Common Types Of Phobia: Symptoms And Treatment

Millions of people in America suffer from different kinds of phobia -- an excessive, irrational and unbearable fear of things, places, people, animals and events. Fortunately, there are different ways to treat common types of phobia which can help many people live their daily lives as normal as possible.

Medical Daily compiled common health-related phobias that many people in America suffer from. The health site also shared some of the ways to treat these conditions.

One of the most common phobias is sociophobia, which refers to the irrational fear of being around people. The National institute of Mental Health estimates that about 15 million people in America suffer from this condition. Psychotherapy and group therapy are some of the most popular methods in treating this phobia.

Another common phobia is trypanophobia, which refers to the excessive fear of needles and getting injections. According to statistics, 20 to 23 percent of adults suffer from this type of phobia. "For those who have a fear of needles, medical professionals can provide a self-warming anesthetic patch that contains a mixture of lidocaine and tetracaine to numb the area 2 to 3 millimeters deep," the article advised.

Atychiphobia is another common type of phobia. It refers to the debilitating fear of failure which leads to anxiety, digestive problems, headaches, tension and severe panic. Routine counselling is one of the best methods in dealing with this phobia.

Next on the list is nosophobia, which is the excessive fear of getting sick. It is related to obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) which involves severe anxiety over losing control and getting sick or infected with a disease. Antidepressant medications and cognitive behavior therapy are common treatments for nosophobia.

Philophobia is also one of the most common types of phobia. It refers to the irrational fear of falling in love and letting someone become an intimate part of their private life. According to Health Guidance, about 250,000 people in the U.S. suffer from this condition. "Certain therapies can be of great help over here," Health Guidance advised. "A good therapist will analyze your past relationship experiences, and will accordingly offer you an appropriate solution to deal with the fear of falling in love."