common psychological phobias
DESCRIPTION
Affecting over ten percent of Americans, mostly women, phobias are the single most common mental disorder.TRANSCRIPT
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Common Psychological Phobias
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The American Psychiatric Association defines phobia as “an irrational and excessive fear of an object or situation.”
Affecting over ten percent of Americans, mostly women, phobias are the single most common mental disorder.
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Cause of Phobias
Generally, phobias are rooted in traumatic childhood events called trigger events.
Darkness can evoke an irrational, mind numbing terror.
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Symptoms of Phobias
Some common reactions to phobia include dizziness, shortness of breath, nausea, a sense of unreality and a fear of dying.
In extreme cases, a full-blown anxiety attack can occur.
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Social Phobias
A social phobia is diagnosed when a person who is exposed to a specific event, such as dining out, has an anxiety response.
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Agoraphobia
If a person fears being trapped in an inescapable place, such as a wide open space or a crowded subway, agoraphobia is diagnosed.
People with this disorder may not leave the house, ever, because of irrational fear.
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Specific Phobias
Natural environment phobias include fear of water, heights, lightening, storms, etc
• Animal phobias include fear of snakes, dogs, spiders, mice, etc.
• Medical phobias include fear of getting a shot, seeing blood, visiting a hospital or doctor, etc.
• Situation phobias include fear of flying, driving, bridges, leaving home, tunnels, etc.
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Treatment Options
Therapy :
• Many phobias are treated using a variety of therapy techniques.
• Exposure treatments attempt to lessen phobias by repeated exposure to the feared object or situation.
•“Flooding” is a typical exposure treatment whereby the individual is repeatedly exposed to the fear object for a prolonged time with no opportunity for escape.
• Counter-conditioning is another therapeutic approach in which the individual learns a new response to the feared object.
• Relaxation techniques are used to supplant fear and anxiousness.
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• Some phobias are only responsive to treatment using prescription medication.
• This could be because the individual has a chemical imbalance that causes irrational thinking.
Treatment Options
Medical :
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