It is time to show compassion to those who suffer from a phobia about guns. Attempting to use rational arguments with people whose fears are irrational is ultimately futile. Note that explaining to someone who has a fear of flying that they are far safer in an airplane than in their own automobile has little affect.

The National Institute of Mental Health classifies phobias as a subset of Anxiety Disorders. A "specific phobia" is defined as "an intense fear of something [a situation or an object]" that, while it poses no actual threat in and of itself, "has become associated with danger in the mind of the person afflicted." This definition describes anti-gun hysterics almost too well.

NIMH further states that "by definition, phobias are irrational, meaning that they interfere with one's everyday life" and that "while adults may even realize that their fears are irrational, they often find that facing, or even thinking about facing, the feared object or situation, brings on (sic) severe anxiety."

In spite of the fact that NIMH reports that "specific phobias respond very well to targeted psychotherapy" those who hate and fear guns not only resist treatment, they vehemently refuse to even admit their affliction. In fact, they often angrily attack anyone who dares suggest that their fears are anything but "rational."

Note also that the favorite phrase of gun control proponents is "guns kill"  - as if a gun is capable of independent action. Now, fearing pit-bulls, or rattlesnakes, or any other creature that can choose to attack you may very well be rational. But assigning the ability to "kill" to an inanimate object is evidence of a severe disconnection from reality. The pro-gun people had it right when they said that "guns don't kill people - people do." Even MAADD does not blame cars (or even alcohol, for that matter) for traffic deaths - they correctly target drunk drivers.

More from NIMH: "Specific [object] phobias affect an estimated 19 million Americans, and are twice as common in women as men." Given that so much of the anti-gun rhetoric comes from female activists and legislators, along with organizations representing women, the (high-heeled?) shoe certainly does seem to fit.

DSM-IV, the handbook of the psychiatric profession, suggests some of the causes of phobias. While some phobias are the result of a bad personal experience in connection with the object feared, "Research (Ost & Hugdahl, 1981) suggests that half of all people with phobias have never had a painful experience with the object they fear" but have heard, or read about, "someone who has been injured" and thus "become afraid, too." Yet, they point out, "almost no one is afraid of cars, even though almost everyone has experienced or witnessed a car accident in which someone got injured," and in spite of the fact that more than 45,000 people die each year in traffic mishaps.

Meanwhile, the vast majority of people who are afraid of guns have had no negative personal experience with firearms at all, nor do they even know someone who has. So why then do we have a larger number of people who fear guns than fear cars?  Well, given the incredibly distorted view of guns and violence presented in both news and entertainment media, it is hardly any wonder that some people might develop a fear of guns out of all proportion to reality.

Other intriguing research on phobias (Mineka, 1985 and Mineka, Cook, & Miller, 1984) found that "people generally develop phobias for objects they cannot predict or control." Now, given that those who hate and fear guns are invariably obsessed with "gun control" it certainly does seem to indicate that their viewpoint is shaped more by a kind of repressed anxiety, rather than any rational concern for their own safety.

So what to do? Well, not surprisingly, since the majority of the Psychiatric profession, especially in America, is made up of those with a very liberal life-view, some mental health professionals are even reluctant to admit that fear of guns is, indeed, an anxiety disorder. Some go to great lengths to dance around the obvious, engaging in the same denial they have to treat in their patients. But thankfully, not all.

Sarah Tompson, MD, has produced some profound insights into the irrational fears that some people have about guns, and how to deal with them. Her excellent piece "Raging Against Self Defense - A Psychiatrist Examines the Anti-Gun Mentality" has been published widely, and is easily found online. She also gives some sound advice for how to deal with those who fear guns.

There are organizations, like the CTRN Phobic Clinic, that specialize in helping people get over their fear of guns. They have clients in 67 countries, and claim a very high success rate in treating firearm anxiety disorders.

Yes, it's time for those of us who do not suffer from anger, depression, or anxiety over guns to be a little more understanding of those who are in the grip of irrational fear. Rather than ridicule them, let's offer them a helping hand. Let them know that there are resources to help them treat their mental disorder. And try to be a little more understanding.

It's the least we can do.