A “Phobia”, is an irrational, intense, persistent fear of certain situations, activities, things, or people. 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 the most common form of anxiety disorders. An American study by the National Institute of Mental Health found that between 8.7% and 18.1% of Americans suffer from phobias. Broken down by age and gender, the study found that phobias were the most common disorders among women in all age groups and the second most common disorder among men older than 25. (From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia)