A phobia is an excessive and irrational fear triggered by an object or situation.
What are the 3 categories of phobias identified in the DSM-5?
Specific phobias: phobia of an object, e.g. animal or situation
Socialanxiety: phobia of a social setting e.g. public speaking
Agoraphobia: phobia of being outside in a public place
A phobic person generally knows that their response is disproportionate to the phobicstimulus, but they still feel fear when they are confronted by it.
What are the behavioural symptoms of phobias?
Changes in the way people act such as panic (crying, freezing, jumping, clinging to something/someone), desire to flee and/or avoidance.
What are the emotional symptoms of phobias?
Changes in the way people feel. Typically expressed as feelings of extreme fear and anxiety.
What are the cognitive symptoms of phobias?
This is the thinking process: knowing, perceiving and believing. This can be shown by:
Focused/selectiveattention (unable to take your eyes off the object that you are scared of)
