A phobia is an unusually strong fear that goes beyond healthy or normal levels. Phobias can cause you to miss work or school, limit your activities to avoid the feared object or situation, and make you feel constantly anxious and tense.
A phobia can develop at any age, during childhood or adulthood. Although it can take years for one to develop, a phobia can also begin suddenly after an unpleasant event. A bout of severe sickness can lead to emetophobia, for instance, or a car wreck could cause you to develop a fear of driving.
A writer for the UK publication, The Guardian, describes a number of common (and uncommon) phobias and the possible reasoning behind them. He believes that there may be valid causes for many of our fears, though we should still do our best not to allow phobias to rule our life.
The writer explains how human development and biology contribute to our reactions to certain things in our environment. For example, fearing snakes may be something that is “programmed” into your DNA, because people who did not fear snakes were less likely to survive and reproduce.
He also mentions the puzzling nature of certain fears that seem to have no logical cause.
A few methods for treating phobias are mentioned at the conclusion of the article. If you want to access this information and read the very interesting and creatively written piece on phobias, click on the link found below.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/brain-flapping/2013/jun/28/phobias-rationale-irrational-fears
