characteristics of phobias

• define a phobia

  an irrational fear of an object or situation
• what is arachnophobia

  fear of spiders
• what is the DSM-5

  diagnostic and statistical manual is mental disorders, 5th edition.

  guide to the diagnosis of mental disorders used by healthcare professionals in the IS and across much of the world, it contains descriptions symptoms and other criteria for diagnosing mental health
• how are phobias characterised

  characterised by excessive fear and anxiety, triggered by an object, place or situation
• what is a specific phobia

  phobia of an object or situation
• what is social anxiety

  phobias of a social situation
• what is meant by agoraphobia

  phobia of being outside or in a public place
• what are the behavioural characteristics of a phobia

  panic

  endurance

  avoidance
• what are the emotional characteristics of phobias

  anxiety - unpleasant state of high arousal

  unreasonable fear - a response to a specific object/situation, which is excessive in relation to the danger actually posed
• what are the cognitive characteristics of a phobia

  cognitive distortion

  selective attention

  irrational beliefs