Phobia is an illogical fear of something. It is used in psychiatry to describe and irrational and disabling fear which is then categorized as a mental disorder. But in layman’s term, it is used to describe dislike or hatred of a specific thing or subject. The problem with phobia is that the diagnosis comes late. This is because the patient will not exhibit the symptoms if it is not very distressing or if it is not frequently encountered. Now, if it has been identified to be impairing to the person, then it will be treated depending on the severity of the phobia. Different types of phobias require different approach in treating them. Here are some common phobias that you can probably relate to.

1. Acrophobia – This is commonly known as fear of heights. You might think it is funny but a lot of people are scared of very high places to the point that it affects their daily activities. It is normal to feel dizzy and scared. But there are some people who cannot even bring themselves to peek down the window of their third floor apartment. They get so terrified in doing it or just by thinking about it.
2. Claustrophobia – This is the fear of enclosed or confined spaces. A person with claustrophobia fears of having no escaped and being closed in. This can be mild or severe and the most common place that this happens is when entering an elevator.
3. Arachnophobia – You have seen the movie. Arachnophobia is fear of spiders. This is one of the common animal phobias. People with arachnophobia would fear spider webs and other signs that a spider may be in the area. They even fear pictures of spiders.
4. Ophidophobia – This is another one of common animal phobias. This refers to fear of snakes. Sufferers of this phobia cannot bring themselves to look at pictures of snakes or just even talk about them. They would never ever touch a snake.
5. Necrophobia – This refers to fear of death and/or the dead. People with this phobia feel anxious every time they see a coffin or if they have to attend funerals. Anything related to death causes panic attacks in these people.
6. Mysophobia – This is fear if germs or contamination. These people would always wash their hands or make sure that their hands are kept clean. Although this is related to people with obsessive-compulsive disorder, it is different because for obsessive-compulsive people, they are more concerned about the washing ritual. But for people with mysophobia, they are more concerned about getting rid of the germs that might contaminate everything they touch.
7. Social phobia – This refers to fear due to social situations. These people would rather avoid social events than suffer anxiety attacks. They believe that people around them are always evaluating and criticizing them. They feel they are observed under a microscope.

Early diagnosis of phobia means early intervention. It is therefore important to visit a professional if you believe that you are suffering from one.