Phobias

• DSM - 5 Categories of phobias

  All phobias are characterised by excessive fear of anxiety triggered by an object, place or situation.

  • Specific phobia - e.g to an object
  • Social anxiety
  • Agoraphobia - being outside or in a public place
• Behavioural characteristics of phobias

  • Panic
  • Avoidance - Can impact daily life
  • Endurance - E.g staying in a room with spiders but keeping an eye on them
• Emotional characteristics of phobias

  • Anxiety - Phobias are classified as an anxiety disorder
  • Fear - The immediate and extremely unpleasant response to a phobic stimulus
  • Emotional response is unreasonable
• Cognitive characteristics of phobias

  • Selective attention to the phobic stimulus - can only concentrate on the stimulus
  • Irrational beliefs
  • Cognitive distortions - perceptions are unrealistic