Specific Phobias

A specific phobia is an extreme, magnified fear of a specific situation. Specific phobias are not rare: Close to 20 million Americans have a specific phobia. People who suffer from a phobia usually know that their fear reaction to the situation is much stronger than is reasonable. And sometimes the phobia gets in the way of their quality of life.

Some examples of the more common phobias:

• Fear of flying (airplanes, helicopters, etc.)

• Fear of dogs

• Fear of elevators

• Fear of closed-in spaces

• Fear of water

• Fear of blood or injuries

• Fear of spiders or insects

• Fear of heights

• Fear of highways

• Fear of escalators

• Fear of tunnels

Those are some common phobias. But any object or situation can turn into a phobia. The fear feels similar, no matter what one is afraid of, and the ways the phobia is successfully treated tend to be rather similar, too.

The above information is provided as a courtesy. Specific phobias are often best treated in-person, in order to be able to engage in real-life desensitization exercises. And since at this time all our sessions are conducted by phone, you are advised to set an appointment with any of the many local mental health providers who often in-person sessions.