The reported incidence of phobic behavior is at least four times greater for women than it is for men. Some estimates suggest there are ten times as many phobic women as phobic men. Yet no one has ever been able to offer a satisfactory explanation for this.

Of course many people, both professional and nonprofessional, have tried to explain these puzzling statistics. Some suggest that "women are more emotional than men," that "women think too much," or that "women have nothing better to do all day than worry." Others suggest that men are less willing to admit they have a problem and that these "closet phobics" are biasing the statistics.

Some of these explanations could have more than a grain of truth in them. Others are quite ludicrous. But none of them satisfactorily accounts for the significantly higher incidence of phobic behavior reported among the female population.

However, once you have established that phobias are the result of an underlying inner-ear disorder and you are aware of the many factors that can destabilize the inner-ear system, it suddenly becomes very obvious why there are more phobic women than phobic men. Women are more susceptible because their internal chemistry is less stable.

In other words, the physiochemical changes brought on by the menstrual cycle, pregnancy, menopause, and so on, are all capable of aggravating the inner-ear system and triggering phobic symptoms.

Therefore, though the incidence of inner-ear dysfunction may be the same in both sexes, this dysfunction is less likely to be aggravated if you are a man. Hence, fewer men are phobic.

WHAT ABOUT EMOTIONAL STRESS?

Many clinicians and nonprofessionals have tried to attribute the sudden onset of phobic behavior to one factor: emotional stress. They tell phobics: "You're just under a lot of pressure. Take a vacation; take it easy. Rest and you'll feel better." But this kind of advice rarely helps.

There is no question that stress can precipitate phobic behavior. Stress causes anxiety, anxiety is a physiochemical reaction, and physiochemical reactions can destabilize an impaired inner-ear system.

But once you have established that the underlying source of phobic behavior is the inner-ear system, it immediately becomes obvious that emotional stress is only one factor capable of provoking phobic behavior. There are dozens of others that are equally capable.

Attributing the sudden appearance of all phobias to emotional stress is amazingly shortsighted. It can even be dangerous.

By ignoring the influence of other destabilizing factors, and by ignoring the role of the inner-ear system in predisposing individuals to phobic symptoms, patients are often prevented from obtaining valuable insight into their condition. Furthermore, they are deprived of proper treatment. This typically leads to the perpetuation or worsening of phobic symptoms.