Phobias

How does DSM-5 characterise a phobia?

• Excessive fear and anxiety, triggered by a place/object/situation.

• Fear is out of proportion to any real danger presented by phobic stimulus.

What is a specific phobia?

Phobia of object/situation

What is a social phobia?

Phobia of social situation

What is agoraphobia?

Phobia of being outside

What are the behavioural characteristics of phobias?

• Panic - crying, screaming running away. In children, freezing, clinging or having a tantrum

• Avoidance of phobic stimulus - may bring difficulties to daily life

• Endurance of the phobic stimulus - may feel safer to keep their eye on it

What are the emotional characteristics of phobias?

• Anxiety

• Fear - more intense but short period than anxiety

What are the cognitive characteristics of phobias?

• Selective attention to phobic stimulus - keeping eye on something dangerous gives us ability to react quickly to threat

• Irrational beliefs

• Cognitive distortions