Phobias Characteristics

• Phobias - anxiety disorder = primary symptom is therefore extreme anxiety. Phobias are irrational fears that produce a conscious avoidance of the feared object or situation.
• • Specific phobias: fear of snakes, spiders etc.

  • Agoraphobia: fear of being out in a public place with no escape

  • Social phobias: fear of talking to a group of people & interacting with others in social situations
• Emotional characteristics:

  Feeling of unreasonable, excessive & persistent fear + feelings of anxiety and panic brought on by the presence or thought of a specific object or situation. The feelings of anxiety are out of proportion to the actual danger proposed.
• Behavioural characteristics:

  Will avoid the situation or object that is the source of the fear. If they come into contact with the phobic stimulus they may show the behaviour of freezing or fainting. Avoiding the source of the fear can lead to disruption in normal routine such a being able to work, have an active social life, relationships etc. This is how a phobia is different from more everyday fears that don’t have an effect on your life.
• Cognitive characteristics:

  The phobic will have irrational thought processes. They will be resistant to rational arguments e.g. person with a fear of flying is not helped by the fact that flying is the safest form of transport. The person recognises that their fear is irrational which distinguishes between a phobia and a delusion.