phobias

• Phobias


  An extreme and irrational fear of objects, or when it comes to social phobias, to some situations. Two of the more commonly known phobias are arachnophobia (spiders) and claustrophobia (fear of enclosed spaces).
• Behavioural


  Avoidance - physically adapting normal behaviour to avoid phobic objects.

  Panic - an uncontrollable physical response, and it's most likely to happen at the sudden appearance of the phobic object.

  Failure to function - difficulty taking part in activities required to perform a normal life.
• Emotional


  Anxiety - an uncomfortably high and persistent state of arousal, making it difficult to relax. Heightened anxiety when the individual is likely to encounter the phobia.

  Fear - An intense emotional state linked to the fight or flight response, a sensation of extreme and unpleasant alertness in the presence of the phobia that only subsides when the phobic object is removed.
• Cognitive


  Irrational thoughts: negative and irrational mental processes that include an exaggerated belief in the harm the phobic object could cause them.

  Reduced cognitive capacity: people with a phobia cannot concentrate on day-to-day activities such as work due to the excessive attentional focus on the phobic objects and constant concerns about potential danger they feel they are in.