manifest destiny

More commonly, however, they avoid the situation or object that causes the fear—an avoidance that impairs the sufferer's freedom. Antidepressant drugs have also proved successful in treating some phobias. The anxiety is typically out of proportion to the real situation, and the victim is fully aware that the fear is irrational. Agoraphobias, social phobias, and animal phobias tend to run in families.

Bibliography

PHOBIA

Phobia- intense and persistent fear of a specific object, situation, or activity. Taken together, the phobias are believed to afflict 5 to 10 persons in 100. One technique, systematic desensitization, involves gradually confronting the phobic person with situations or objects that are increasingly close to the feared ones. One technique, systematic desensitization, involves gradually confronting the phobic person with situations or objects that are increasingly close to the feared ones. Agoraphobia characteristically begins in late adolescence or early adulthood, and social phobia is also associated with adolescence. Agoraphobias, social phobias, and animal phobias tend to run in families. Exposure therapy, another behavioral method, has recently been shown more effective. In this technique, phobics are repeatedly exposed to the feared situation or object so that they can see that no harm befalls them; the fear gradually fades. goraphobics tend increasingly to avoid more situations until eventually they become housebound.

Although agoraphobia is more often seen in treatment than the other types of phobia, it is not believed to be as common as simple phobia. Agoraphobia and simple phobia are more commonly diagnosed in women than in men; the distribution for social phobia is not known.