subject: Top 10 Common Phobias & Ways To Cure Them [print this page] Being affected by a phobia is more prevalent than you might think. Most of us have some form of fear or phobia; it's a part of life. Most of us will pick up these fears in childhood, especially around the age of seven for some reason. At this age we pick things up which we'll carry into our adult life so if we get scared at this age then we will associate these things which scare us to whatever object or situation we were in or near at the time. So this is one of the reasons why our phobias can seem to be irrational, because they are irrational. Most of these phobias are completely harmless and will never hurt us be we fear the fear itself. Phobia symptoms vary from person to person but if you have a sense of panic in ordinary situations like driving, flying or social situations then you may have a phobia.
1. Acrophobia - Also known as the fear of heights is the top fear which affects humanity. Its really easy to see why the fear of heights is a fear which most of us have as it protects us from falls which we would no doubt have if we didn't have this fear in the first place.
2. Aerophobia - The fear of flying affects a huge proportion of the population but it affects more than others. If you ever wanted to avoid a phobia then this is the one you wouldn't want. The bad thing about having a phobias like this is that it can have a really negative effect on your life. Most people who have this phobia avoid foreign travel and this can have a real negative impact on their lives.
3. Glossophobia - We all have a fear of public speaking and most of us will have to do it at some stage which makes it even scarier. We all have to do it at some stage, whether its a wedding speech or a business speech we will have to stand up in front of a large crowd and speak. These types of phobias can really affect our social lives and standing within a community.
4. Lygophobia - The fear of the dark affects most children but it can be carried from childhood into adulthood and surprisingly there are many adults who are still afraid of the dark.
5. Arachnophobia - Also known as the fear of spiders, it affects more women than men. As children we fear big spiders but some of us will bring this fear into adulthood where it can be more of a nuisance to deal with rather than a real problem. Its estimated that 50% of women are affected by this phobia while just 10% of men can say the same.
6. Ophidiophobia The fear of snakes is another common phobia which can affect many people. Although its not life changing unless you want to live in a snake infested jungle or desert its still one of those phobias which we'd be better off without.
7. Rejection - The fear of rejection affects all of us. At some stage this is one of those things which will pay us a visit. No one wants to be rejected and this phobia can affect some people to such an extent that they never get married.
8. Claustrophobia - The fear of confined spaces is another phobia which makes our top 10 list. The fear of confined spaces is quite a common phobia, you'll know many people yourself who don't like confined spaces. Some people can handle it while others have a real problem with confined spaces.
9. Kakorrhaphiophobia - The fear of failure is anther phobia which will affect many of us throughout our lives. Its one of those things which can in fact keep us back so its important to fix this phobia as soon as possible.
10. Agoraphobia - The fear of open spaces is another phobia which many people are affected by. The people who are affected by this phobia don't are not only affected by outside activities but it also affects other areas of their lives too. Some who are affected by this phobia will have a problem with going out but most are affected by it in others areas of their lives.
