Phobias are intense, irrational fears that lead to the avoidance of the thing or situation feared. Some childhood specific phobias may disappear before adulthood. A social phobia is an intense fear of becoming humiliated in social situations. Social phobias usually appear between the 15th and 20th years although they may begin in childhood. According to the NIMH 3 to 6 million Americans, approximately two-thirds of them women, suffer panic disorders.
Panic can appear at any age although it usually begins in young adulthood.
Some people experience one panic attack and never have another, while others develop full-blown panic disorder. Panic disorder most always includes agoraphobia. Agoraphobia is so common that it is often considered a separate anxiety disorder rather than a phobia. The word agoraphobia means fear of open spaces, but the underlying fear of agoraphobia is the fear of panic attacks. Origins of Fear One of the primary reasons people seek therapy is the need to deal with fear reactions.