Is there something that scares you? May be you are scared of being alone in the dark, or of heights. It could be a spider that makes you afraid, or maybe a snake? These are among the most common fears.
What are phobias?
Is is normal to have fears. But, there is a difference between normal fears and phobias. In the case of phobias, the fear may be excessive. It is normal to feel scared when you see a big dog coming your way and baking and snarling at you. However, a person with a phobia of dogs may feel terrified and be very distressed when he sees any dog, even one that is friendly. He may avoid any place where he is likely to find dogs. For instance, he may avoid going to a friend's house just because he owns a dog and may therefore end up missing out on social events, or he may avoid streets where there are many street dogs and take longer or more inconvenient routes to get to his destination.
How do phobias develop?
There isn't one single answer, but researchers have come up with some explanations. Some say that certain fears, such as the fear of snakes or spiders, may be inherited from our ancestors. Our ancestors needed to be careful around these creatures in order to protect themselves, and those who were able to show an appropriate fear response and avoid these situations, were more likely to survive. Over generations, humans may have developed an inborn tendency to therefore fear some things more than others. Other researcher say that these fear are not inborn but rather, are learnt. Like the "burnt child who dreads the fire," if our previous experiences with an object or a particular situation have been bad, we will be scared of that object or situation henceforth. If you have been bitten by a dog or know someone who has been bitten by a dog, you may be more likely to start feeling scared of dogs. We also tend to fear things our parents or friends are scared of.
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