What are you afraid of? Heights? Snakes? Deep water?
Everybody's frightened of something to some degree or another.
According to MSN, the most common phobias are of animals, like bats, rats, cats, dogs, mice and snakes. A lot of people are terrified of spiders, too. And women are 3 times as likely to get the willies as men.
So, what are the top things that freak people out? From the bottom up, they are: a fear of flying, a fear of rodents, a fear of heights, and of giving a speech. So, what's the number one phobia? A fear of snakes.
In most cases, the fear is a good thing. It's a defense mechanism alerting you to danger. Like, "That snake's going to bite me run!" But a true phobia is an extreme and disabling fear, and it's often irrational, and includes an intense need to avoid the object or the situation.
For example: A person living in the hills of Los Angeles is totally terrified of elephants. Even though they avoid the circus, and there's no chance they're ever see a live elephant wandering through their neighborhood. But even seeing a picture of an elephant on their TV completely freaks them out. They're unrealistically convinced that any elephant they see is going to run right over and stomp them to death.
At the end of the day, it's perfectly normal to get a bit nervous about spiders, snakes, or mice underfoot. But if you can't take a shower because you're afraid you'll get sucked down the drain even when you know it's not physically possible - you need to seek professional help.
According to MSN, the most common phobias are of animals, like bats, rats, cats, dogs, mice and snakes. A lot of people are terrified of spiders, too. And women are 3 times as likely to get the willies as men.
So, what are the top things that freak people out? From the bottom up, they are: a fear of flying, a fear of rodents, a fear of heights, and of giving a speech. So, what's the number one phobia? A fear of snakes.
In most cases, the fear is a good thing. It's a defense mechanism alerting you to danger. Like, "That snake's going to bite me run!" But a true phobia is an extreme and disabling fear, and it's often irrational, and includes an intense need to avoid the object or the situation.
For example: A person living in the hills of Los Angeles is totally terrified of elephants. Even though they avoid the circus, and there's no chance they're ever see a live elephant wandering through their neighborhood. But even seeing a picture of an elephant on their TV completely freaks them out. They're unrealistically convinced that any elephant they see is going to run right over and stomp them to death.
At the end of the day, it's perfectly normal to get a bit nervous about spiders, snakes, or mice underfoot. But if you can't take a shower because you're afraid you'll get sucked down the drain even when you know it's not physically possible - you need to seek professional help.
