A phobia is a persistent, excessive, unrealistic fear of an object, person, animal, activity or situation. The phobic individual either tries to avoid the thing that triggers the fear, or endures it with great anxiety and distress.
Some phobias are very specific and limited.
In this case, the phobic individual may be able to live a relatively anxiety-free life by simply avoiding one specific animal. Other people have phobias that are broader and more likely to occur in a wide variety of places or situations. Individuals who suffer from these broader types of phobias may need to drastically alter their lives to avoid exposure to the places or situations that they fear. In extreme cases, the phobia may actually dictate the person's type of employment, job location, driving route, recreational and social activities, home environment, and other important aspects of normal daily life. Phobias become disorders when they are disabling or distressing and interfere with functioning.