Phobia 1100 Words You Need Week 37 Day 4

Phobia 1100 Words You Need Week 37 Day 4

Phobia 1100 Words You Need Week 37 Day 4

/ˈfəʊ.bi.ə/ US /ˈfoʊ.bjə/ (noun)

an extreme fear of something in particular which does not have a reasonable foundation, horror, terror, fright, dread, paranoia, anxiety

Fear of dogs, known clinically as cynophobia, is a type of stimulus-specific phobia. I’m not sure what happened in your boyfriend’s situation, but some people develop cynophobia after being frightened or bitten by a dog. In others, the problem develops for no apparent reason. Treatment is available, and your boyfriend will need to be willing to devote the time to it, but let’s set that negotiation aside for the moment. The good news is that he does not have to become a dog lover. He just has to be comfortable with your dog (one that I’m imagining has a sweet, affectionate temperament).

Cynophobia is treated in the same way as other specific phobias such as agoraphobia (fear of open spaces) or acrophobia (fear of heights). The main treatment is a form of behavioral therapy called desensitization, also known as exposure therapy. Working with a therapist (or sometimes on their own) people gradually expose themselves to the source of their phobia until it no longer scares them.

Source: https://www.health.harvard.edu/

Adjective: phobic