Many people have a generalized form of social phobia, in which they fear and avoid interpersonal interactions. This makes it difficult for them to go to work or school or to socialize at all. Social phobias generally develop after puberty and peak after the age of 30. As the name implies, people with a specific phobia generally have an irrational fear of specific objects or situations. The disability caused by this phobia can be severe if the feared object or situation is a common one.
Most simple phobias develop during childhood and eventually disappear.
Those that persist into adulthood rarely go away without treatment. Fortunately, phobias are very treatable. In fact, most people who seek treatment completely overcome their fears for life. Effective relief can be gained through either behavior therapy or medication. In behavior therapy, one meets with a trained therapist and confronts the feared object or situation in a carefully planned, gradual way and learns to control the physical reactions of fear.