Phobias Your free and confidential call will be answered by one of Rapha's master's level assessment counselors who will listen carefully to the problem and make the appropriate recommendation for care. Phobias, however, are inordinate fears, which vary in degree from a mild situational discomfort to an overwhelming fear that can disrupt a person s life. This fear centers around social situations where the person is observable. He is afraid that he will embarrass himself in some way.
Animal phobias are very common in childhood and usually disappear without treatment.
Phobias of blood or injury often begin in adolescence or young adulthood. Most of the specific phobias begin in the third or fourth decade. Treatment may not be necessary, but if it is required, therapy for phobias can be very successful. The cause of phobias is uncertain, but there is mounting evidence that a person who develops these inordinate fears has inherited an overactive nervous system. A stressful or phobic situation causes an outpouring of adrenaline that provokes very unpleasant physical and emotional reactions.