[{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/2014\/10\/phobias-scared-isnt-fun\/#Article","mainEntityOfPage":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/2014\/10\/phobias-scared-isnt-fun\/","headline":"Phobias: When Being Scared Isn’t Fun","name":"Phobias: When Being Scared Isn’t Fun","description":"We love to be scared on Halloween, but phobias take being afraid to the next level. These lasting, intense, and irrational fears can disrupt your life.","datePublished":"2014-10-27","dateModified":"2022-05-19","author":{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/www.upmc.com\/services\/behavioral-health-regions","name":"UPMC Western Behavioral Health","url":"https:\/\/www.upmc.com\/services\/behavioral-health-regions","sameAs":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/behavioral-health\/","parentOrganization":"UPMC"},"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"UPMC HealthBeat","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/UPMC-HealthBeat-Logo.png","url":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/UPMC-HealthBeat-Logo.png","width":600,"height":60}},"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/10\/phobias-scared-isnt-fun.jpg","url":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/10\/phobias-scared-isnt-fun.jpg","height":325,"width":754},"url":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/2014\/10\/phobias-scared-isnt-fun\/","about":["Family Health","Neurosurgery and Brain Health"],"wordCount":331,"keywords":["acrophobia","ailurophobia","American Psychiatric Association","anxiety disorders","aquaphobia","arachnophobia","astraphobia","aviophobia","behavioral therapy","claustrophobia","cognitive behavioral therapy","Halloween","hemophobia","msyophobia","National Institute of Mental Health","ochlophobia","phobias"],"articleBody":"Every Halloween, we celebrate our love of being scared \u2014 from cackling witches to creepy crawlies. We dress in spooky costumes, double down on watching horror movies, and even pay a visit to haunted houses and zombie hayrides in our neck of the woods. While nearly everyone enjoys a bit of fearful fun in a controlled, pretend environment, phobias take being afraid to the next level. A form of anxiety disorders, phobias involve lasting, intense, and often irrational fears that can disrupt lives and relationships.Types of PhobiasThe American Psychiatric Association (APA) groups phobias into three main categories:Agoraphobia \u2014 the extreme fear of being unable to get help or escape a place or situation forces many agoraphobics to remain at home.Social Phobia \u2014 goes beyond shyness and self-consciousness to a profound fear of being around other people and social situationsSpecific Phobia \u2014 involves an unreasonable fear of an object or situation that is out of proportion to the actual danger.What Scares Us the Most?According to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIH), nearly one in 10 American adults has a specific phobia. The APA recognizes more than 100 specific phobias; here are some of the most familiar ones:Acrophobia \u2014 fear of heightsAilurophobia \u2014 fear of catsAquaphobia \u2014 fear of waterArachnophobia \u2014 fear of spidersAstraphobia \u2014 fear of thunder and lighteningAviophobia \u2014 fear of flyingClaustrophobia \u2014 fear of enclosed spacesHemophobia \u2014 fear of bloodMsyophobia \u2014 fear of germs and contaminationOchlophobia \u2014 fear of crowdsIs It Time to Get Help for Your Phobias?The good news is that with professional help, it’s usually possible to cope with phobias. One of the most effective treatments is cognitive-behavioral therapy. Desensitization, certain medications and other therapies are also valuable.If a phobia is impacting your life and relationships, ask your family doctor for help in identifying a therapist specializing in anxiety disorders or visit Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic.Editor's Note: This article was originally published on October 27, 2014, and was last reviewed on April 28, 2022."},{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"2014","item":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/2014\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"10","item":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/2014\/\/10\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"Phobias: When Being Scared Isn’t Fun","item":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/2014\/10\/phobias-scared-isnt-fun\/#breadcrumbitem"}]}]