9781422280614

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Chapter One

What Are Phobias?

You have probably heard people say they have “a phobia” about something. It might be heights. Or spiders. Even clowns. What people mean by phobia, in most cases, is that they are very bothered by that particular thing. For example, if someone says, “I have a phobia about crowds,” that person usually means that being in a large group of people makes him or her feel anxious and uncomfortable. The person is saying she or he would rather avoid a crowd if possible. For casual, everyday speech, that is a pretty good definition. But in medicine, the word phobia has a much more specific meaning. In this book, we’ll look at the medical version of the word, especially as it relates to kids. Then we’ll look at how phobias are treated, and what you can do to try to overcome whatever phobias you might have.

Words to Understand

criteria: a set of standards by which you can judge something. genetic: here, describing a trait that is passed along in families. panic attack: sudden episode of intense, overwhelming fear. proportion: a part of something as compared to the whole. stimulus: something that causes a particular reaction.