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Phobias
The word "phobia" is a term
that refers to a group of symptoms brought on by feared objects or situations. People can
develop phobic reactions to animals, social situations and activities.
Phobias are the most common form of
anxiety disorders, which affect people of all ages, at all income levels and in all
geographic locations, according to a study by the American - The National Institute
of Mental Health (NIMH), between 5.1 and 21.5 percent of Americans suffer from Phobias.
Broken down by age and gender, the NIMH study found phobias were the most common
psychiatric illness among women in all the age groups and the second most common illness
among men older than 25.
Symptoms
A phobic disorder can be so mild that it hardly affects a person's life. The feared object
or situation may enter the person's life so rarely that the phobia doesn't interfere with
the ability to work, socialize and go about a daily routine. But other phobic disorders
may focus on something as common as running water and may thus prevent showering, bathing
or brushing one's teeth. Or they may arise whenever the person ventures from home,
preventing work, social life or grocery shopping. A phobia that interferes with daily
living can create extreme disability and should be treated.
- A phobia is defined by the psychological
and irrational panic, dread, horror, or terror when he is in a situation that is harmless.
The person recognises that the fear goes beyond normal boundaries and the actual threat of
danger.
- The phobic reaction is automatic,
uncontrollable and pervasive, practically taking over the person's thoughts in a barrage
of imaginary threats and dangers.
- The person suffers from all the physical
reactions associated with extreme fear: rapid heartbeat, shortness of breath, trembling
and overwhelming desire to flee the situation,
- The person flees the feared object or
situation and goes of his way to avoid it. When avoidance causes distress or
interferes with the ability to work, socialise and care for day to day needs, he should
seek an evaluation.
Categories of Phobias
Phobic disorders are divided
into categories that closely define the cause of the reaction and avoidance. Phobias may
develop as a result of panic attacks that seem to appear out of nowhere. Panic attacks may push some people into fearing and
avoiding the situation or object associated with such an attack. However, other
phobia patients never experience a panic attack, even when they are confronted with the
object or situation they fear.
| Agoraphobia | Social Phobia | Simple Phobia | |
