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A specific phobia can be described, not only as an extreme fear, but as
an irrational one of a particular thing. Such individuals may have no problem
sky diving but may have extreme difficulty going down an escalator. A specific
phobia can be defined as an intense fear of something that poses little
or no actual danger. Though individuals experiencing these phobias may be
aware that the fear they feel is irrational, they often find that facing
the said fear causes severe anxiety or may even cause a panic attack. Examples
of some of the more common specific phobias include the following:
- Closed-in places
- Heights
- Escalators
- Tunnels
- Highway driving
- Water
- Flying
- Dogs
- Injuries involving blood
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Specific phobias
affect an estimated 6.3 million adult Americans. |
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These phobias
are twice as common in women as in men. |
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There is some
evidence that specific phobias may be hereditary. |
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The causes of
specific phobias are not well understood. |
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Specific phobias
tend to surface in childhood or adolescence and stay on unto
adulthood. |
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