Phobias

651 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Social anxiety

When people think about phobias, they tend to think that there are only small amounts of people who have these disorders. However, “anxiety disorders affect about 40 million American adults age 18 years and older (about 18%) in a given year,” and “about 8 percent of teens ages 13–18 have an anxiety disorder.” (“What is Anxiety Disorder?”, the National Institute of Mental Health) and that doesn’t even factor in the rest of the world. Yet, most of the general populace doesn’t know that there are different kinds of anxiety disorders are and what some of the symptoms of an anxiety disorder are.
Some of the main aspects of an anxiety disorder are: A person can recognize that their fears or irrational, but still have a strong reaction when exposed to the situation/object/event; that a person will go out of their way to avoid the situation/object/even that they fear, and that this avoidance behavior is getting in the way of that person’s life. (“DSM-5 Definition of Social Anxiety Disorder”, Social Anxiety Institute).
Once psychologists diagnose a person with Anxiety Disorder, they will put them under at least one of the three major categories: Simple/Specific Phobias, Social Anxiety, and Agoraphobia.

Simple/Specific Phobias are what people generally think of first, like arachnophobia (the fear of spiders) or “germ-a-phobic” (Msyophobia). As its name suggests, a simple/specific phobia is a phobia that is centered on a specified situation, object, event, etc. There is almost an unlimited amount of phobias that have been recorded, such as Cherophobia, which is the fear of being happy (The Phobia List), or Decidophobia, which is the fear of making decisions (The Phobia List).
Out of the 40 million people that suffer from Anxiety Disor...

... middle of paper ...

... some time and learn about the different kinds and the effects and symptoms of Anxiety Disorder.

Works Cited

Ø "Anxiety Disorders." NIMH RSS. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Apr. 2014. .
Ø "DSM-5 Definition of Social Anxiety Disorder." DSM-IV-R Definition of Social Anxiety Disorder. Social Anxiety Institute, n.d. Web. 9 Apr. 2014. .
Ø "The Phobia List." The Phobia List. N.p., 17 July 1995. Web. 10 Apr. 2014. .
Ø "Phobias & Fears." Phobias and Fears: Symptoms, Treatment, and Self-Help. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Apr. 2014. .
Ø "Phobias." Mental Health America. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Apr. 2014. .

Show More
Related

  • Social Anxiety Disorder: Nature vs Nurture

    904 Words  | 2 Pages

    One of the most common anxiety disorder is social phobia, which can sometimes be interchangeable with Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD). Marc de Rosnay, and others, states that Social Anxiety Disorder is characterized by a clearly noticeable fear and avoidance of most social situations where the individual may be put under scrutiny by others, and by fear in such situations, the individual will behave in an embarrassing manner (de Rosnay). One of the most notable feature of social phobia is that it has an early onset, as early as 7-9 months in most cases. The characteristics of having social phobia, or social anxiety disorder, is that the individuals are shy when meeting new people, quiet in a large group, blush easily, and often avoids making eye contact. There are a lot of concerns/problems with having social anxiety disorder. As a group, individuals with anxiety disorders had the largest burden of role disability compared to other common mental health conditions, exceeding the burden for mood disorders and in some cases, substance abuse (Grigorenko).

    Read More

  • The History, Causes and Effects, and Treatment of Phobias

    1319 Words  | 3 Pages

    Just imagine for a moment that you have a cynophobia or the fear of dogs, would this be how you would feel. Driving down the road the oil light comes on. "I must stop the car to add more oil or I will damage the car engine. This looks like a good place to pull over. I'll just stop in front of this house. The oil is in the trunk, so I'll pop the top first, then get the oil out of the trunk. OK, I have the oil, but what if there is a dog at this house. Hurry, I have to hurry. A dog might come running out and bark at me any minute. Just get the oil in the engine. I can't my hands are shaking. Don't worry, there is no dog. Just get the oil in the engine. I don't care if I spill it, just get some in the engine. Take another look around, is there a dog anywhere. OK, the oils in, now hurry get back in the car. I can't breath. I'm safely back in the car, now just take a minute and breath. When will my hands stop shaking." This is how a person with a phobia of dogs might feel. There is no dog around anywhere in sight, but the thought of a dog running at them barking is enough to cause a panic attack. In "Exploring Psychology" David G. Myers defines phobia as "an anxiety disorder marked by a persistent, irrational fear and avoidance of a specific object or situation" (432). This paper will explore the history, causes, effects, and treatment of Phobias.

    Read More

  • The Anxiety Of Anxiety Disorders

    1110 Words  | 3 Pages

    Bearing in mind that an anxiety response is a result of various factors, there are different types of anxiety disorders. The most common type of anxiety disorders as described as specific phobias, social anxiety disorder (SAD), panic disorder (PD), generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). According to Anxiety and Depression Association of America (ADAA) (2016), specific phobias affect about 19 million adults in the U.S, while SAD affects 15 million, PD affects 6 million, GAD affects about 6.8 million, OCD affects about 2.2 million and PTSD affects 7.7 million adults respectively. Considering that anxiety disorders are the most common mental illness in the U.S, yet only about one-third of those suffering receive treatment (ADAA, 2016).

    Read More

  • Social Phobia Essay

    603 Words  | 2 Pages

    Some emotional and behavioral signs are being concerned that you’ll offend someone, intense fear or meeting strangers. Another sign is avoiding situations that could result in embarrassment or becoming the center of attention. Expecting the worst possible outcome and even fearing that others will notice that you look anxious are all signs of social phobia. Some physical symptoms may consist of a fast heartbeat, nausea and having trouble catching your breath. Avoiding normal situations such as making eye contact, dating or even initiating conversations are all signs of the phobia. Having all of these fears can dramatically affect someone’s everyday life. It could cause problems finding a job, keeping friends and it can even lead to severe depression.

    Read More

  • Phobias Essay

    892 Words  | 2 Pages

    Phobias have been in existence for many years. As humans we fear things that are life threatening and unnatural. Someone who has an irrational fear of something is considered a phobia, which is an extreme illogical fear or dislike of something. Fear is a very common emotion which distinguishes from phobia regarding the severe distress someone with a phobia goes through. Fear is a rationalized and instinctive emotion that comes in response to a threatening situation. The reaction caused by fear can be managed. Phobias can hinder someone’s life. People who struggle with phobias constantly avoid the object of fear, and will do anything required not to see it. It’s hard to directly to clearly figure out the cause regarding

    Read More

  • Social Anxiety

    1369 Words  | 3 Pages

    Social anxiety disorder can be defined as the persistent fear of one or more social or performance situations in which the person is exposed to unfamiliar people or to possible scrutiny by others, and where exposure to such situations provokes anxiety.

    Read More

  • Social Phobia or Anxiety Disorder

    952 Words  | 2 Pages

    Having anxiety is common and a part of everyday life however; there is a huge difference between a fear and a social phobia or anxiety disorder. The difference and important distinction psychoanalysts make between a fear and a phobia is “a true phobia must be inconsistent with the conscious learning experience of the individual” (Karon 1). Patients with true phobias “do not respond to cognitive therapy but do respond well to psychoanalysis and psychoanalytic therapy” (Karon 2). Social phobia is a serious anxiety disorder that should not be taken lightly or mistaken as a fear you will simply grow out of the older you get. Social phobia has the power to destroy lives and can prevent people from living and enjoying their life to the fullest. Social phobia is a disabling condition that often starts between the ages of early childhood and late adolescence. The origins of social phobia can be linked to “traumatic social experiences and social isolation” (Hudson118-120). Social phobia is treatable however; research and statics show that not many seek help.

    Read More

  • Clinically Significant Fear and Anxiety

    1408 Words  | 3 Pages

    (198)First, we need to understand what fear and anxiety is. Fear is when the nervous system responds to a threat to ones well being. Anxiety is when there is a vague sense of danger. Both of these term help the body determine when action needs to be taken like “Fight” or “Flight”. When they both come clinically significant is when people can’t not live there normal lives without one or there other or both interfering. “Their discomfort is so server or to frequent, last too long, or is trigger to easily, (Comer, 2013, pp.114)”. Then they are termed with having an anxiety disorder or some other disorder. Most psychologist use the DSM-5 check list when diagnosing a patient with anxiety disorder. They look for these signs that the DSM-5 list:

    Read More

  • Anxiety Disorders

    900 Words  | 2 Pages

    Phobias are considered a part of anxiety disorders, a phobia is an intense and irrational fear of a certain thing or situation. Some examples of phobias include fear of heights, insects, and even talking in front of a large crowd. The intensity of phobias differ from patient to patient but the severity of phobia...

    Read More

  • Phobias

    2220 Words  | 5 Pages

    There are three kinds of phobias: simple phobia, social phobia, and panic attacks. Simple phobias, also called specific phobias, are fears of a specific thing, such as spiders or being in a closed place. Most simple phobias develop during childhood and eventually disappear. Specific phobia is a marked fear of a specific object or situation. It is a category for any phobias other than agoraphobia and social phobia. The categories of specific phobias are 1. situational phobias such as: fear of elevators, airplanes, enclosed places, public transportation, tunnels, or bridges; 2. fear of the natural environment such as: storms, water, or heights; 3. animal phobias such as: fear of dogs, snakes, insects, or mice; 4. blood-injection-injury phobia such as: fear of seeing blood or an injury, or of receiving an injection. (Wood 520).

    Read More

  • What Are Social Phobias?

    2194 Words  | 5 Pages

    One of the characteristics of a phobia is a feeling that is greater than the fear of a situation or object with an exaggeration of the danger associated with the said situation or even object. This persistent fear often leads to an anxiety disorder that leads an individual to develop mechanisms that ensure one avoids the object or situation that triggers the occurrence of the phobia. Phobias can have highly debilitating effects on an individual including the development of depression, isolation, substance abuse, and even suicide. Many people take phobia for granted however, it is clear that it has the potential to impair the quality of life for both the affected and the people around them. The fact that many of the phobias are manageable using

    Read More

  • Anxiety Essay

    873 Words  | 2 Pages

    Data from a Western country of 25 million people say that combined anxiety disorders affect 12% of the population: 9% of men and 16% of women over a year.

    Read More

  • Personal Narrative Essay: Living With Anxiety

    702 Words  | 2 Pages

    Do you know what it feels like to have your palms sweat, throat close up, and your fingers tremble? This is the everyday life of someone who lives with anxiety. As soon as I wake up in the morning, I hear my brain freaking out about the day ahead of me. What do I eat for breakfast? What do I do first when I get home from school? What happens if I get in a car crash on my way to school? A million thoughts at one time racing through my head. I never have the time to process all of them. Most mornings, I lay in my bed and have to take a few deep breaths to begin my hectic but not so hectic day. That’s just the beginning. It’s safe to say that I feel that I 'm an anxious person and that I have an anxiety disorder.

    Read More

  • Anxiety and Depression

    1470 Words  | 3 Pages

    Anxiety is a normal reaction to stress. Every person experiences some form of anxiety in his or her lifetime. Anxiety helps us deal with tense situations like using our flight or fight reaction, study harder for an exam, or keep focus on important deadlines. Anxiety can be useful until it gets to the point of interfering with everyday life. Some people explain it as not being able to shut the anxiety off. When anxiety becomes an excessive, irrational dread of everyday situations, it becomes a disabling disorder (National Institute of Mental Health, 2009). Each year, anxiety disorders affect about 40 million American adults age 18 years and older (National Institute of Mental Health, 2009). There are five major Anxiety Disorders they include Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD), Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD), Panic Disorder, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), and Phobias.

    Read More

  • Essay On Emotions And Emotions

    1216 Words  | 3 Pages

    People who are feeling anxious often exhibit some physical symptoms that are easy for a person to identify, while others are harder to recognize visually. For example a person may feel restless, have a choking feeling, increased heartrate, chest pain, nausea, dizziness, hot flashes or chills, and numbness which people are unable to notice unless they the person with these symptoms tells them what is happening. A person would be able to see someone feeling anxious starting to shake, breathing heavily, or having sweaty palms. People that are feeling anxious will also exhibit behavioral differences. For example, they will begin avoiding situations, trying to leave situations they feel anxious in, becoming self-destructive, limiting themselves, and becoming attached to objects and people. People who engage in these kinds of behaviors are usually coping with the feeling of anxiety or trying to avoid feeling anxious to begin with. Anxiety can also change ones cognitive thought processes, causing them to question various aspects of their lives, even if they have no direct effect on them, or it the effect would not occur for a while. Anxious people have difficulty handling the unknown, often feel they are going crazy, and feel trapped. It is important to identify these behaviors and physical symptoms in oneself and in others to avoid a potentially dangerous situation and to prevent one from allowing their anxiety to become uncontrollable or to find someone help if it is already becoming too

    Read More

More about Phobias

Open Document