A phobia is a type of anxiety disorder where an individual has an overwhelming and debilitating fear of an object, place, situation, feeling or animal.

Most of us have fears about certain situations. However, phobias are more intense than fears. They develop when a person has an exaggerated or unrealistic sense of danger about a situation or object. If a phobia becomes severe, it may impact a person’s ability to live a normal life, as they may organise their life around avoiding the trigger that causes them anxiety.

Phobias can be grouped into two categories, common specific phobias and complex phobias (such as social anxiety and agoraphobia). Common specific phobias are fears about specific objects, animals, situations or activities. These can include:

• Blood-injury
• Vomiting
• Needles
• Heights
• Deep water
• Flying
• Animals e.g. spiders, rodents, birds
• Situation phobias e.g. visiting the dentist

Complex phobias can have a bigger impact than simple phobias. This is because they’re often associated with a deep-rooted fear or anxiety about a particular circumstance or situation, such as agoraphobia – a fear of being in situations where escape might be difficult.

Signs & Symptoms:

• Sweating
• Dizziness
• Heart palpitations
• Nausea
• Shaking
• Numbness or tingling

These signs and symptoms can lead to people avoiding situations in which they might be exposed to any situations in which they might be exposed to their phobia. This makes their fear worse over time and people may feel anxious even at the thought of exposure to their phobia.

Causes of a phobia

It's not always clear why some phobias start but many can be linked to a frightening event or stressful situation. They usually develop as a child, teenager or young adult.

You may be more likely to have a phobia if:

• You experienced a frightening childhood experience - for example, being chased by a dog may cause a phobia of dogs
• you had family or friends with a phobia - it's possible to learn it from others
• other people have reacted to your panic or fear negatively - being embarrassed about your reaction to your phobia can increase your anxiety
• you're a woman - anxiety disorders are more common in women than in men
• you have a family history of anxiety disorders

Support available:

Mind have a page of self-help resources specifically for people struggling with phobias.

No More Panic provides valuable information for sufferers and carers of people with panic, anxiety, phobias and obsessive-compulsive disorders (OCD). Its purpose is to provide members with support, advice and a chance to meet like-minded people and make friends along the way.

If a phobia is significantly impacting your quality of life, you can speak to your GP who can explore what treatment options might be available to you.

Psychological therapies such as Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) can help people to address their phobia. Visit our service lookup here to see if we deliver a talking therapy service in your local area. Alternatively, you can visit the NHS website here and enter your postcode to find your local service