What is Specific Phobia
Written by Mystic on Sunday, January 20, 2008The Most Common Specific Fears! Specific phobia can be called "single phobia" because it involves an intense fear and avoidance of a single specific object or situation. For instance there are phobias of certain animals, such as snakes, dogs or insects. A person can also be fearful of environmental phenomena such as storms and heights. Then there could be fear of seeing blood or having an injection. These are some fears related to objects. The situational type occurs in a specific type of situation such as flying or being in a tunnel, elevator, or other enclosed space. Phobias may also occur in situations that could lead to choking, vomiting, or acquiring a specific illness. What physical symptoms does phobic fear usually involve? Well, the common panic symptoms include heart palpitations, sweating, trembling, feelings of dizziness or choking, nausea and fear of losing control or going crazy. Because these symptoms are so unpleasant, people with phobias do everything possible to avoid the trigger. Most researchers believe specific phobias are caused by a combination of biological factors and life events. Heredity and chemical disturbances in the brain may play a role. So too may traumatic events, such as a previous animal bite, accident, or childhood illness. Some phobias are learned over time, as in a child "modeling" a parent's phobia. But often, phobias occur without a specific trigger. Avoidance of the feared object or situation keeps the phobia securely in place.
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