Phobia

• what is a phobia - an example of an irrational disorder, an extreme, irrational fear of a particular object or situation
• DSM clarifies phobias as either:

  1. specific phobias
  2. Agoraphobia
  3. social anxiety disorder (social phobia)
• specific phobias - A fear of specific objects or situations
• specific fears 5 subtypes:

  1. Animal (zoo phobia)
  2. Environmental dangers (fear of water )
  3. Blood-injection - injury (fear of needles )
  4. situational ( fear of heights or enclosed spaces )
  5. other (anything else not listed above)
• Agoraphobia - fear of open spaces, using public transport, being in an enclosed space, waiting in line or being in a crowd, or not being at home

  • linked of fear of not being able to escape or find help in an embarrassing situation
  • avoid situation in order to avoid distress
  • develop as a result of other phobias because they will come across the source of their fear is leave house
• Social anxiety disorder (social phobia) - fear of being in social situations (eating in public or talking infant of a group of people) as down to possibility of being judged or being embarrased
• symptoms and clinical characteristics are:

  • cognitive symptoms
  • behavioural symptoms
  • physical symptoms
  • emotional symptoms
• Cognitive symptoms - irrational beliefs about stimulus that cause fear. Find hard to concentrate as preoccupied by anxious thoughts
• behavioural symptoms - avoiding social situations that cause anxiety. especially if have social anxiety disorder or agoraphobia
• physical symptoms - activation of fight or flight response when in contact with object of situation. included release of adrenaline, increased heart rate and breathing and muscle tension
• Emotional symptoms - anxiety and feeling of dread
• Diagnostic criteria for phobias:

  1. significant prolonged fear of object or situation that lasts more than 6 months
  2. experience an anxiety response if exposed to phobic stimulus
  3. phobia out of proportion to any actual danger
  4. sufferer goes out of their way to avoid phobic stimulus
  5. phobia disrupts their lives