Phobias

A phobia (from the Greek: φόβος, phóbos, fear or morbid fear), is an irrational, intense, persistent fear of certain situations, activities, things, or people. The main symptom of this disorder is the excessive, unreasonable desire to avoid the feared subject.

Causes:

It is generally accepted that phobias arise from a combination of external events and internal predispositions. Many specific phobias can be traced back to a specific triggering event, usually a traumatic experience at an early age. It is believed that heredity, genetics, and brain chemistry combined with life-experiences play a major role in the development of anxiety disorders, phobias and panic attacks.

Treatment:

Various methods are claimed to treat phobias. Their proposed benefits may vary from person to person.
Emotional Freedom Technique, a psychotherapeutic alternative medicine tool, also considered to be pseudoscience by the mainstream medicine, is allegedly useful.These treatment options are not mutually exclusive. Often a therapist will suggest multiple treatments.

Types of Phobias

Ablutophobia – fear of bathing, washing, or cleaning

Claustrophobia – fear of confined spaces.

Pyrophobia – fear of fire.

Heliophobia – fear of sunlight

Nyctophobia, Achluophobia, Lygophobia, Scotophobia – fear of darkness

Zoophobia – a generic term for animal phobias

Xenophobia – fear or dislike of foreigners