Description

People with a phobia don't have an ordinary fear of something. We can describe three types of phobias. First people can have a phobia for an object or a situation. This type can be divided in five subtypes. The objects of fear in these subtypes are:

• Animals; like spiders (arachnaphobia), snakes or dogs.
  
• Situations; for example elevators are narrow spaces (claustrophobia).
  
• Nature; for example fear of heights or water.
  
• Accidents; like fear of blood or injections.
  
• Miscellaneous; Some other phobias, for example fear of throwing up or fear of becoming ill.

The second type is social phobia. People with this disorder don't dare to speak to other people. They have difficulty making friends because of this. You may think that this type can also be classified under the subtype 'situations' above. This is correct, but so many people suffer from this phobia that it deserves a separate category.

Third, there is agoraphobia. This is an intense fear for large spaces with a lot of people. People are very anxious about getting a panic attack in public.

Normal

Almost everyone is afraid of something. Someone who's not afraid of anything probably lies. If he doesn't lie, you shouldn't be to jealous, because fear has an important function in keeping us alive and healthy. Think about how fear of heights might protect you from falling. Some fear that is not functional is also normal.

Abnormal

Some people have such an intense phobia that they think about the object of their fear all the time. People with a phobia of spiders might close every small hole in their house to make sure a spider can't come in. When they go outside they wear more clothes then necessary, just to make sure a spider can't touch their skin. They can even do this in winter, when you won't find a spider outside. You probably can imagine that the situation you live in is also crucial. You won't be troubled by your shark phobia when you live in the center of russia. On the other hand, when you're a lifeguard it will probably be an enormous problem for you. As is true for all disorders, the impact the phobia has on your normal life is crucial for determining whether a fear is normal or abnormal.