Simple Phobias or Simple Phobia

The most common of the various phobias is simple phobia, the unreasonable fear of some object or situation. Bees, germs, heights, odors, illness, and storms are examples of the things commonly feared in simple phobias.

If you have a simple phobia, it might have begun when you actually did face a risk that realistically provoked anxiety. Perhaps, for example, you found yourself in deep water before you learned to swim. Extreme fear was appropriate in such a situation. But if you continue to avoid even the shallow end of a pool, your anxiety is excessive and may be of phobic proportions.

Simple phobias, especially animal phobias, are common in children, but they occur at all ages. The best evidence to date suggests that between 5 and 12 percent of the population have phobic disorders in any 6-month period.

The recognition by most phobics that their fears are unreasonable doesn't make them feel any less anxious. Simple phobias do not often interfere with daily life or cause as much subjective distress as most other anxiety disorders.