A phobia is a type of anxiety disorder that causes an individual to experience extreme, irrational fear about a situation, living creature, place, or object. Phobias are more pronounced than fears and develop when a person has an exaggerated or unrealistic sense of danger about a situation or object. If a phobia becomes very severe, a person may organize their life around avoiding the thing thats causing them anxiety. Some common types of phobias include:

• Specific phobia: This is an intense, irrational fear of a specific trigger, such as animals, people, environments, or situations.

• Social anxiety disorder: People with social anxiety disorder fear social situations where they may be humiliated, embarrassed, or judged by others.

• Agoraphobia: This is often thought of as a fear of open spaces, but its much more complex than this. Someone with agoraphobia will feel anxious about being in a place or situation where escaping may be difficult if they have a panic attack.

Phobias are diagnosable mental disorders and can cause intense distress when faced with the source of the phobia. The imagined threat is greater than any actual threat posed by the cause of terror. Phobias can be treated with mental health therapy, medications, or a combination of the two.