Word parts
What it means
An anxiety disorder in which a person feels intense fear of something, such as heights, needles, spiders, flying or enclosed spaces, and goes out of their way to avoid it. The person often knows the fear is greater than the danger but cannot control it. Social anxiety disorder and agoraphobia (fear of places that are hard to leave) are related conditions.
For the nurse
A fear of needles or blood can affect care, so ask about it and plan ahead. Treatment is mainly therapy that slowly and safely exposes the person to what they fear (systematic desensitization).
At a glance
| Spanish | fobia |
|---|---|
| Also written | phobias, phobic |
Related terms
anxiety disorder
A mental health condition in which anxiety is excessive, lasting and hard to control, and gets in the way of daily life.
anxiety
A feeling of worry, fear or unease about something that may happen, often with physical signs such as a racing heart.
-phobia
A word ending that means a strong, lasting fear.