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A phobia is an anxiety disorder involving excessive and persistent fear of a situation or object. Exposure to the source of the fear triggers an immediate anxiety response.
Phobias are one of the most common mental illnesses in the United States. According to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIH), approximately 12.5% of adults in the U.S. will deal with a specific phobia in their lifetime.1
Some are more common (think arachnophobia or claustrophobia), while some are much more rare (aka fear of vacuum cleaners). They also tend to fall into one of three groups: social phobia, agoraphobia, and specific phobias.
When looking at a list of common phobias, you'll probably notice that many of the specific phobias involve a fear of the natural environment, animals, medical treatments, or specific situations.
Types of Phobias
The American Psychiatric Association (APA) identifies three different categories of phobias:
Social phobias: Now known as social anxiety disorder, this phobia is marked by a fear of social situations in which a person might be judged or embarrassed.
Agoraphobia: This phobia involves an irrational and extreme fear of being in places where escape is difficult. It may involve a fear of crowded places or even of leaving one's home.
Specific phobias: When people talk about having a phobia of a specific object such as snakes, spiders, or needles, they are referring to a specific phobia.
