U4 AOS2: DP2 Specific phobia (2023-2027)

catastrophic thinking

psychological contributing factor; a type of cognitive bias - thinking that is obsessive and irrationally overestimates a threat; often involves thinking of worst-case scenarios

cognitive bias

systematic error in thinking that affects the decisions and judgements that people make; sometimes lead to an inaccurate judgement or illogical interpretation of a situation

GABA

an inhibitory neurotransmitter; imbalance of GABA is implicated in severe anxiety disorders

memory bias

psychological contributing factor; a type of cognitive bias caused by inaccurate or exaggerated memory

systematic desensitisation

a psychological intervention; a process of treating a phobia by introducing stimuli that are more and more fear-provoking while simultaneously invoking relaxation

Step 1: Teach patient relaxation strategies

Step 2: Build a fear hierarchy

Step 3: Progress through the fear hierarchy whilst utilising relaxation techniques at each stage

specific phobia

a persistent, irrational and intense fear of a particular object or event

stress

a state of physiological and psychological arousal produced by internal and external factors

anxiety

is a state of physiological arousal associated with feelings of apprehension, worry or uneasiness that something is wrong or that something unpleasant is about to happen

benzodiazepines

a biological intervention; stimulate the GABA neurotransmitters activity, acting as an AGONIST, thereby reducing physiological arousal

have the effect of calming down the body by reducing physiological arousal and promoting relaxation

cognitive behavioural therapy

A psychological intervention

1. Identify the causes, thoughts and triggers of the specific phobia.

2. Change the beliefs and catastrophic thoughts, to show the individual these thoughts are not based on reality.

3. The therapist gives homework to assist the client to change their thoughts and behaviour until eventually they can deal with the feared stimulus without experiencing the phobic response.

severe anxiety (phobic anxiety)

maladaptive, counterproductive and disabling; cause considerable distress and disruption to a person's life

anxiety disorder

used to describe a group of disorders that are characterised by chronic feelings of anxiety, distress, nervousness and apprehension or fear about the future, with a negative effect

long-term potentiation

biological contributing factor; contributes to the development of specific phobia via the strengthening of synapses within neural circuits, making it more likely that the individual will experience a fear response each time they see the phobic stimulus

classical conditioning

psychological contributing factor; precipitation of a specific phobia can occur through classical conditioning

operant conditioning

psychological contributing factor; perpetuation of a specific phobia can occur through operant conditioning

specific environmental triggers

social contributing factor; refers to a 'specific' object or situation in the 'environment' that 'triggered' an extreme fear response; the more severe the trauma associated with the initial fear experience the more likely a phobia will develop

stigma

social contributing factor; refers to a 'mark of disgrace' that labels a person as different and separates them from others

breathing retraining

a biological intervention; individuals are taught to use a slow-breathing technique to manage the effects of hyperventilation and this is recommended as soon as the person begins to feel anxious

psychoeducation

a social intervention; family and friends challenge unrealistic or anxious thoughts and help the sufferer to replace these with more realistic ones