What's the science behind phobias?

In humans, an unwarranted, persistent fear of a certain situation or object, known as specific phobia, can cause overwhelming distress and interfere with daily life. Specific phobia is among the more prevalent anxiety disorders, affecting an estimated 9 percent of Americans within their lifetime. read more

Phobias are technically counted as an anxiety disorder, but the science of how they turn up and what makes them tick is actually more complicated than it seems. You don't feel phobic from germs or snakes because you're weak or peculiar; it seems to come down to a mix of evolution, brain mechanics, and a dose of genetics. read more

Social phobias are where you have an irrational fear of how people will react to you in a situation. The fear of rejection or judgement from others is a powerful force for humans; much of how we think and behave is calibrated around the views and behaviours of others. read more

Phobias in youngsters are additionally very normal, severe feelings of dread are found in around 10-15% of kids, and specific phobias are present in around 5% of kids. The vast majority would confess to encountering some kind of irrational dread or stress eventually in their life. read more