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There are three major types of phobias. They include:

• Specific phobias. Also known as simple phobias, they are diagnosed in people who have phobias associated with specific objects or situations that do not possess intrinsic danger. People who have this fear know that it is irrational, but feel powerless to control it. When faced with one of these objects or situations, the person becomes nervous or panicky. This is known as anticipatory anxiety. Patients may experience full-blown panic attacks - sudden episodes of extreme fear and anxiety that usually last between 10 and 15 minutes and cause symptoms such as racing heartbeat, heavy perspiration and shortness of breath - in some of these situations.
  
  According to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), about 19.2 million Americans aged 18 years and older have some type of specific phobia in a given year. They usually begin in childhood, and the median age of onset is 7 years.
  
  Specific phobia is divided into several subtypes:
  
  
• • Situational type. Includes fear of enclosed spaces (claustrophobia), flying, crossing bridges and public transportation.
    
    
  • Natural environment type. Includes fear of thunderstorms, water and heights (acrophobia).
    
    
  • Blood-injection-injury type. Fear initiated by seeing blood or an injury or receiving an injection. It can cause a vasovagal response, in which reduced heart rate and blood pressure cause a person to faint.
    
    
  • Animal type. Fear of certain animals or insects (e.g., cats, spiders). Commonly begins in childhood.
    
    
  • Other type. Fear from other stimuli, including fear of choking, vomiting or loud sounds.
    
    
• Social phobia. Also known as social anxiety disorder, social phobia is diagnosed in people who have extreme anxiety in certain social and public situations. Unlike shyness, people with social phobia are often at ease with people most of the time, but experience extreme discomfort in certain situations. As a result, they avoid these social situations. Patients may worry for days or weeks in advance of a dreaded social situation.
  
  People with social phobia exaggerate the impact of mistakes and feel that all eyes are on them, watching to see them sweat, blush or otherwise show fear, and that others are ready to pass judgment when they fail. Fear of speaking in public, dating or talking to people in authority are hallmarks of this condition. Patients may also fear using public restrooms or eating in front of others, or talking on the phone or writing while others watch. They tend to believe that showing anxiety is a sign of weakness, and believe that other people are more confident or competent than they really are.
  
  According to the NIMH, about 15 million Americans aged 18 years and older have social phobia in a given year. It often begins in childhood or early adolescence, typically around age 13, although it is not diagnosed in children unless it lasts for at least six months. Patients may find it difficult to make and maintain friends, and may avoid school, work or other day-to-day situations. When they are in situations that provoke anxiety, they may experience symptoms such as blushing, profuse sweating, trembling, muscle tension, nausea and difficulty talking.
  
  Feelings of inferiority and low self-esteem appear to be at the root of social phobia. Some research indicates that social phobia has a genetic component, as the disorder is more common in people who have first-degree relatives diagnosed with the phobia. The type of social phobia that a patient suffers from may depend on gender. For example, fear of blushing is more prevalent among women than men. In other cases, fears may be based on experience. Fear of eating in front of others is more likely in someone who has had a past embarrassing episode while eating in public.
  
  Social phobia is often associated symptom seen with other anxiety disorders and depression. Many patients self-medicate by using drugs and alcohol, sometimes leading to substance abuse problems.
  
  
• Agoraphobia. Diagnosed in people who fear being caught in a situation from which escape might be difficult or embarrassing, or who fear being trapped in circumstances in which medical help might not be available during an emergency (e.g., having a panic attack in a public place). These people may seldom or never leave their home due to their fears.
  
  Agoraphobia is closely linked with panic disorder, a type of anxiety disorder in which a person regularly experiences panic attacks. In many cases, panic disorder is actually the cause of agoraphobia. In other cases, people have agoraphobia without a history of panic disorder. These people fear panic-related symptoms, but may not have had panic attacks or been diagnosed with panic disorder.
  
  About 1.8 million Americans aged 18 years and older have agoraphobia without a history of panic disorder, according to the NIMH. Agoraphobia tends to begin in a person’s 20s. Women are affected more often than men.