What is Phobia?
[[File:COS 09.JPG|right|200px]] A '''phobia''' (from the {{lang-el|φόβος|fobos|fear}}) is a strong, irrational [[fear]] of a specific thing or situation. In [[psychology]], phobia is considered an [[anxiety]] disorder. Phobia is different than just being scared of something. The fear is so strong that it affects, and often damages, the sufferer's life. For example, the person will usually do everything they can to avoid the thing they fear. If they cannot avoid that thing, they will suffer from very strong anxiety which can damage their social relationships, their ability to work, and other areas of their everyday life. There are two basic types of phobias: specific phobias and social phobias. People with specific phobias fear a certain thing, for example spiders (this is called [[arachnophobia]]) or high places ([http://phobia.wikia.org/wiki/Acrophobia acrophobia]). People with social phobias fear social situations (for example speaking in public, being in crowded areas, or being around other people). == Difference between phobia and fear == Fear is a normal human [[emotion]]. A phobia is different from normal fear in many ways: #With phobias, a person fears something which is not really dangerous, or which is not anywhere near as dangerous as the person believes it is. For example, many humans fear spiders. However, a person with a phobia of spiders might [[panic]] when even thinking about a spider, refuse to leave home because they are too afraid of seeing a spider, or spend hours of each day making sure there are no spiders in their home. People with phobias realize that their anxiety is much more severe than normal fear would be. #Phobia lasts much longer than regular fear. For example, a person with a phobia of spiders might continue to feel severe anxiety for hours after seeing a spider. #When a person feels normal fear, their fear does not damage their life. Phobias cause problems in sufferers' daily lives. For example, they may damage important relationships or make it difficult for the person to work.