Characteristics of phobias

• What is a phobia? A phobia is an extreme, irrational fear of an object/situation.
• What are some negatives of having a phobia? Can strain romantic relationships and interfere with social life with friends and relatives. This is because it can cause you to miss out activities where your phobic stimulus might occur.
• What is the difference between a phobia and a fear? A phobia is similar to a fear but the reactions produced by someone with a phobia will be much more irrational and unrepresentative of the danger that can actually occur. However fears are rational as the stimulus can actually harm you and you are at risk unlike a phobia.
• What are behavioural characteristics of a phobia? They are the behaviours that are triggered in response to the phobic stimulus.
• Examples of the behavioural characteristics of a phobia?

  Panic - may involve a range of actions such as crying, screaming or running away.

  Avoidance - do what they can to avoid things/places where the phobic stimulus occurs.

  Endurance - The sufferer stays in the presence of the phobic stimulus but continues to experience high levels of anxiety.
• What are emotional characteristics of a phobia? Phobias are classified as anxiety disorders are they induce feelings of fear and anxiety.
• What are examples of emotional characteristics of a phobia?

  Fear - an immediate, extremely unpleasant response you feel when encountering your phobic stimulus.

  Anxiety - a long-term state of high arousal which prevents relaxation. Emotional responses and unreasonable and disproportionate.
• What are the cognitive characteristics of a phobia? People with phobias process information different to those without.
• What examples of cognitive characteristics of a phobia?

  Selective attention - phobic stimulus is hard to look away from. Irrational belief - Will have irrational beliefs in relation to the phobic stimulus.

  Cognitive distortion - The sufferers perception of the stimuli is distorted.