Phobia Help: What’s a Phobia?

Phobia: a persistent, extreme or irrational fear of a specific object or situation.

Look up your phobia at The Phobia List.

Approximately 19.2 million American adults age 18 and over, or about 8.7 percent of people in this age group in a given year, have some type of specific phobia.

– NIMH, www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/the-numbers-count-mental-disorders-in-america/index.shtml

It’s not clear just how a phobia is formed. Many people have a distinct memory of the event that started their fear, though.

Psychologists divide phobias into 3 general categories:

Social – fear of social encounters
Panic Disorder – occasional nonspecific bouts with fear
Specific – fear of natural environments, of injury or blood, of animals or insects or of dangerous situations

It’s one thing to really dislike something; it’s another to experience a true phobic reaction. Phobic reactions can include

– a racing heart
– short, shallow breaths
– sweating
– a fear of death

Finally, phobia means complete avoidance of what you fear.

Regardless of what you call it

It doesn’t matter one iota, really, how you label your fear of water.
I care that you make peace with your fear, get to your lessons already,
and start to swim.
I’ll be the first to admit a “healthy respect” for water,
since water IS a dangerous element under certain conditions.
But respect means you can definitely swim for fun and with safety,
without avoidance, which doesn’t work anyhow.
You just get more fearful that way. Argh!

So, how to face your fear? Have a look…