phobia

• DSM-5 categories of phobia

  • Specific phobia
  • Social anxiety (social phobia)
  • Agoraphobia
• Phobias


  • Excessive fear and anxiety, triggered by an object, place or situation
  • Fear is out of proportion to any real danger presented by the phobic stimulus
• Specific phobia


  Phobia of an object, such as an animal or body part, or a situation such as flying or having an injection
• Social anxiety (social phobia)


  Phobia of a social situation such as public speaking or using a public toilet
• Agoraphobia


  Phobia of being outside or in a public place
• Behavioural characteristics of phobias


  • Feeling high levels of anxiety and trying to escape
  • Fear responses are the same as for any other fear even if the level of fear is irrational
• Panic


  A person with a phobia may panic in response to the presence of the phobic stimulus, involving behaviours like crying, screaming or running away. Children may react differently, e.g. freezing, clinging or having a tantrum.
• Avoidance


  The person goes to a lot of effort to prevent coming into contact with the phobic stimulus, which can interfere with daily life
• Endurance


  The person chooses to remain in the presence of the phobic stimulus and keep a wary eye on it
• Anxiety


  Phobias are classed as anxiety disorders, involving an unpleasant state of high arousal that prevents relaxation and positive emotion. Anxiety can be long term.
• Fear


  The immediate and extremely unpleasant response experienced when encountering or thinking about a phobic stimulus. It is usually more intense but experienced for shorter periods than anxiety.
• Cognitive characteristics of phobias

  • People with phobias process information about phobic stimuli differently from other objects or situations
  • Selective attention to the phobic stimulus
  • Irrational beliefs
  • Cognitive distortions
• Selective attention to the phobic stimulus


  If a person can see the phobic stimulus it is hard to look away from it
• Irrational beliefs


  A person with a phobia may hold unfounded thoughts in relation to phobic stimuli that don't have any basis in reality
• Cognitive distortions


  The perceptions of a person with a phobia may be inaccurate and unrealistic
• Emotional characteristics of phobias


  • Anxiety

  • fear

  • emotional response is unreasonable