Characteristics of Phobias

What are phobias?

An anxiety disorder. An extreme, irrational fear of specific objects, situation. Triggers extreme anxiety

What are the categories of phobias?

Specific phobia and agoraphobia

What is specific phobia?

Phobia of an object or a situation

What is agoraphobia?

A fear of public places or being outside

What are the behavioural characteristics?

Avoidance and panic

Panic

Response to the presence of the phobic stimulus. Causes high stress and anxiety. Some freeze, cry, scream or faint

Avoidance

Going into efforts to avoid being in contact with the phobic stimulus

What are the emotional characteristics?

Anxiety

Anxiety

An unpleasant state of high arousal. Phobic response is an extreme emotional response taken out of proportion to the threat posed by the phobic stimulus

What are the cognitive characteristics?

Irrational beliefs and cognitive distortions

Irrational beliefs

A phobic person may hold unfounded thoughts in relation to the phobic stimulus

Cognitive distortions

When the perceptions of the phobia may be inaccurate and unrealistic