A phobia is an intense, clinically diagnosed fear. It can be all-encompassing and often interferes with one’s daily activities, negatively impacting quality of life.
Sometimes a phobia will be caused by a specific situation, such as flying in an airplane. This fear is actually quite common and can significantly hinder one’s ability to travel. People who have a fear of flying often complain of being unable to visit loved ones for decades at a time.
Certain animals can also be a source of fear for many people. Dogs, insects and snakes are common animals that tend to cause fear in people, possibly because of deep-seated survival instincts.
Germs and contamination are also highly feared by some people. A phobia of germs, contamination or illness can be especially difficult to deal with. How can someone honestly judge whether his or her hands are truly clean? This can lead to excessive hand-washing, food avoidance, and avoidance of social situations.
Even phobias of obscure things can make one’s life more difficult. A writer for an Australian publication has a number of phobias, some odd and some quite common. The man greatly feared dropping his keys when exiting the elevator. He believed that they would somehow fall into the space between the elevator and the floor he stopped on.
The writer would clutch his keys convulsively while stepping out of the elevator, irrationally afraid that putting his keys in his pocket would increase his chances of losing them in the gap.
To find out the strange effect sharing his fear had on a friend of his, visit the link below.
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/the-day-my-phobia-became-a-reality/story-e6frg6n6-1226652152877
Photo Credit: nicola.albertini via Compfight cc
