Specific PhobiasMackenzie Williamson

Definition

A common mental illness characterized by an irrational fear of a particular object or situation. Specific phobias have two main components

1. A strong and consistent fear of an object or situation that the individual realizes poses no actual threat.

2. The response results in the intentional avoidance of the feared object or situation, causing difficulties within the individual’s life as decisions are made in order to steer clear of the feared stimulus.

Symptoms

Excessive or irrational fear of a specific object or situation

Avoidance of object or situation

Physical Symptoms

Nausea

Panic attack

Shortness of breath

Sweating

Etc.

Anticipatory anxiety

Other Information

Can occur in people of all ages

More than 1 in 10 people suffer from specific phobias

Only about 20% of adult phobias vanish on their own

Approximately 4 to 5 percent of the U.S. population has one or more clinically significant phobias in a given year

Social phobia is more common in women than men

More men than women seek treatment for social phobia

Anablephobia- Fear of looking up

Bibliophobia- Fear of books

Coulrophobia- Fear of clowns

Didaskaleinophobia- Fear of going to school

Ephebiphobia- Fear of teenagers

Francophobia- Fear of France or French culture

Gnosiophobia- Fear of knowledge

Heliophobia- Fear of the sun

Iophobia- Fear of poison

Japanophobia- Fear of Japanese

Katsaridaphobia- Fear of cockroaches

Lachanophobia- Fear of vegetables

Melophobia- Fear or hatred of music

Novercaphobia- Fear of your step-mother

Ophthalmophobia- Fear of being stared at

Phobophobia- Fear of phobias

Rupophobia- Fear of dirt

Samhainophobia- Fear of Halloween

Triskaidekaphobia- Fear of the number 13

Uranophobia - Fear of heaven

Verbophobia- Fear of words

Wiccaphobia- Fear of witches and witchcraft

Xanthophobia- Fear of the color or the word yellow

Zoophobia- Fear of animals

Causes

In most cases, specific phobias are caused by traumatic events

Recent research has shows that there may be a hereditary component to social phobia

Treatment

There is no proven treatment for specific phobias however, medications can help reduce anxiety

Medications including, MAOIs, SSRIs and high- potency benzodiazepines can help those with social phobias

Beta blockers help those who suffer from performance phobias

Exposure therapy (a cognitive-behavioral therapy) helps patients become less frightened by gradually exposing them to the object or situation that scares them

Relaxation and breathing techniques also help to reduce anxiety

Videos

Pit bull

Intro interview 1 min 40 sec

Exposure Therapy 2 min 50 sec

Update 1 min 30 sec

Interview with Dr. Zasio - What Causes Animal Phobias? 1 min 40 sec

Bibliography

http://www2.nami.org/Template.cfm?Section=By_Illness&Template=/ContentManagement/HTMLDisplay.cfm&ContentID=150730

http://www.webmd.com/anxiety-panic/specific-phobias

http://psychcentral.com/disorders/specific-phobia-symptoms/

http://psychcentral.com/lib/facts-about-phobias/000658

http://phobialist.com/#O-