What is your phobia?

​Ramble On by Ken Herrera

Since the dawn of time, humans have developed emotions to a variety of events. We all
know of love, hate, happiness, and sadness. But what about fear? What is your biggest phobia?
A phobia is an anxiety disorder involving excessive and persistent fear of a situation or
object. Exposure to the source of the fear triggers an immediate anxiety response.
The American Psychiatry Association identifies three different categories of phobias:
1. Social phobias: Now known as anxiety disorder, this phobia is marked by a fear of
social situations in which a person might be judges or embarrassed.
2 Agoraphobia: This phobia involves an irrational and extreme fear of being in places
where escape is difficult. It may involve a fear of crowded places or even leaving one’s home.
3.Specific phobias: When people talk about having a phobia of a specific object such as
spiders, snakes, or needles, they are referring to a specific phobia.
One important thing to remember is that virtually any object can become a fear object.
The name of specific phobias are often formed as nonce words, or words coined for a single
occasion only.
Here is a short list of some of the more common phobias:
Acrophobia: Fear of heights; Aerophobia: Fear of flying; Anthropophobia: Fear of society or
people; Arachnophobia: Fear of spiders; Belonephobia: Fear of pins or needles; Bibliophobia:
Fear of books (I know a few of y’all); Coulrophobia: Fear of clowns; Cyberphobia: Fear of
computers (Again, I know many elderly that suffer from this); Gamophobia: Fear of marriage;
Glossophobia: Fear of speaking in public
While this is a very short list of the different types of phobias, treatments are available.
There is exposure therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, eye movement desensitization and
reprocessing therapy, and finally medications.
Phobias can have a serious impact on well-being, but it’s important to remember that
you’re not alone. They are common and treatable. If you believe that you have the symptoms of
phobia, consult with a doctor for evaluation and treatment. Also, the fear of asking questions is
called Rogophobia.


 #QUESTIONEVERYTHING

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