Phobias, depression and OCD

• Behavioural characteristics of phobias

  • panic - may involve a range of behaviours such as crying, screaming or running away from the phobic stimulus
  • avoidance - considerable effort to prevent contact with the phobic stimulus. This can make It hard to go about everyday life
  • endurance - an alternative behaviour to avoidance. Involves remaining with the phobic stimulus and continuing to experience anxiety
• emotional characteristics of phobias

  • anxiety - an unpleasant state of high arousal. Prevents an individual relaxing and makes it very difficult to experience positive emotion
  • fear - the immediate response we experience when we encounter or think about a phobic stimulus
  • emotional response in unreasonable - disproportionate to the threat posed e.g. a person with arachnophobia will have a strong emotional response to a tiny spider
• cognitive characteristics of phobias

  • selective attention to the phobias stimulus. a person with a phobia finds it hard to look away from the phobic stimulus
  • irrational beliefs - e.g. if i blush people will think im weak
  • cognitive distortions - unrealistic thinking e.g. belly buttons appear ugly
• behavioural characteristics of depression

  • activity levels - people with depression have reduced activity levels making them lethargic e.g cant get out of bed
  • disruption to sleep and eating behaviour - reduced sleep (insomnia) or increased (hypersomnia). appetite and weight may increase on decrease
  • aggression and self harm - depression is associated with irritability and this may extend to aggression and self harm
• emotional characteristics of depression

  • lowered mood - people with depression describe themselves as ‘worthless’ or ’empty’
  • anger - such emotions leaf to aggression or self harming behaviour
  • lowered self esteem - the person likes themselves less, even self loathing
• cognitive characteristics of depression

  • poor concentration - the person may find themselves unable to stick with a task, or might find simple decision making difficult
  • attention to the negative - depressed people have bias to focusing on negative aspects of current situations and recalling unhappy memories
  • absolutist thinking - black and white thinking - when a situation is unfortunate its seen as an absolute disaster
• behavioural characteristics of obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD)

  • compulsions are repetitive - actions carried out repeatedly in a ritualistic way e.g. hand washing
  • compulsions reduce anxiety - anxiety may be created by obsessions or just anxiety along
  • avoidance - OCD is managed by avoiding situations that trigger anxiety e.g. avoid rubbish bins because they have germs
• emotional characteristics of OCD

  • anxiety and distress - obsessive thoughts are unpleasant and frightening, and the anxiety that goes with these can be overwhelming
  • depression - low mood and lack of enjoyment
  • guilt and disgust - irrational guilt e.g. over a minor moral issue, or disgust which is directed towards oneself or something external like dirt
• cognitive characteristics of OCD

  • obsessive thoughts - about 90% of people with OCD have recurring intrusive thoughts e.g. about being contaminated by dirt or germs
  • cognitive coping strategies - some people with OCD use strategies to cope e.g. meditation
  • insight into excessive anxiety - awareness that thoughts and behaviour are irrational. may have catastrophic thoughts and be hypervigilant
• what is hypervigilance


  keeping attention focused on potential hazards