A Phobia presents itself in a number of categories and is a source of fear and anxiety for a person.

A phobia is an anxiety disorder involving fear of a situation or object. Image: Phobia Stock Photos

Phobia of the Day: Thanatophobia

A phobia is an anxiety disorder involving fear of a situation or object. Exposure to the source of the fear triggers an irrational response.

A Phobia presents itself in a number of categories and is a source of fear and anxiety for a person.

A phobia is an anxiety disorder involving fear of a situation or object. Image: Phobia Stock Photos

A phobia is an anxiety disorder involving excessive and persistent fear of a situation or object. Exposure to the source of the fear triggers an immediate anxiety response.

Most specific phobias fall into one of four major categories:

  • Fears of the natural environment
  • Fears related to animals
  • Fear related to medical treatments or issues
  • Fears related to specific situations

Phobia of the Day: Thanatophobia, the fear of death

We generally expect kids to be happy-go-lucky and fearless, and any phobia can be difficult for parents to address. Children with thanatophobia experience intense anxiety and fear in response to thoughts of death. As a result, they often experience physical symptoms of fear, such as

  • Chest pain
  • Chills
  • Dizziness
  • Nausea
  • Racing heartbeat
  • Shallow, rapid breathing
  • Sweating
  • Trembling
  • Upset stomach

SELF-CARE TIPS FOR PHOBIAS THAT BRING ON ANXIETY

  • Talk to someone you trust. 
  • Learn to manage panic and anxiety. 
  • Look into joining a support group. 
  • Use self-help resources. 
  • Take a course for your specific phobia.

RECENT PHOBIA WORD POSTS:

Chloephobia

Globophobia

Chrometophobia

Anemophobia

Acrophobia

Zuigerphobia

Do you have a phobia you suffer from that you’d like to share?

If so, send an email to info@thesouthafrican.com or a WhatsApp to 060 011 0211 and we’ll publish the ones that we feel are most interesting!

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