Phobias

A phobia is an inappropriate sense of anxiety or fear triggered by exposure to a specific object or situation. People with phobias have a strong desire to avoid whatever it is that is causing their fears.

There are three main types of phobia: Specific or Simple phobias, Agoraphobia, Social phobia. Firstly, Specific or simple phobias are very common in children, where they are essentially thought of as normal. But some phobias carry on until adult life. These specific phobias can be divided up as fears of: animals, nature, blood, certain situations. Secondly, Agoraphobia means a fear of open spaces. However, it's often used to refer to a fear of being away from home and family, often because of worry about having a panic attack. Thirdly, Social phobia occurs when there is an excessive fear of social situations, such as small groups of people at parties.

There are several different theories about why phobias develop. They do seem to run in families. But how much this is to do with picking up phobias from your parents and how much is inherited through your genes is uncertain. Young babies seem to be naturally afraid of animals such as snakes and of heights for instance, even though they need to learn to be afraid of man-made objects such as guns. So there is probably a natural fear response that gave our ancestors a survival advantage. It's possible that when phobias develop this natural fear response has gone wrong. Sometimes the start of a phobia may be triggered by a stressful life event, such as bereavement, illness or divorce. It might be possible to avoid phobias by encouraging children to face up to feared situations rather than stay away from them. However, this doesn't always work.

The best way to get over a phobia is to expose yourself to the feared object or situation and to tolerate the anxiety until it starts to decrease. Some people find that they can do this on their own, perhaps with the help of self-help books, support groups and friends and family. Others may need professional help from a psychiatrist or other therapist. For many people, the best treatment for phobias is a treatment called behavioral therapy.
Behavioral therapy involves a one-to-one session with a therapist trained in treating phobias. During the sessions, you learn to tolerate the anxiety triggered by exposure with the help of relaxation techniques. For some people with social phobias, the best treatment is cognitive behavioral therapy. This involves exercises to alter the inappropriate patterns of thinking you have developed and the behavior that stems from them. Another way, how people can treat their phobias is medicines. However, treatment with medicines alone is usually not enough to treat your phobias effectively.

In the end, here are 10 well-known celebrities and famous historic figures who have had or currently have their own phobias : Johnny Depp - Clourophobia, fear or clowns; Sigmund Freud - Siderodromophobia, fear of train travel; Howard Hughes - Mysophobia, fear of germs; Marilyn Monroe - Agoraphobia, fear of public or open places; Billie Bob Thorton - Panophobia, fear of antique furniture; Alfred Hitchcock - Ovophobia, fear of eggs; Natalie Wood - Hydrophobia, fear of water. She died by drowning; John Madden - Aerophobia, fear of flying; Christina Ricci - Botanophobia, fear of indoor houseplants; Madonna - Brontophobia, fear of thunder.


http://www.medicinenet.com/phobias/article.htm
http://www.toptenz.net/10-famous-people-and-their-phobias.php