Looking over the edge of a high structure, being in new places, seeing blood, or being near a spider might make us uncomfortable or frightened. We may try to avoid these types of situations but we can live our day-to-day life without much thought about them. 

 

People who have a specific phobia worry excessively about encountering the situation, often go to great lengths to avoid what they fear, and may engage in a variety of safety behaviours (such as constantly looking around for signs of danger) to ensure there is no danger. These phobias may occur at any time of life and tend to come on suddenly. 

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