I am wondering when a fear becomes a phobia? How do I know if I should seek help or not?

I am very afraid of bees, much more so than my friends (I am in my 40s). My reactions used by funny when I was younger, as I quickly jump from a table or move to the other side of the park or swimming pool if there is any type of bee nearby. If I am inside the house, and a bee is in another room, I need to be a few rooms away with the door shut until my husband kills it, before I can come back out.

I think it's wonderful that parents are asking more questions of their children's pediatricians and do not follow medical recommendations blindly.

But doctors now fear that parents fears of a link between autism and vaccinations may be causing an increase in measles, as well as potentially causing an increase in other diseases or viruses.

From a CNN report, it says "measles cases in the U.S. are at the highest level in more than a decade, with nearly half of those involving children whose parents rejected vaccination, health officials reported Thursday.

On one of tonight's national television evening news programs, there was a story about how a case against a man convicted of abusing a young girl in his care was helped by a dog trained to instill trust and confidence in such young witnesses and plaintiffs. The furry buddy, named "Buddy," helped ease the young girl's fear of talking about the abuse in preparation for her courtroom testimony.

ATLANTA - The elderly fear breaking a hip when they fall, but a government study indicates that hitting their head can also have deadly consequences: Brain injuries account for half of all deaths from falls.

The study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is the first comprehensive national look at the role brain injuries play in fatal elderly falls. It examined 16,000 deaths in 2005 that listed unintentional falls as an underlying cause of death.

Fathers with postpartum depression (PPD) have symptoms that are often different from the fluctuating moods and emotions that moms with PPD exhibit. As a rule, fathers have more tension and short-temperedness along with fear, anger, frustration, and helplessness. Dads with PPD are
concerned about their partners, their disrupted family life, and financial problems. They have increased expectations for themselves, decreased sleep, confusion over their new role, and increased responsibilities (especially if the mom has PPD).

Fear is common for heart disease survivors, but for women diagnosed with atrial fibrillation the fear can be overwhelming.