CHARACTERISTICS OF PHOBIAS

→ DSM-5 categorises a phobia when it negatively impacts on a persons everyday life

~SPECIFIC PHOBIAS~

• Phobia of an object, such as an animal or body part, or a situation

→ arachnophobia - fear of spiders

→ claustrophobia - fear of enclosed spaces

~SOCIAL PHOBIAS~

• Phobia of a social situation

→ meeting strangers

→ public speaking

~AGORAPHOBIA~

• Phobia of being outside or in a public place

→ going outside/ leaving the house

→ fear of having panic attacks where they don’t feel safe

~BEHAVIOURAL CHARACTERISTICS~

Panic - cry, scream

Avoidance - avoid phobic stimulus

Endurance - alternative to avoidance, person chooses to remain in the presence of the phobic stimulus

~EMOTIONAL CHARACTERISTICS~

Anxiety - an unpleasant state of high arousal

Fear - immediate and unpleasant response

Unreasonable and irrational emotional response

~COGNITIVE CHARACTERISTICS~

Selective Attention - hard to look away from phobic stimulus

Irrational Beliefs - unfounded thoughts in relation to phobic stimulus

Cognitive Distortions - perceptions may be inaccurate and unrealistic