A phobia is defined as an intense, somewhat irrational, fear of a situation, activity, person or event.  Individuals with phobias exhibit a strong desire to avoid the activity or situation in which they fear.  Should the fear interfere with one’s daily functioning to the degree the fear extends beyond the individual’s control, it is likely a diagnosis will be made.

Causes

It has been inferred phobias arise from individual predispositions and external events; with heredity, brain chemistry and genetics (in combination with life experiences) as additive factors contributing to the phobia. Psychologist Martin Seligman elicited phobias of snakes and flowers by using Classical Conditioning.  This famous experiment concluded certain objects are predisposed to be associated with fear, as it took fewer shocks to elicit a phobia of snakes than of flowers.