Phobias

• Cognitive distortions (Cognitive characteristic)

  Phobic's perception of the phobic stimulus may be distorted. They catastrophise the situation
• Irrational thoughts (Cognitive characteristic)

  Phobic may hold irrational beliefs in relation to the phobic stimuli and this kind of belief increases the pressure on the sufferer to perform well in social situations
• Selective attention to the phobic stimulus (Cognitive characteristic)

  When sufferer sees the phobic stimulus, it is hard to look away from it. Keeping attention is good as it can help to react quickly to a threat yet is bad when the fear is irrational
• Emotional responses are unreasonable (Emotional characteristic)


  Emotional responses experienced in relation to phobic stimuli go beyond what is reasonable and are irrational
• Example: arachnophobia (Emotional characteristic)


  Phobia of spiders. Person's anxiety increases when entered any place associated with spiders. But when the person actually sees a spider, a very strong emotional response is directed particularly towards the spider
• Anxiety (Emotional characteristic)

  Phobias are classed as anxiety disorders as they create an emotional response of fear and anxiety. Anxiety is an unpleasant state of high arousal. Anxiety can be long term and prevents sufferer from relaxing and experiencing positive emotions
• Endurance (Behavioural characteristic)

  Alternative action to avoidance is to endure and remain in the presence of phobic stimulus but continue to experience high levels of anxiety
• Avoidance (Behavioural characteristic)


  Phobic person goes to great lengths to avoid the phobic stimulus. This can make it hard to go about daily life
• Panic (Behavioural characteristic)


  Phobic person may panic in response of the phobic stimulus like crying, screaming, running away. Children react differently and may respond by freezing or having a tantrum
• Agoraphobia (DSM-5 Category)

  Phobia of being outside or a public space
• Social anxiety (DSM-5 Category)

  Phobia of a social situation
• Specific phobia (DSM-5 Category)

  Phobia of an object, such as animal, body part or a situation