A phobia is an irrational fear, a type of anxiety disorder where the individual has a persistent dread of a living creature, situation, place or thing. Individuals with a phobia go to great lengths to avoid an anticipated danger,the danger is much more of a threat in their minds than it is in real life. If they come in contact with the source of their phobia, the person will endure tremendous distress, which can conflict with how they normally function; it can sometimes lead to complete panic. For some people, just thinking about their phobia is extremely distressing. A phobia begins when the individual starts to shape their lives around trying to avoid the source of their fear. A phobia is so much more severe than just a fear. People with a phobia have an intense need to completely avoid anything that may trigger their anxiety. Many people do not realise that there are three main categories of Phobias: social, agoraphobia, specific phobias. Having a social phobia means that you have an extreme and pervasive fear of social situations. Glossophobia, or fear of public speaking, is one of the most common social phobias in the US; according to Statistic Brain, a whopping 74% of the US suffers from Glossophobia. Agoraphobia is a type of anxiety disorder where you often fear and avoid certain places or …show more content…
Over 50 million people in the USA and 10 million in the UK are believed to be living with a kind of phobia. They can affect people of any sex, age, and economic status. The National Institute of Mental Health estimated in 2011 that between 8.7% and 18.1% of Americans of all ages are suffering from phobias. Many more women suffer from phobias than men. Simple phobias normally start early on in life; starting during childhood, and typically go away by the time the person hits their late teens. Complex phobias normally start later on in life; originating from a certain traumatic