I feared that many participants here would react to this interesting article's headline rather than to its content, and it appears that that fear is warranted. But, seriously, this is a thoughtful article and well worth reading for better understanding of debilitating phobias and how they are currently treated. It is also good to read the whole fine article to see what the medical doctor author has to say about the trade-offs of the proposed drug treatment suggested as an addition to the currently standard exposure therapy. I don't know anyone among my close friends who has a phobia as disabling as those described in the article. There is a big difference between such phobias and the everyday caution and avoidance of rash behavior that helps keep us all safe.
AFTER EDIT, AFTER OTHER COMMENTS TO THE THREAD: I remember that back in the 1980s propranolol (a beta-blocker originally prescribed to prevent heart disease) was investigated for anxiety conditions like stage fright. (The cases of stage fright among performers I know best largely resolved as the performers gain in performance competence from more coaching and practice and reduced fear of performing by performing in public more often.) So this line of research about propranolol has been going on for a long time.
AFTER EDIT, AFTER OTHER COMMENTS TO THE THREAD: I remember that back in the 1980s propranolol (a beta-blocker originally prescribed to prevent heart disease) was investigated for anxiety conditions like stage fright. (The cases of stage fright among performers I know best largely resolved as the performers gain in performance competence from more coaching and practice and reduced fear of performing by performing in public more often.) So this line of research about propranolol has been going on for a long time.