This fear is irrational, quite out of proportion to any danger or threat that exists, and is overwhelming to the sufferer.

Sufferers will frequently be distressed about the fear itself and go to great lengths within the day to day life, in order to avoid the fear.

Symptoms of specific phobia can include:

• Excessive and persistent fear of the specific object or situation around which the phobia is based.
• Feelings of anxiety, fear and panic as soon as the feared object or situation is encountered.
• The sufferer knows that the fear is excessive.
• The individual avoids the feared object or situation at almost any cost.
• The phobia causes the sufferer to experience distress and interference in the daily lives
• The fear, panic, and avoidance cannot be explained by some other disorder.

There are several types of specific phobias. These include:

•   Animal type - where the fear is of a certain kind of animal, such as snakes, spiders, dogs, rats, etc.
• Natural Environment type - which is the fear of something that exists in the sufferer's surroundings, such as heights, water, thunderstorms, etc.
• Blood-Injection-Injury type - these are medical-style phobias, such as the fear of seeing blood, getting a needle, watching medical procedures live or on TV, etc.
• Situational type - which include different feared circumstances, such as flying, elevators, enclosed spaces, driving.
• Other type - miscellaneous events such as fears of choking or vomiting after eating certain foods or swallowing pills, loud sounds like balloons breaking, or a fear of clowns.

Causes of Specific Phobias are very complex, and can be a result of personal negative histories and experience, psychological factors, and heredity and biological factors.

Treatments for specific phobias cannot be treated with medication, which is bizarre for an anxiety disorder. Psychological treatments include exposure to the feared situation or object, applied muscle tension, and cognitive therapy. Biological treatments are more difficult, since research has demonstrated no real successful results, though sometimes medications are prescribed, usually the same therapies as for psychologically caused specific phobias are also used.

SUGGESTED READINGS
Brown, D. (1996). Flying without fear. Oakland, CA: New Harbinger Publications.

Hartman, C., & Huffaker, J.S. (1995). The fearless flyer: How to fly in comfort and without trepidation. Portland, OR: Eighth Mountain Press.

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