Phobias Essay Example for Free

Phobias Essay A phobia is a common word to describe an unhealthy condition in which people experience abnormal fear of certain things or phenomena and demonstrate irrational behavior. The standard medical definition of phobia defines it as â€Å"early always, excessive fear of some particular type of object or situation; fear that is persistent and without sound grounds, or without grounds accepted as reasonable by the sufferer† (Beck, Emery, Greenberg 1985:115). Overall, the main symptoms of a phobia are â€Å"the presence of fear and by avoidance behavior† (Hamilton 1995:170). This fear should be excessive and manifested in physical symptoms, such as dryness of the mouth, nausea, sweat, and even faintness. The presence of excessive fear then leads a person to avoid the dreaded situation. Whatever the symptoms of the phobia might be, it is certain that phobias are a serious condition that can adversely affect the life of a person. In the following, we discuss various typical types of phobias, demonstrating their harmful influence on people’s lives. One of the most common phobias is agoraphobia, â€Å"a generalized fear of leaving home or a small familiar safe area, and of possible panic attacks that might follow. Agoraphobia is the only phobia regularly treated as a medical condition† (Wikipedia, 2006). This condition is one of the few phobias that are regularly treated with medication and behavioral therapy. When present in individuals, agoraphobia can seriously impair an individual’s ability to interact with the environment. Quite often, it will restrict a person’s willingness to relocate or even move out of one’s home. Agoraphobia typically emerges in individuals in their twenties who have a â€Å"a lowered threshold for panic attacks associated with separation† (Beck, Emery, Greenberg 1985: 134). Another widespread type is social phobia related to the general dislike of society aggravated to the degree of a medical condition. Another term for the same disease is the social anxiety disorder. The medical definition describes this phobia as â€Å"excessive long-lasting social anxiety causing relatively extreme distress and impaired ability to function in at least some areas of daily life† (Wikipedia, 2006). This fear can be seen in ordinary shyness which is characteristic of virtually all people in certain situations. However, whether shyness can be seen as a phobic condition is a matter of debate. In addition, there are more specific conditions that focus on selected objects or situations. One example is needle phobia, â€Å"a recently defined medical condition that affects at least 10% of the population† (Hamilton 1995:170). The people who suffer from this condition have developed an aversion to all kinds of medical procedures that involve an injection, which often triggers an avoidance of health care as a whole. It is certain that this condition can put the lives of people who demonstrate it in serious danger if it leads them to neglect a visit to a doctor. Therefore, phobias are serious health disorders that have the potential to seriously disrupt an individual’s life. Whereas people often demonstrate irrational behavior, only some instances have been classified as medical conditions qualifying for the definition of phobia. These include agoraphobia, or fear of open spaces or unwillingness to leave the familiar space, social phobia, also known as social anxiety disorder, and some more specific conditions, such as needle phobia. To a different degree, these phobias are widely spread and affect a large proportion of population.