Fear and Phobia Essay

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Introduction:
Mental illness is present in the lives of every individual whether it ranges from severe cases to mild cases it still has to be dealt with. The aim of this report is to inform you of one mental illness, phobias. A phobia is an irrational fear of a situation, animal, place, or thing that cause anxiety and distress in the person life. When confronted with such situation the individual could suffer enormous amounts of stress that is disrupts their day to day lives and activities (Medical). Phobias impact both men and women but about 7% of men are affected and 9% of women annually. The phobias that are most common are social and anxiety phobias and not so much individual phobias (Share). Also, according to the National Institute of Mental Health, between 8.7% and 18.1% of Americans suffer from a phobia.

Causes: Phobias can be caused by a plethora of circumstances that arise throughout a persons life. It can be caused from genetics, cultural factors, or life experiences. Certain phobias can be inherited, same studies show that identical twins separated at birth still develop the same fears. Some phobias arise in certain cultural groups. In certain cultures specific actions are frowned upon so some individuals from said culture develop a phobia of not wanting to do said action (About). Phobias are also developed from life experiences that may or may not be remembered. For example, having a bad experience (like an anxiety attack) in a certain situation (elevator) could cause a phobia of elevators to develop. Also, if you were to learn that something terrifying could happen anytime you could develop a phobia related to the news (plane crash). (WebMD) A natural part of growing up is being fearful of something. When young we fear the dark and monsters, when older we fear some social situations and other fears that com with growing older and into a new self (CHealth).

Symptoms:
The main sign of a phobia is being more afraid than most people when facing a situation, object, or doing an activity. Sometimes just the thought of being in one of those situations causes distress in the individual (WebMD).The symptoms of a phobia can range from slight distress to a full blown anxiety/ panic attack. Some physical signs that would arise are breathing difficulty, increased heart rate, tightness in the chest, a churning in the stomach, sweating, trembling, and lightheadedness. Emotional signs of a phobia are an overwhelming anxiety feeling, an intense need to leave, feeling detached from yourself and knowing that you are overreacting but not knowing how to control your feelings (HelpGuide). If your day to day
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