While walking along the sidewalk, you suddenly spot the creature. It is looking at you with its large eyes. The animal begins to walk toward you. You freeze. Your heart beats faster, your hands begin to shake, and you experience difficulty in breathing. “Move!” you tell yourself, but you are frozen to the spot.

What is this awful creature that is causing you so much distress? It’s only a tiny Chihuahua. If you are like many others who suffer from cynophobia, this critter can be the cause a real panic attack.

A phobia, from the Greek word meaning fear, is defined as an irrational fear, an intense unrealistic fear. It affects approximately 12% of the American population. Everyone experiences anxiety at some time. Perhaps you are expected to give a speech. It is normal to be a bit uneasy or anxious about the speech, but it becomes a phobia if you worry abut it for weeks prior. If you have a fear of heights, but still visit your mother who lives on the 49th floor of a high rise apartment building, then your fear is not interfering with your life. Most fears do not cause a major disruption in day to day living. Therefore, it is common for people to develop ways of coping with their fears. Usually there is some form of avoidance, such as taking an alternate route to work to evade a bridge. Sometimes, the person will just endure the stress and anxiety caused by the fear.

The causes for developing phobias are not known. Sometimes these fears begin during childhood. It is thought to be a learned process, such as if a parent fears storms, the child may come to dread a storm as well. Another example is if one was bitten by a dog as a youngster, he may have a fear of dogs as an adult. This is understandable. However, it really does not matter how the phobia developed. The important element is whether it interferes with living your life and if so, then one needs to seek treatment.

If a fear makes everyday living impossible, if it keeps you from working or enjoying everyday life, then it has become a phobia. If your fear of dentists means that you let your teeth rot, then it is interfering with a normal life. If your fear of elevators prevents you from going to your place of employment, then it is time to seek treatment which can be quite effective according to the Mayo Clinic.