We all must keep in mind Phobias are an anxiety disorder that affects millions of people around the globe, it is a medical condition that is still not fully understood well, many scientist believes it comes from an unbalance of the chemical makeup that our endocrinology system produces that controls everything in our body which is still not very well understood either, it all starts with the pituitary gland and includes every gland in our body.
Keep in mind that these phobias are real to the person who has them, but it is up to them to find the correct help, and finding a doctor who really understands the endocrinology system is almost impossible, I had a very close friend who had very high anxiety problems that also led to phobias, when I first met her she was very agoraphobic and would not leave her home she also had other phobias, after doing some studies about the problem and finding a endocrinologist two states away she was put on some meds that helped balance her system and she was back to normal.
So when dealing with these type of people keep an open mind and understand that it's real to them, it's a disability just like any other disability, if you can talk to someone close to the person tell them to find a specialist in anxiety problems that also understands phobias as well as someone who knows the endocrinology system.
Edited to add that many of these people turn to alcohol and or other drugs that may help them feel less affects of the disorder, but it is not the right fix for the problem, they need the correct medical help to truly get back to a normal life.