Anxiety, Information, Symptoms

Common Types of Phobias

Rahat Lookmanji
By Rahat Lookmanji

As we have talked about, Phobias fall under the umbrella of Anxiety Disorders. To learn about some of the other types of Anxiety Disorders, click here. The origin of the word Phobia comes from the Greek god Phobos, who was the deity of fear and panic. Fear and panic are the key components of what dealing with a Phobia feels like. A person who suffers from a Phobia experiences irrational and often crippling fear that negatively impacts their social and occupational functioning as well as their emotional and mental health.

Phobias are varied and encompass a vast range of fears. There are three categories Phobias fall into:

  • Agoraphobia

  • Social Phobia: Also known as Social Anxiety Disorder

  • Specific Phobias: Such as arachnophobia, which is the fear of spiders.

Agoraphobia is characterised by the immense fear of using public transportation, being in open spaces, being in enclosed places, standing in line or being in crowds, and being outside of the home alone.

This Phobia involves a fear of being in places that one cannot escape from. The term Agoraphobia is derived from the phrase, ‘fear of open spaces’. Individuals with this Phobia may avoid social situations that require them to venture outside of their comfort zone and may experience panic attacks if their Phobia is triggered.

Social Phobia, also known as Social Anxiety Disorder, is characterised by a fear of one or more social situations in which the individual is exposed to possible scrutiny by others. The individual may be fearful that others will notice their anxiety and that they will be judged negatively for it.

A person who has a Social Phobia may tend to avoid social situations in order to avoid triggering their Phobia. Having a Social Phobia can be very detrimental to a person as they may begin to avoid socialising with friends and family. Their work or education may suffer and thus the quality of their overall life is negatively impacted.

A Specific Phobia is an irrational fear of a specific situation or object. This can range from Phobias of spiders, cats, dogs, heights, elevators or even clowns. The individual may experience near-debilitating fear when faced with the situation or object they are phobic about.

Rahat Lookmanji

Therapist, Founder of The Empathy Centre, BSc Psychology with Clinical Psychology, M.A Clinical Psychology

Published by Rahat Lookmanji

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