Phobias

ARTICLE SECTIONS

Introduction Signs and symptoms Causes When to seek medical advice

Screening and diagnosis Complications Treatment Coping skills

Introduction

Giving a public presentation makes many people nervous. But perhaps it makes you so nervous that you worry for weeks before the event, and you may even start to feel sick if you just think about it. Or, perhaps you're so anxious about driving through a tunnel you go miles out of your way to avoid it. If so, you may have a phobia.

A phobia is a persistent irrational fear of an object or a situation that's generally considered harmless. Accompanying the fear is a strong desire to avoid what you fear and, in some cases, an inability to function at normal tasks in your job and in social settings.

Phobias are among several anxiety disorders, which also include panic disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder and generalized anxiety disorder. More than 12 percent of the population experiences a phobia at some point in life, making this disorder the most common mental illness in the United States.

Treatment of phobias may help you reduce your fears and help you better manage the object or situation that makes you anxious.

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Signs and symptoms