Dr Peter Moore: 'Why I have a phobia over the use of the word phobia!'

I am not sure what would happen if a scandal grew up around Notting Hill Gate. Would it be Notting Hill Gate Gate?

But the addition which worries me is the use of the word 'phobia' leading to islamophobia, homophobia or transphobia. These words can describe an intense dislike, prejudice or even bigotry but are not a phobia. Calling these problems a phobia undermines people who really are suffering from the debilitating anxiety disorder, a phobia.

Phobia is a particularly unpleasant form of mental illness. A phobia is not simply a dislike. It is a condition which leads to an overwhelming fear of something which could be a place, situation or an animal. It is also irrational. A fear of a car approaching at high speed when someone is in the middle of the road is not a phobia. It is a logical response. But if someone was overwhelmingly terrified to leave the house and, when they did always avoided pavements in case a car swerved, they might have a phobia. This fear is irrational and out of proportion to any real risk.

A normal anxiety can become a phobia if it is out of proportion to any danger, lasts for at least six months and affects daily life. It is common with 6 to 8 per cent of people in the western world suffering. Tragically a true phobia can result in suicide. Phobias are potentially fatal.

If someone really had islamophobia, an irrational fear of Muslims, they might not be able to leave the house in case they saw someone in a hijab. If they did go out they would probably plan their route to avoid passing any mosques. What they could not do is to abuse Muslins or demonstrate outside a mosque.

The commonest phobias are a fear of snakes, heights or blood. They often result from an unpleasant childhood experience.

There are also social phobias when someone is terrified that they are being judged. Agrophobia, literally fear of the marketplace, is the fear that they cannot escape. They need to be in a safe place and are afraid that if they leave they will suffer a panic attack. These people may not go out and, if they do, never get in a lift.

Some sufferers live with the problem and avoid the trigger but, for others their whole life is affected. They all know that the fear is irrational but that does not make it any easier. When confronted with their trigger they may suffer dizziness, a fast heart, shortness of breath and even loss of bladder or bowel control.

One of the problems I sometimes faced when dealing with drunk drivers in the police station is that some would claim to suffer a needle phobia. This might be to avoid having a blood test to prove that they are over the drink drive limit but, in the police station I did not have their medical notes. I could ask about foreign holiday when they might, accidently mention that they needed injections before travel. Another time someone claimed to have a needle phobia when he was covered in studs and earrings. If there was any doubt it was easier to ask for a urine sample rather than argue. No one has a phobia about going to the toilet. Today this whole area is no longer a problem because the breathalyser machines are so accurate no one needs to give a blood sample.

Phobias have no simple fix but CBT, cognitive behavioural therapy, can help as well as desensitisation, when they confront the trigger with a therapist in a safe, controlled environment.

Languages change and evolve. We cannot be King Canute trying to stop the tide. When people show prejudice or others believe they are then the suffix phobia is here to stay but it is also important to remember that real phobias are serious and a potentially fatal mental health illness.