What are Phobias? Phobias are excessive fears in specific situations when there is no real danger or fears that are totally out of proportions. Most of the time the person with a phobia realizes that his fear is irrational and illogical but he still feels anxiety. Avoiding the feared situation can only relieve this anxiety. "Phobias are extreme fears in specific situations in the absence of a real threat." Most of us are afraid for something; snakes, heights, doctors, injury or death are the most reported fears. But a fear is different from a phobia. A fear is usually not diagnosed as a phobia unless it causes big problems in the person's daily life. An example of this is a woman with a phobia for enclosed places, she will notice her phobia when she want to use elevators. Explanations There are a number of explanations about how phobias develop. Some phobias may result from frightening experiences. For example, you might develop fear for flying after experiencing a near air disaster. Once such a phobia develops, the individual may go to great lengths to avoid the feared situation, and so eliminating a possible fear. Other phobias may be learned through observation. fearful parents tend to produce children who share their fears. This phobia might be inherited, but it is more likely that parents provide a model and that the children imitate that model. Other phobias might develop because they are rewarded. When a child is afraid of going to school because he will be separated from his parents for a while, he will say he has a stomachache or something like that. Then his parents reward him with the comfort of staying home with his parents. Treatments Behavioral techniques have proved successful in treating phobias, especially simple and social phobias. One technique, systematic desensitization, involves confronting the phobic person with situations or objects that are feared. Exposure therapy, another behavioral method, has recently been shown to be more effective. In this technique, phobias are repeatedly exposed to the feared situation or object so that they can see that no harm befalls them; the fear gradually fades. Antianxiety drugs have also been used as palliatives. Drugs to treat depression have also proved successful in treating some phobias.  Further reading:   Phobia 1   Phobia 2   Phobia 3   Phobia 4   Phobia 5 Do you have more information about Phobias? Please share it in our database. [ TOP ]   © ThinkQuest Team 26618. All Rights Reserved.