1 min
What is a phobia?
What is a phobia?
A phobia is a debilitating fear of an object, place, situation or animal. If you have a phobia, you likely experience a deep sense of panic whenever you encounter your fear.
If your phobia has become severe, you might find that you’ve started to organise your whole life around avoiding the situation or object that is causing your anxiety.
Contact Us (to be deleted Jan 2026)
Different types of phobia
There are different types of phobias: simple phobias and complex phobias.
Some examples of simple phobias are:
- Animal phobias – such as rodents, dogs, spiders, birds and others
- Bodily phobias – such as blood, vomit or injections
- Environmental phobias – such as heights, deep water and germs
- Sexual phobias – such as performance anxiety or fear of sexually transmitted diseases
- Situational phobias – such as flying or going to the doctor
Some examples of complex phobias are:
- Agoraphobia – fear of open spaces, crowded places, travelling or public transport
- Social phobia – fear of social situations
Frequently asked questions
When should I get help for a phobia?
You should seek help if you find that you are so fearful of something that you are going to great lengths to avoid it and it’s beginning to get in the way of your daily life. It’s also important if you want to ensure that you don’t pass your phobia onto someone else e.g. your child as children have a tendency to model the behaviour of their parents.
Which treatments are most effective for phobias?
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) is the most effective therapeutic approach for phobias. Medication is not usually recommended for phobias. However, if your anxiety is debilitating and interfering with your daily life, then we may recommend a review with our Consultant Psychiatrist to consider short-term medication.
How long does it take to treat phobia?
Treatment usually involves a hierarchy of exposure to your phobia in small, digestible steps. It tends to be a relatively short-term intervention that will entail roughly 12 sessions.
Related videos
2 mins
What are the symptoms of a phobia?
1 min
What’s the recommended treatment for phobias?
2 mins
What are common phobias?