Phobias

Question 1

What is the meaning of phobia?

Answer 1

Intense and persistent fear of a specific object situation or activity

Question 2

What does a phobia need to be so that it’s actually classified as a phobia?

Answer 2

It needs to be clinically diagnosed by a medical practitioner or psychological

Question 3

What are the 3 types of phobia in the DSM - 5?

Answer 3

Specific phobia
Social phobia
Agoraphobia

Question 4

What is a specific phobia?

Answer 4

Phobia of an object such as an animal or a situation such as having an injection

Question 5

what is a social phobia?

Answer 5

Phobia of a social situation such as public speaking

Question 6

What is agoraphobia?

Answer 6

Phobia of being outside or in a public place

Question 7

What is the behavioural characteristics of a phobia?

Answer 7

Panic : Start crying and screaming or running away . Children may freeze or throw a tantrum
Avoidance : they tend to prevent coming into contact with the phobia stimulus
Endurance : Choose to remain in the presence of the phobic stimulus

Question 8

What are the emotional characteristics of phobia?

Answer 8

Anxiety : a unpleasant state of arousal and is difficult to relax or feel positive ( long term )
Fear : is an immediate and extremely unpleasant response
More intense response than anxiety
Is more short term than anxiety
Unreasonable: react very extremely and greater than the normal reaction

Question 9

What is the cognitive characteristics of phobia?

Answer 9

Selective attention: struggle to concentrate on anything other than the phobic stimulus
Irrational beliefs : person holds thoughts that are not easily
Explainable and increases the pressure to do well in social situations
Cognitive distortion : perception might be inaccurate and unrealistic ( see snakes as aliens and as aggressive )