Phobias

A phobia is a fear of particular situations or things that are not dangerous and which most people do not find troublesome. People with phobias have intense symptoms of anxiety but they only arise in the particular situations that frighten them. At other times they don't feel anxious. A phobia will lead the sufferer to avoid situations in which they know they will be anxious, but this will actually make the phobia worse as time goes on. It can also mean that their life becomes increasingly dominated by the precautions they have to take to avoid the situation they fear. Sufferers usually know that there is no real danger, they may feel silly about their fear but they are still unable to control it