Alphabetic Guide to Child Care - Phobias

Phobias

If fears are often legitimate and usually outgrown through reassuring experiences, phobias are deep-seated unconquerable fears. Many adults suffer from them; two of the most common are claustrophobia , the fear of being in an enclosed place, and acrophobia , the fear of heights. Phobia is a clinical term and shouldn't be used to describe a youngster's aversion to school at a particular time, or his apprehension about elevators and escalators. If parental reassurance can help a child overcome fears of this type, they need not be classed as phobias.