IV.

Phobias

Response with intense fear to a stimulus (for example, a certain object) or a situation that is generally not regarded as particularly dangerous is classed as a phobic response. For this to be diagnosed as such, it must be sufficiently serious to interfere with everyday life. The intensity of reaction to the stimulus can range from strong unease to panic. Often the fear is realized as being irrational, but the sufferer is unable to control it.

A simple phobia is a phobia about one particular thing, for example spiders. People may have several simple phobias. Social phobias are phobias about social situations, such as fear of stuttering before having to speak to a stranger, even if this in fact does not happen. Agoraphobia (Greek agora, “marketplace”), a fear of open spaces, is probably the most disabling phobia and, in its most severe form, a sufferer may be unable to go outside.