Studies have revealed that the first-degree relatives of anyone suffering from a phobia have chances to develop the same phobia approximately three times.
Abstract:
Phobia, an exaggerated, usually inexplicable and illogical fear of a particular object, class of objects or a situation. As described by Isaac Marks (1987), Phobias are an intense fear of objects or situations which is out of proportion to their danger, cannot be explained or reasoned away, is beyond voluntary control, and leads to avoidance of the feared stimuli. Claustrophobia (fear of closed spaces) is probably the most common phobic disorder. Sometimes the afterward memories of the similar situation ignite the same horrible sensation in an individual. Sufferers always try to find the cause of their sufferings. Hence, recent research has started to entangle the relationship between genes and phobia.
If a family member has a phobia, there is an increased risk for a phobia as well to the other individual. In plenary, the relatives of someone with an explicit anxiety disorder most reliably develop the same disorder as in the case of agoraphobia, fear of open spaces, the first-degree relatives are at increased risk for panic disorder as well, thus, pointing to a possible genetic connect between agoraphobia and panic disorder.
Studies have revealed that the first-degree relatives of anyone suffering from a phobia have chances to develop the same phobia approximately three times.
A study demonstrated that if we made mice to fear certain smells by giving them electric shocks while encountering a smell, the phobia of that smell would be present in their offsprings too though they have never experienced that smell.
Another evidence that phobias can be genetic lies in the fact that if one of the twins is suffering from a genetic disease the other is likely to suffer from the same. Similarly, in three out of four cases if one of the twins has a phobia, the other is not spared of the fear too.
Lifestyle and environment too plays a key role in developing phobias which contradicts the fact of fear in our genes. For example if a mother is hydrophobic, she will always appear tense and nervous near sea shores. Also she will prevent her child from going swimming. This would inculcate the same fear in the child. Such observations could prove to be a reason for parents sharing the same phobias with their children.
Conclusion:
Though the evidence and analysis support the hereditary nature of phobia still it would be quite early to conclude the genetic basis of phobia. More research studies need to be conducted in the discipline as none of them concludes about the accuracy of this evolutionary hypothesis.
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