By Kendra Cherry
Updated Aug 31st, 2018
"According to the American Psychiatric Association:"
" A phobia is an irrational and excessive fear of an object or situation. The phobia invlinvolvesoves a sense of endangerment or a fear of harm.
Symptoms of Phobias
- Dizziness, trembling and increased heart rate
- Breathlessness
- Nausea
- A sense of unreality
- Fear of dying
- Preoccupation with the feared object
In some cases an anxiety attack.
Types of Phobias
Social phobias- involves fear of a social situation
Agoraphobia- involves fear of being trapped in an inescapable place or situation
Specific phobias- involves fear of a particular object. Eg. Butterflies, moths, snakes.
Specific phobia falls under one of four categories:
Situational: Fear of leaving home, driving, bridges
Animal: Cats, birds, rats, spiders
Medical: Going to the dentist, doctor or seeing blood
The natural environment: Lightning, water, storms, mudslides, hurricanes or tornadoes.
Treatment of phobias
Exposure treatments- Getting person to face their fears
Counter-conditioning- Person learns relaxing techniques around object which will replace anxiety and fear.
People with social phobias might be given medication with a low dose of benzodiazepine or an antidepressant. Possibly with a cognitive- behavioural therapy.
Statistics on Phobias
https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/statistics/specific-phobia.shtml
"In 2017 the national institute of mental health carried out a survey on people over 18.
There was an estimated 9.1% of U.S adults had specific phobia. It was higher in females (12.2%) than males (5.8%).
An estimate 12.5% of U.S Adults experiences a specific phobia once in their lives.
https://adaa.org/about-adaa/press-room/facts-statistics
- Anxiety disorders are the most common mental illness in the U.S., affecting 40 million adults in the United States age 18 and older, or 18.1% of the population every year.
Arachnophobia is one of the most common phobias. (spiders)
Ophidiophobia- snakes
Acrophobia -heights
Aerophobia- flying
Cynophobia- dogs
Astraphobia- lighting and thunder
Tryanophiba- medical procures.
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