Afraid!: Overcoming Fears and Phobias |

Does the sight of certain animals, snakes, or insects cause you to panic? Do storms or other natural phenomena send you running for cover? What about being in an enclosed place or a very open space? Maybe you've been putting off that vacation overseas because you are terrified of flying. And a trip to the doctor's office or the hospital is more than you can endure.

Or perhaps you have a morbid fear of Friday the 13th also known as paraskevidekatriaphobia. Every year has at least one Friday the 13th and this year it is Friday August 13! All of these are forms of phobias.

You are not alone! About one in every ten Canadians experiences some form of phobia. To learn more about phobias and their treatment look at Psychology works for Phobias from the Association of Psychologists of Nova Scotia.

How can you tell the difference between a fear and a phobia? Phobias are persistent fear that is excessive, unreasonable and disabling. For a discussion of fear versus phobia look at The Fear Factor: Phobias from WebMD or Phobias & Panic Disorder from the Canadian Mental Health Association.

Check out the Library's recent books about fears and phobias. To see which branch has a copy of the book and to place a hold, click on the title link;