10 MOST COMMON PHOBIAS

There are numerous phobias that can have a negative impact on our lives. They can become so consuming, that they disrupt our daily interactions. The good news is that these phobias are NOT mental illnesses, but a learned response to an extremely frightful situation ...or thing. You can conquer and overcome these fears with counseling and support. The stress of living with phobias can affect your physical health as well. When you experience sweating palms, rapid heart rate, increased respirations ? you are facing the ?flight or fight? mechanism which releases adrenalin into your system. Frequent bouts with this type of stress had a directly negative impact on your immune system and ability to fight off common illnesses. If your phobia interferes with your daily life, you should seek the appropriate attention. You can start by requesting advice from your physician for which direction to take. Listed below are the ten most common phobias. Remember, you can overcome your intense fears!

Arachnophobia This phobia occurs in over half of women and ten percent of men ? it is the intense fear of spiders.

Socialphobia This very common phobia can have a severe negative impact on your life. It is the fear of people. It can present itself as fear of crowds, or even just being around people in general. Often, it is misdiagnosed as simple shyness. Generally resulting from a lack of self esteem, counseling can be very successful with this phobia.

Aerophobia This is a fear of flying. It is no wonder, with all the media attention placed on air travel! If your ravel is infrequent, simple sedatives or relaxants can be effective.

Agoraphobia This is a fear of leaving a certain area or place such as your home. It can magnify if you enter open space and result in panic attacks. When the basis of the fear is uncovered, calmness returns in open environments.

Claustrophobia This fear is of small or confined spaces which make the person feel entrapped. It can occur anywhere ? airplanes, elevators, small rooms, or even just traffic.

Acrophobia This is a very common phobia which is a fear of heights.

Emetophobia Fear of vomit, or of seeing someone else vomit, is what this phobia is about. It can be debilitating resulting in loss of appetite. Treatment is quite effective for this phobia.

Carcinophobia Resulting from an intense fear of cancer, this phobia is relative new but climbing up the ladder. As cancer rates rapidly rise, this all too common phobia is very easy to treat with counseling.

Brontophobia Another frequently presented phobia is the fear of thunderstorms. It can be brought on by the thunder itself, or just the rain. In extreme cases, just the sight of storm clouds can trigger anxiety. It is believed that the root cause of this phobia is associated with unresolved guilt or trust.

Necrophobia A fear of death or of dead things is called necrophobia. While not uncommon, it rarely causes problems in everyday life.