Phobias

There are 2 general types of phobias: Social Phobia and Specific Phobias.

Social Phobia

Many people are afraid of social or performance situations, such as public speaking or giving a presentation in a college class. However, sometimes the fear is overwhelming. In fact, some people are so afraid of such situations that they experience genuine panic attacks. If you can relate to this, then you may have social phobia. Some other symptoms include:

• Avoidance of social or performance situations, or endurance of situations with intense anxiety or distress

• The avoidance, anxious anticipation, or distress interferes with your normal routine

• The fear causes problems with functioning in academic, work, and/or social settings or relationships

• Experience of these symptoms for at least 6 months

If you experience any or all of these symptoms, treatment is available for you.

Specific Phobias

Many people admit that they are afraid of certain things. Common examples include fear of heights, snakes, needles, tight spaces, airplanes....and the list goes on and on. Such fears appear to be normal, and are usually based upon personal experiences. However, the fear can get out of control. When a person experiences excessive or unreasonable fear of a specific object or situation, he or she may experience an anxiety disorder called specific phobia. Other symptoms include:

• Exposure to the anxiety provoking object or situation causes an immediate anxiety response, which may result in a Panic Attack

• The phobic situation is avoided or endured with intense anxiety or distress

• The avoidance interferes with the person's routine and causes problems in academic, work, or social/relational functioning

• Experience of these symptoms for at least 6 months

If you experience any or all of these symptoms, treatment is available for you.