John was the victim of a prank carried out by his classmates, where they placed the class gerbil in John's lunch box moments before the lunch break. Upon opening his lunch box, John reacted intensely to discovering the gerbil and having his finger bitten; while the gerbil tried to escape. Classmates laughed with amusement; but John was sent home early, because he could not calm his anxiety. In the following days, the distrust he felt toward animals turned into a phobia. John couldn't visit his aunt's house because she had a cat; and he would immediately walk in the other direction if he heard a dog barking (Newby 198). In John's case, his phobia was brought on by an unexpected event that caused all the angry animals to become afraid. People suffering from phobias are greatly misunderstood and most have not yet found the courage to face their known irrational fears; therefore, phobias have a significant impact on the development of one's personality and lifestyle. The source of phobias is still being evaluated and debated, while new treatment methods are gradually reducing and controlling the anxiety of phobics. Phobias are real fears that most people encounter on a daily basis; but it is the overly exaggerated reaction to the feared object or situation that distinguishes it from usual fears. Fear is a natural feeling in which our mind tells us what is dangerous and tells us to stay away from certain things. As Dr. Ronald M. Rapee and his colleagues stated in the Parent's Guide: "There is no such thing as 'abnormal fear.' All fears are normal – some are just more intense or widespread than others” (Rapee, et al 17). Certain fears may be more common at certain ages; for example, children aged three to five will be afraid of middle of paper ... ears, the reason they are afraid, and will visualize and question irrational beliefs. Exposure therapy is when people diagnosed with a phobia expose their fears little by little. "Dr. Whiteside [of the Mayo Clinic] also developed a mobile app, Anxiety Coach, which helps patients learn about anxiety, manage their symptoms, and make lists of activities to help them do facing their fears" (Landro 2).Cortes 6Those who have been diagnosed as phobic and have had their lives changed by submitting to the irresistible need to avoid their fears at all costs. Facing your fear isn't the easiest thing to do, but there are newer, safer, and simpler methods to eliminate the false fear that an object or situation arouses in someone. Phobias, of unknown origin, have a huge influence on the growth processes of personalities and on the creation of an individual's lifestyle..