What are "specific phobias"?

What are "specific phobias"?

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There's another category of phobias that we call "specific phobias," and these relate to situational or natural kinds of circumstances in which a person develops profound worry or fear. This would include the fear of heights, enclosed spaces like elevators, or may include a natural situation such as water, thunderstorms, or even various kinds of animals. Now, it's important to differentiate the specific phobia from the natural, more ordinary fear of, say spiders or a dog. In most cases, that fear is not disabling and doesn't entail rearrangement of your entire schedule to avoid an encounter with such things.