We live in a time when many people feel insecure about the events unfolding around them. Just as such anxieties create fertile ground for phobias to take root, so too must healthy minds be nurtured with care.

It has been said that fear enters a newborn the moment they become an independent entity, as the umbilical cord is cut.

Many mothers entrust their newborns to someone else’s care shortly after birth. Some have postulated that from this moment, the absence of emotional interaction could allow fear to grow within the infant. If left without the necessary care and warmth of motherly attention, the child may develop an unhealthy state known as phobic disorder......

For Discussion

1. Share any experiences that may have contributed to a phobia. What triggered your fear?
2. List the symptoms that indicate the presence of a phobic disorder.
3. What happens when parents impose strict social restrictions on their children?