Phobias

Group Members:
Luis Eduardo Vaca Zrraga
Jordi Daniel Legz
Jos Rivadineira
Alejandro Lpez
Gustavo Vsquez
A phobia is !"en used in t"e conte#t o$ clinical ps%c"olog% a t%pe o$ an#iet% disorder usuall%
de$ined as a persistent $ear o$ an o&ject or situation in !"ic" t"e su$$erer co''its to great
lengt"s in avoiding t%picall% disproportional to t"e actual danger posed o$ten &eing recognized
as irrational( )n t"e event t"e p"o&ia cannot &e avoided entirel% t"e su$$erer !ill endure t"e
situation or o&ject !it" 'ar*ed distress and signi$icant inter$erence in social or occupational
activities(
+ritical ,"o&ias
-ost p"o&ias are classi$ied into t"ree categories and according to t"e Diagnostic and .tatistical
-anual o$ -ental Disorders /ourt" Edition 0D.-1)V2 suc" p"o&ias are considered to &e su&1
t%pes o$ an#iet% disorder( 3"e t"ree categories are4
5( .ocial p"o&ia4 $ear o$ ot"er people or social situations suc" as per$or'ance an#iet% or $ears
o$ e'&arrass'ent &% scrutin% o$ ot"ers( 6verco'ing social p"o&ia is o$ten ver% di$$icult !it"out
t"e "elp o$ t"erap% or support groups( .ocial p"o&ia 'a% &e $urt"er su&divided into
generalized social p"o&ia 0also *no!n as social an#iet% disorder or si'pl% social
an#iet%2(
speci$ic social p"o&ia in !"ic" an#iet% is triggered onl% in speci$ic situations(
789
3"e
s%'pto's 'a% e#tend to ps%c"oso'atic 'ani$estation o$ p"%sical pro&le's( /or
e#a'ple su$$erers o$ paruresis$ind it di$$icult or i'possi&le to urinate in reduced
levels o$ privac%( 3"is goes $ar &e%ond 'ere pre$erence4 !"en t"e condition
triggers t"e person p"%sicall% cannot e'pt% t"eir &ladder(
:( .peci$ic p"o&ias4 $ear o$ a single speci$ic panic trigger suc"
as spiders sna*es dogs !ater "eig"ts $l%ing catc"ing a speci$ic illness etc( -an%
people "ave t"ese $ears &ut to a lesser degree t"an t"ose !"o su$$er $ro' speci$ic p"o&ias(
,eople !it" t"e p"o&ias speci$icall% avoid t"e entit% t"e% $ear(
;( Agorap"o&ia4 a generalized $ear o$ leaving "o'e or a s'all $a'iliar <sa$e< area and o$
possi&le panic attac*s t"at 'ig"t $ollo!( )t 'a% also &e caused &% various speci$ic p"o&ias
suc" as $ear o$ open spaces social e'&arrass'ent 0social agorap"o&ia2 $ear o$
conta'ination 0$ear o$ ger's possi&l% co'plicated &% o&sessive1co'pulsive disorder2
or ,3.D 0post trau'atic stress disorder2 related to a trau'a t"at occurred out o$ doors(
Specifc Phobias
A speci$ic p"o&ia is a 'ar*ed and persistent $ear o$ an
o&ject or situation !"ic" &rings a&out an e#cessive or
unreasona&le $ear !"en in t"e presence o$ or
anticipating a speci$ic o&ject= t"e speci$ic p"o&ias 'a%
also include concerns !it" losing control panic*ing and
$ainting !"ic" is t"e direct result o$ an encounter !it" t"e
p"o&ia( .peci$ic p"o&ias are de$ined in relation to o&jects
or situations !"ereas social p"o&ias e'p"asize social
$ear and t"e evaluations t"at 'ig"t acco'pan% t"e'(
3"e D.- &rea*s speci$ic p"o&ias into $ive su&t%pes4 ani'al natural environ'ent &lood1
injection1injur% situational and ot"er( )n c"ildren p"o&ias involving ani'als natural
environ'ent 0dar*ness2 and &lood1injection1injur% usuall% develop &et!een t"e ages o$ > and ?
and t"ese are re$lective o$ nor'al develop'ent( Additionall% speci$ic p"o&ias are 'ost
prevalent in c"ildren &et!een ages 5@ and 5;(
Social Phobias
Anli*e speci$ic p"o&ias social p"o&ias include $ear o$ pu&lic situations and scrutin% !"ic" leads
to e'&arrass'ent or "u'iliation in t"e diagnostic criteria( )n social p"o&ias t"ere is also a
generalized categor%( Anli*e speci$ic p"o&ias !"ic" 'a% develop &e$ore t"e age o$ 5@ social
p"o&ias are t%picall% not present until pu&ertal transition( A$ter t"is transition t"e prevalence o$
social p"o&ia increases !it" age( -an% adolescents !"o develop a social p"o&ia consequentl%
&eco'e rejected &% t"eir peers( As interpersonal d%s$unction is a ris* $actor $or depression
t"ere are so'e negative outco'es $or adolescents !it" social p"o&ia( /or e#a'ple a&out :@B
o$ adolescents diagnosed !it" a social p"o&ia also su$$er $ro' depression and use alco"ol or
ot"er su&stances(
Diagnosis
3"e diagnostic criteria $or .ocial ,"o&ias as outlined &% t"e D.-1)V13R4
5( A 'ar*ed and persistent $ear o$ one or 'ore social or per$or'ance situations in
!"ic" t"e person is e#posed to un$a'iliar people or to possi&le scrutin% &%
ot"ers( 3"e individual $ears t"at "e or s"e !ill act in a !a% 0or s"o! an#iet%
s%'pto's2 t"at !ill &e "u'iliating or e'&arrassing(
:( E#posure to t"e $eared social situation al'ost invaria&l% provo*es an#iet%
!"ic" 'a% ta*e t"e $or' o$ a situationall% &ound or situationall%
predisposed panic attac*(
;( 3"e person recognized t"at t"e $ear is e#cessive or unreasona&le(
C( 3"e $eared social or per$or'ance situations are avoided or else are endured
!it" intense an#iet% or distress(
8( 3"e avoidance an#ious anticipation or distress in t"e $eared social or
per$or'ance situation0s2 inter$eres signi$icantl% !it" t"e person<s nor'al
routine occupational 0acade'ic2 $unctioning or social activities or
relations"ips or t"ere is 'ar*ed distress a&out "aving t"e p"o&ia(
D( )n individuals under age 5E t"e duration is at least D 'ont"s(
>( 3"e avoidance is not due to t"e direct p"%siological e$$ects o$ a su&stance
0suc" as a drug o$ a&use or 'edication2 or a general 'edical condition t"at is
not &etter accounted $or &% anot"er 'ental disorder 0e(g( panic disorder !it" or
!it"out agorap"o&ia separation an#iet% disorder &od% d%s'orp"ic disorder
a pervasive develop'ental disorder sc"izoid personalit% disorder2(
Most Common Phobias
1. Arachnophobia:
3"e $ear o$ spiders(
3"is p"o&ia tends to a$$ect !o'en 'ore t"an 'en(
2. Ophidiophobia:
3"e $ear o$ sna*es(
6$ten attri&uted to evolutionar% causes personal e#periences or cultural in$luences(
3. Acrophobia:
3"e $ear o$ "eig"ts(
3"is $ear can lead to an#iet% attac*s and avoidance o$ "ig" places(
4. Agoraphobia:
3"e $ear o$ situations in !"ic" escape is di$$icult(
3"is 'a% include cro!ded areas open spaces or situations t"at are li*el% to trigger a
panic attac*( ,eople !ill &egin avoiding t"ese trigger events so'eti'es to t"e point
t"at t"e% cease leaving t"eir "o'e(
Appro#i'atel% one t"ird o$ people !it" panic disorder develop agorap"o&ia(
5. Cnophobia:
3"e $ear o$ dogs(
3"is p"o&ia is o$ten associated !it" speci$ic personal e#periences suc" as &eing &itten
&% a dog during c"ild"ood(
!. Astraphobia:
3"e $ear o$ t"under and lig"tening(
Also *no!n as Frontop"o&ia 3onitrop"o&ia or +eraunop"o&ia(
". #rpanophobia:
3"e $ear o$ injections(
Li*e 'an% p"o&ias t"is $ear o$ten goes untreated &ecause people avoid t"e triggering
o&ject and situation(
$. %ocia& Phobias:
3"e $ear o$ social situations(
)n 'an% cases t"ese p"o&ias can &eco'e so severe t"at people avoid events places
and people t"at are li*el% to trigger an an#iet% attac*(
'. Pteromerhanophobia:
3"e $ear o$ $l%ing(
6$ten treated using e#posure t"erap% in !"ic" t"e client is graduall% and progressivel%
introduced to $l%ing(
1(. Msophobia:
3"e $ear o$ ger's or dirt(
-a% &e related to o&sessive1co'pulsive disorder(