A phobia is an irrational fear of   something, accompanied by anxiety.   Occurs in adolescence/early   adulthood. Genetic influences,   parental verprotection,   tempera- mental changes   and individual   conditioning result in phobia.

Social Phobia ::
fear of humiliating or embarrassing situations like making a speech, signing one's name in front of others or eating in public. Fear of social contact. Increase in self-conciousness, negative self-appraisal/image.

Agoraphobia ::
Fear of open places. Related phobias: Fear of leaving home or entering shops, crowded public places, traveling alone. Companions can alleviate the fear. A history of school phobia is common.

Simple Phobias ::
Fear of blood injury, injections, animals, accidents, heights, water, closed places, spiders, snakes,you name it.

Management ::
The longer the phobia's presence, the tougher the treatment. Desensitization techniques, flooding type approaches, graded exposure and cognitive behavioural treatments are used. Tranquillisers, anxiolytic drugs, tricyclic depressants or even organizations can help. To prevent phobias, children should be encouraged to face frightening situations but with the assurance of their parents' backing. Education and training are very importanat.Consult your doctor.