Phobias are classified into four main types: animal, natural environment, blood-injection-injury, and situational. While fears can stem from genuine threats, phobias involve excessive, unreasonable, and paralyzing fears of objects or situations that are generally harmless. Symptoms of phobias include dread, panic, terror, difficulty breathing, and increased heart rate. The three main types of phobias are specific phobia, social phobia, and agoraphobia. Treatment involves consulting a physician, seeing a mental health professional, and undergoing long-term therapy.