5.2 phobias

Phobia = an irrational fear of an object or situation

Behavioural = ways in which people act

Emotional = related to a persons feelings or mood

Cognitive = refers to the process of ‘knowing’, includes thinking, reasoning, remembering, believing

DSM-5 categories of phobia

• all phobias are characterised by excessive fear and anxiety, triggered by a certain stimuli. The extent of the fear is out of proportions to any real danger.

• Specific phobia - phobia of an object or situation

• Social phobia - phobia of a social situation

• Agoraphobia - phobia of being outside or in public places

Behavioural characteristics of phobias

• panic - this may involve crying, screaming or running away. But for some it may include freezing, clinging or having a tantrum

• Avoidance - they put in effort to prevent coming into contact with the phobic stimulus

• Endurance - when the person chooses to remain in the presence of the phobic stimulus, and their concentration is primarily focused on the stimulus

Emotional characteristics

• anxiety - an unpleasant state of high arousal that prevents a person from relaxing or experiences positive emotion. More long term

• Fear - the immediate and unpleasant response we experience when we encounter a phobic stimulus. More short term

• These emotional responses are disproportionate to any threat posed

Cognitive characteristics

• selective attention - keeping ‘an eye’ on the threat and being unable to concentrate on anything else

• Irrational beliefs - the person may hold unfounded beliefs that can’t be explained and don’t have any basis in reality

• Cognitive distortions - the perceptions of the phobic stimulus are inaccurate and unrealistic