Phobia comes from the Greek word for "fear". It is a
strong, persistent fear of situations, objects, activities, or
persons. The main symptom of this disorder is the
excessive, unreasonable desire to avoid the feared subject.
When the fear is beyond one's control or if the fear is
interfering with daily life then a diagnosis under one of the
anxiety disorders can be made.
Phobias are among several anxiety disorders, which
also include panic disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder,
and obsessive-compulsive disorder and generalized anxiety
disorder. Such unrealistic or excessive fear of objects or
situations is a psychological disorder that can makes life
miserable for years.