A little fear is natural, even healthy. After all, if you never feared anything, you would probably exhibit some rather foolhardy behavior. At the same time, too much fear can be devastating, especially when people fear things that represent no real threat. Such irrational fears, or phobias, are very common. Some phobias are minor annoyances, but others can seriously reduce a person’s quality of life.
Types of Phobias
There are countless phobias. Some, such as hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia (the fear of long words) and arachibutyrophobia (fear of peanut butter sticking to the roof of ones mouth) are often joked about. Others, such as acrophobia and claustrophobia, are serious and affect lots of people. Many phobias are so common that they are called several different things, and new phobias are constantly being named, usually by combining a Greek root with “phobia.”
Rational Irrational Fears
Many phobias are based on rational fears but are taken to irrational levels. For example, acrophobia, the fear of heights, seems like a pretty reasonable fear. Gravity is a strong force, and getting squished is not fun. So if you are too afraid of heights to go bungee jumping, you probably do not need to worry that your fear is irrational. However, some people are so afraid of heights that they cannot climb ladders or look out third story windows; this is rather irrational. More importantly, such an extreme fear can interfere with day to day life. Likewise, achluphobia, or an irrational fear of the dark, and bacteriophobia, a fear of disease, are understandable but still quite debilitating.
Situational Fears
Other phobias deal with social or spatial situations. Claustrophobia is the fear of small or enclosed spaces. Once again, most people experience some discomfort when stuck in a small space for a long time, but for some people the fear is extreme and irrational. Some people suffering from claustrophobia are afraid of all enclosed or confined spaces, including most normal buildings; this fear can be very debilitating. Other people who suffer from claustrophobia are only afraid of small, enclosed spaces, so reasonably spacious rooms do not bother them.
Agoraphobia refers to the fear of open spaces and crowded spaces. Many people who suffer from agoraphobia refuse to leave their home, which they consider to be the only safe location; some people only have agoraphobic episodes and are otherwise able to travel normally.
Fear Itself
Most phobias are the fear of something, whether it is an object or a situation. People suffering from panic disorder have reactions similar to those who suffer from phobias, but they are not afraid of any specific thing. In other words, panic attacks occur randomly, without an identifiable stimulus. Because people who suffer from panic disorders are unable to avoid the source of their fear, the disorder can be especially distressing.