Are we born with phobias or are they acquired through some experience or situation or circumstance?
As for me it's very weird. I have a fear of heights and a fear of closed spaces so exploring caves/working in a mine is something I would never do. Where do phobias come from? Do you have phobias too?
OH! I just read a trivia on this a few days ago. We are born with only two innate fears: the fear of falling and the fear of loud sounds. It is unusual for a phobia to start after the age of 30 years, and most begin during early childhood, the teenage years, or early adulthood. They can be caused by a stressful experience, a frightening event, or a parent or household member with a phobia that a child can 'learn.'
I don't remember ever not being afraid of heights so that must have occurred very early. Whatever triggered or caused it. As for claustrophobia I became aware of it as a young adult. I cannot stand being in large crowds. When I'd go to the movies I always sat in an aisle seat on the left way in back near the exit. Once I had a date with someone who sat in the middle of the middle of the theater where we were TRAPPED. Now I should have said something but I didn't. I was miserable and I never went out with him again. Silly me. He didn't know and I didn't tell him but I blamed him anyway! Silly me. Thank you for your informative reply. I had heard the one about falling but I don't think I heard the one about loud noises. I don't recall either one of my parents having a fear of anything in particular. I will probably never know why! :)
I've always been afraid of deep water, heights and to a lesser extent, very enclosed spaces.
These are not very useful phobias to someone who has been caving for more than forty years - and indeed they have limited that hobby. They have also affected my work at times.
The water I can understand, having fallen into some when too young to see the joke. I'd fallen from our local harbour wall, but luckily next to steps so was able to rescue myself. My Mum always reckoned I swam to them (instinctively...?) but more likely the water was deep enough to break my fall but shallow enough for me to wade.
I do not know the origins of the other fears, but being unable to swim as I cannot float worsened the hydrophobia.
Also, losing suppleness with age plus an untoward but short-lived incident in a particular cave worsened the claustrophobia. It also put me off that particular cave; but I know I am not the only one to have been caught by the same trap. (One the way out, you need move flat-out through one of two openings diagonally down a slope on quite smooth rock, and it's easy to pick the wrong one, which is not really possible to do on the way in. You won't get through it and even if not physically wedged, cannot reverse it, back up-hill, without help).
Generally though I have always found crowds in confined areas more alarming than tight places in caves. A cave in solid rock is static and you can judge whether you will fit through a squeeze, but a crowd of people is moving about and you cannot predict it.
Walt O'Reagun 