Five different types of Phobias Animal phobias: Animal phobias are the most common specific phobias. Situational phobias: Situations, such as flying, going over bridges, or of being in a closed-in place, like an elevator. Natural environment phobias: Examples include the fear of storms, heights, or water. Blood-injection-injury phobias: being injured, seeing blood, or injections Other phobias: falling down, loud sounds, and a fear of costumed characters, clowns. A person can have more than one specific phobia. OVERVIEW

The difference between normal fear and a phobia Normal fearPhobia Feeling anxious when flying through turbulence or taking off during a storm Not going to your best friend’s island wedding because you’d have to fly there Experiencing butterflies when peering down from the top of a skyscraper or climbing a tall ladder Turning down a great job because it’s on the 10th floor of the office building Getting nervous when you see a pit bull or a Rottweiler Steering clear of the park because you might see a dog Feeling a little queasy when getting a shot or when your blood is being drawn Avoiding necessary medical treatments or doctor’s checkups because you’re terrified of needles THE DIFFERENCE

Most commonly occurs from A traumatic experience with the fear A learned reaction, reacting the way a parent did Witnessing a traumatic event in someone else’s life CAUSES

Excessive and irrational fear of something Avoiding fear completely or having great distress when near it. Panic Attacks Nausea Dramatic increase in heart rate Dizziness or shaking Shortness of breath Children might express fear by crying or screaming SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS

One method of treatment is Climbing the Fear Ladder. 1.Make a List 2.Build your fear ladder 3.Work your way up the Ladder 4.Practice TREATMENT Facing a fear of dogs: A sample fear ladder Step 1: Look at pictures of dogs. Step 2: Watch a video with dogs in it. Step 3: Look at a dog through a window. Step 4: Stand across the street from a dog on a leash. Step 5: Stand 10 feet away from a dog on a leash. Step 6: Stand 5 feet away from a dog on a leash. Step 7: Stand beside a dog on a leash. Step 8: Pet a small dog that someone is holding. Step 9: Pet a larger dog on a leash. Step 10: Pet a larger dog off leash.

The National Institute of Mental Health estimates that about 5%-12% of Americans have phobias. Phobias generally develop in adolescents, but can be seen in anyone. Only 20% of phobias go away on their own WHO IS AFFECTED

George Washington - Taphephobia (fear of being buried alive) Woody Allen - Panophobia (fear of pretty much everything) Richard Nixon - Nosocomephobia (fear of hospitals) Alfred Hitchcock - Ovophobia (fear of eggs) Sigmund Freud - Fear of Weapons and Ferns Oprah Winfrey - Fear of Gum Chewing Natalie Wood - Hydrophobia (Fear of Water) Billy Bob Thornton - Several Fears Nikola Tesla - Fear of Germs and Jewelry Napoleon Bonaparte - Ailurophobia (Fear of Cats) FACTS AND MYTHS

Arachnephobia or Arachnophobia- Fear of spiders. Atomosophobia- Fear of atomic explosions. Atychiphobia- Fear of failure. Aviophobia- Fear of flying. Batophobia - Fear of heights or being close to high buildings. Batrachophobia- Fear of amphibians, such as frogs, newts, salamanders, etc. Belonephobia- Fear of pins and needles. Catoptrophobia- Fear of mirrors. Ceraunophobia - Fear of thunder and lightning. Chaetophobia- Fear of hair. Chiraptophobia- Fear of being touched. Dextrophobia- Fear of objects at the right side of the body. Didaskaleinophobia- Fear of going to school. Disposophobia- Fear of throwing stuff out. Hoarding. Doraphobia- Fear of fur or skins of animals. Dromophobia- Fear of crossing streets. EXAMPLES

Specific Phobias, WebMD.com The Phobia List Phobias and Fears, HelpGuide.com