illnesses
, and they are usually the most successfully treated. Phobias are divided into categories according to the cause of the reaction and avoidance. Agoraphobia is the fear of being in situations in which a person cannot get help or escape.
Can phobias be cured?
Almost all phobias can be successfully treated and cured
. Simple phobias can be treated through gradual exposure to the object, animal, place or situation that causes fear and anxiety. This is known as desensitisation or self-exposure therapy.
Is Trypophobia real?
Trypophobia isn’t an officially recognized phobia
. Some researchers have found evidence that it exists in some form and has real symptoms that can impact a person’s everyday life if they’re exposed to triggers. Speak with your doctor or a counselor if you think you may have trypophobia.
What are the 3 fears your born with?
Spiders, snakes, the dark
– these are called natural fears, developed at a young age, influenced by our environment and culture. So a young child isn’t automatically scared of spiders, but builds on cues from his parents.