This psychological reaction causes many physical symptoms. Some symptoms include shaking, rapid heartbeat, difficulty breathing, sweating, chest pains, dizziness, and a feeling of overwhelming anxiety. When a person has such physical reaction to something they fear, they are said to be having a panic attack.
Some phobias, however,can prevent sufferers from participating in normal, everyday activities. These kinds of phobias can have a devastating impact on the sufferer's life. For example, after being in a car accident, George Ramirez developed ochophobia, a fear of riding in vehicles. After that, the only way George could get from one place to another was to walk. And, since his college was 20 miles( 32 kilometers) away- too far to walk- George dropped out.
There are hundreds of different kinds of phobias, but only a handful are very common. One of these phobias is the fear of heights ( acrophobia). People with this fear are unable to look out the window of a tall building without feeling a panic attack coming on. Another common phobia is the fear of being in confined spaces( claustrophobia). People with claustrophobia commonly feel trapped when they are in small, enclosed place like elevators, tunnels, or closets. On the other hand, people who suffer from agoraphobia fear being in large, wide-open spaces, or shopping malls, stadiums, and other crowded places. Some people develop such intense agoraphobia that they are not able to leave their home for years.u