Are you extremely afraid of something, or do you know anyone who, for example, can’t even look at a picture of a snake without start crying of fear. We are not surprised if you or your friend have a phobia because almost 10% of the people in the world suffer from different kinds of phobias. Luckily phobics can get rid of their fears and live a normal life.

A phobia can be defined as an exaggerated fear of a specific object, place or situation. The characteristic behaviour among phobics are violent breathing, high pulse and panic. The phobics often plan their lives after their phobia. For example a snake-phobic maybe won’t come with you on a picnic in the townpark because there might be snakes in the grass. The causes for developing a phobia are different from one person to another. For a fact, women are more susceptible to phobias than men. The scientists think that phobias are caused by three main reasons. It’s genetic, it can be taught and it can also come out of a trauma.

Different types

There are three groups of phobias. The most known phobias, those who people often think of when they hear the word, are the specific phobias. For example snake or spider phobia and

fear of needles or hights. People who are afraid of crowded places, like squares, have an agoraphobia. Their fear is based on the feeling of not being able to get away if something happens. The third group of phobias is the social phobia group. A social phobic has problems with socialising with others. They are often terribly shy and would rather die than talk in public.