Specific Phobia

What is specific phobia? 

A specific phobia is when a particular situation or object triggers intense anxiety. This might lead you to avoid it altogether, or if avoidance isn’t possible, you face it with considerable distress.  

What are the symptoms of specific phobia? 

• The experience of intense fear that arises when one anticipates or is exposed to a specific object or situation. 

• The distress experienced when exposed to the feared situation/object may take the form of a panic attack (i.e., a discrete period of intense and sudden fear, apprehension or terror, with physical symptoms such as heart palpitations, blushing, trembling, sweating, and faintness). 

• People with SP usually recognize that their fear is unreasonable or excessive. 

• People with SP either experience considerable distress about having the phobia and/or they avoid the feared object/situation. If the feared object/situation cannot be avoided, their normal routine will be significantly disrupted (including work, academic study, relationships, and/or social activities). 

• There are 5 major SP category types, including: Animal (e.g., spiders, snakes), Natural environment (e.g., heights, storms), Blood-injection-injury (e.g., receiving an injection), Situation (e.g., elevators, enclosed spaces, flying), and Other (e.g., fear of vomiting, fear of illness). 

Who gets specific phobia? 

• Different types of phobias tend to emerge at different life stages. For example, a fear of animals, blood, and water tends to develop in early childhood, whereas a fear of heights tends to develop in adolescence. 
• Factors contributing to the development of a specific phobia may include childhood fears that are not resolved, parental modeling, or exposure to a stressful or traumatic situation, such as a natural disaster or being bitten by an animal.