Phobias Flashcards
What are phobias?
Phobias are a type of anxiety disorder characterized by irrational, persistent, and extreme fear of something, leading individuals to avoid it despite reassurances of safety.
How does Ella’s phobia of buttons manifest in terms of her behavior, emotions, and thoughts?
Ella avoids clothes with buttons and shops that sell them. She experiences fear when seeing buttons and believes they will pinch her and leave a bruise.
Can you give an example of a specific phobia and describe its characteristics?
Xanthophobia (fear of yellow) involves avoidance of anything yellow, fear and anxiety in response to yellow, and a cognitive distortion where anything yellow is seen as ugly or threatening.
What are the DSM-5 categories of phobias?
The DSM-5 recognizes three categories of phobias: specific phobia, social phobia, and agoraphobia.
What are the cognitive characteristics of phobias?
Cognitive characteristics include selective attention, irrational beliefs, and cognitive distortions.
What are some examples of phobias?
Examples include arachnophobia (fear of spiders), ophidiophobia (fear of snakes), and coulrophobia (fear of clowns).
What is the prevalence of common phobias?
Social phobia affects 17.2% of the population, agoraphobia affects 9.9%, and specific phobias like arachnophobia have a prevalence of 0.75%.
What are the behavioral characteristics of phobias?
Behavioral characteristics include panic reactions, avoidance of the phobic stimulus, and endurance in the presence of the phobic stimulus.
What are the emotional characteristics of phobias?
Emotional characteristics include long-term anxiety and intense fear that is disproportionate to the actual threat posed by the phobic stimulus.
