Phobias Flashcards
What is a phobia?
Anxiety disorders including agoraphobia (fear of public places), social phobia (fear of people and being judged) and specific phobias (persistent fear of specific object or situation) . (the other anxiety disorder is GAD but not phobia).
What is the aetiology and epidemiology of phobias?
Genetic factors relevant. Behavioral copying learned from parents (esp specific phobias)
F>M onset early twenties or late adolescence.
What may you find in the history and exam of social phobias?
Social phobia: situaitonal anxiety in social groups: parties, meetings, classroms. There is marked avoidance, Anxiety symptoms and blushing, fear of vomiting and urgency/fear of micruition.
What may you find in the history and exam of specific phobias?
Specific phobia: regonsied as irrational but can not go away. Anziety and panic when exposed to object. Most common phobias include animals, blood or injury, heights, illness. Somatic anxiety symptoms occur on exposure.
What may you find in the history and exam of agoraphobia?
Agoraphobia: Marked fear of crowds, piblic places, travelling alone, being away from home. Somatic anxiety symptoms may occur in anticipation of it. Avoidance of these situations alone is prominent feature, may be able to stand them if with someone else.
What investigations may you do for phobias?
FBC, UE, Ca, LFT, TFT.
What is the management of phobias?
Exposure therapy, gradual increase. CBT. SSRI/BZD to aid with gradual re exposure.
What are the complications and prognosis of phobias?
Agoraphobia: isolation and secondary depression.
Social: may be secondary to depressive illness when social preformance declines. Secondary drug abuse common in older age groups.
Specific: disruption of normal daily life if stimulus present in it.
What is the aetiology of agoraphobia?
Agoraphobia often follows traumatic event. Strong association with panic and ICD-10 classification includes with/without panic disorder
