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What's a Phobia?
A phobia (say: fo-bee-uh) is the fancy name for a fear. But a phobia isn't just any kind of fear. It's normal for kids to be afraid of things — like taking a hard test at school, passing a growling dog on the street, or hearing a huge clap of thunder.
A phobia is different because it is an extremely strong fear of a situation or thing. It is also a kind of fear that doesn't go away. Kids who have a phobia will be afraid of something every time they see or experience it. They won't just be afraid once or twice. Kids who have phobias often go out of their way to avoid the situation or thing that scares them.
That's why Marisa had to take the stairs. She has a phobia of being in closed-in spaces and was too scared to take the elevator. Sometimes, when forced to face what's scary, a kid with a phobia might get very nervous and have a panic attack.
continue reading the article - kidshealth.org/kid/feeling/emotion/phobias.html
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