PHOBIAS

• BEHAVIOURAL 


  • 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

  • Anxiety =

  An unpleasant state of high arousal. Prevents an individual relaxing and makes it very difficult to experience positive emotions. 

  • Fear =

  The immediate response we experience when we encounter or think about a phobic stimulus. 

  • Emotional response is unreasonable =

  Disproportionate to the threat posed e.g a person with arachnophobia will have a strong emotional response to a tiny spider.
• COGNITIVE 


  • Selective attention to the phobia stimulus =

  A person with a phobia finds it hard to look away from the phobic stimulus. 

  • Irrational beliefs =

  Phobias may involve beliefs e.g ‘if i blush people will think i am weak’

  • Cognitive distortions =

  Unrealistic thinking e.g belly buttons appear ugly.