Fear is an ancient and universal emotion. It can be defined as the sensation that one is in danger, that something bad is about to happen. Fear is almost always accompanied by a host of physical symptoms. When it is not justified by the presence of real danger or a threat, or by a rational cause, and when it is also accompanied by a persistent avoidance of the situations which lead to it, it is called a phobia. Phobias occur in several forms. A phobia is a repeated, unrealistic, paralyzing fear of a particular object or situation. Phobic disorders are classified as part of the group of anxiety disorders, which includes panic disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder and obsessive-compulsive disorder. Anxiety disorders are not just a case of "nerves." One cannot overcome an anxiety disorder through willpower alone, nor can the symptoms be ignored or wished away. Anxiety disorders cause the person to feel anxious most of the time, making some seemingly simple situations so uncomfortable, the person may avoid them entirely.
By definition, phobias are irrational and they interfere with one's everyday life or daily routine. If a person's fear of high places prevents them from crossing necessary bridges to get to work, that

A specific phobia is a marked and persistent fear that is excessive and unreasonable, cued by the presence or anticipation of a specific object or situation. Exposure to the phobic stimulus provokes an immediate anxiety response or panic attack. The person realizes that the fear is excessive and irrational and either avoids the situation (or object) or endures it with intense anxiety and distress. The avoidance, anxious anticipation and distress significantly interferes with the person's daily routine - occupational functioning and social activities.

Modeling is a technique used by social learning theorists. In modeling, the patient observes others (the "models") in the presence of the phobic stimulus who are responding with relaxation rather than fear. In this way, the patient is encouraged to imitate the model(s) and thereby relieve their phobia.

Although this disorder is sometimes thought to be shyness, it is not the same thing. Shy people can be very uneasy around others but they do not experience extreme anxiety in anticipating social situations, nor do they necessarily avoid them. The most common social phobia is fear of public speaking. Sometimes social phobia involves a general fear of social situations such as parties. Social phobia disrupts normal life, interfering with career and social relationships. For example, a worker can turn down a job promotion because he can't give public presentations. "The dread of a public event can begin weeks in advance, and symptoms can be very debilitating. People with social phobia are aware that their feelings are irrational but they experience a great deal of anxiety before facing the feared situation and they may go out of their way to avoid it. Even if they manage to confront what they fear, they usually feel very anxious before hand and are intensely uncomfortable throughout. Afterwards, the unpleasant feelings linger and they worry about how they may have been judged or what others may have thought or observed about them." ( Kleinman, A. 1988)

"People who suffer with this phobia will literally let their teeth rot because they are afraid to go to the dentist."

~ An understanding and awareness of the problem