Phobias

• A mental disorder characterised by high levels of anxiety in response to a particular stimuli or situation, interfering with normal living
• Cognitive characteristics

  • Irrational nature of thinking 🤔, resisting rational arguments. E.g. someone afraid 😟 of flying is not reassured by being told flying is the safest form of transport
  • The person also recognises their fear 😨 is excessive and so phobias are distinct from delusional mental illnesses where the patient is unaware of their behaviour
• Emotional characteristics

  Persistent and marked feelings of fear 😨 that are excessive. Someone with a phobia feels emotions of fear 😨, anxiety and panic with the presence of the phobic stimuli e.g. a spider 🕷️.

  They may also feel anxious 😰 anticipating the object/situation. Their fear 😯 is out of proportion to the actual danger posed
• Behavioural characteristics

  • Avoidance, they try avoid the phobic stimuli to avoid feelings of fear, 😨 anxiety and panic.
  • Someone may also freeze 🥶 and faint, this is an adaptive response as prey use this so their predator thinks they are dead.
  • Avoidance due to phobias interfere greatly with the individuals routine as they always feel distress due to a risk of experiencing their phobias; they aren't just regular fears
• In 2009, 2.6% of people reportedly had phobias