Phobias

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Basics

• Summary
• Start Here
• Treatments and Therapies

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• Specifics

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Research

• Clinical Trials
• Journal Articles

Resources

• Find an Expert

For You

• Children
• Teenagers
• Patient Handouts

Summary

A phobia is a type of anxiety disorder. It is a strong, irrational fear of something that poses little or no real danger.

There are many specific phobias. Acrophobia is a fear of heights. Agoraphobia is a fear of public places, and claustrophobia is a fear of closed-in places. If you become anxious and extremely self-conscious in everyday social situations, you could have a social phobia. Other common phobias involve tunnels, highway driving, water, flying, animals and blood.

People with phobias try to avoid what they are afraid of. If they cannot, they may experience:

• Panic and fear
• Rapid heartbeat
• Shortness of breath
• Trembling
• A strong desire to get away

Phobias usually start in children or teens, and continue into adulthood. The causes of specific phobias are not known, but they sometimes run in families.

Treatment helps most people with phobias. Options include medicines, therapy or both.

NIH: National Institute of Mental Health

Start Here

• Phobias (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) Also in Spanish

Treatments and Therapies

• Mental Health Medications (National Institute of Mental Health)
• Psychotherapies (National Institute of Mental Health)

Specifics

• Agoraphobia (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
• Fear of Public Speaking: How Can I Overcome It? (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) Also in Spanish
• How to Cope with Medical Test Anxiety (National Library of Medicine) Also in Spanish
• Social Anxiety Disorder (Social Phobia) (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) Also in Spanish
• Social Anxiety Disorder: More than Just Shyness (National Institute of Mental Health) Also in Spanish

Clinical Trials

• ClinicalTrials.gov: Agoraphobia (National Institutes of Health)
• ClinicalTrials.gov: Phobia, Social (National Institutes of Health)
• ClinicalTrials.gov: Phobic Disorders (National Institutes of Health)

Journal Articles References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)

• Article: Unraveling the impact of kinesiophobia on proprioception and balance: Mediation by...
• Article: Kinesiophobia and associated factors in postmenopausal osteoporosis: a controlled study.
• Article: Kinesiophobia as a Barrier to Symptom Management Using Physical Activity When...
• Phobias -- see more articles

Find an Expert

• Anxiety and Depression Association of America
• Find a Therapist (Anxiety and Depression Association of America)
• Find Your Local NAMI (NAMI)
• FindTreatment.gov (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration) Also in Spanish
• Help for Mental Illnesses (National Institute of Mental Health) Also in Spanish
• NAMI
• National Institute of Mental Health Also in Spanish
• Psychologist Locator (American Psychological Association)

Children

• Childhood Fears and Worries (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish
• Phobias (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish

Teenagers

• Fears and Phobias (Nemours Foundation)
• Social Anxiety (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish
• Your Adolescent: Anxiety and Avoidant Disorders (American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry)

Patient Handouts

• Agoraphobia (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Phobia - simple/specific (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Social anxiety disorder (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish