Characteristics of phobias

Question 1

Define a phobia

Answer 1

An irrational fear of an object or situation that leads to significant anxiety impacting day to day life

Question 2

The DSM-5 has 3 categories of phobias, what are they?

Answer 2

1. Specific phobia
2. Social anxiety/phobia
3. Agoraphobia

Question 3

What’s a specific phobia?

Answer 3

Excessive fear for a particular object or situation

Question 4

What’s social anxiety/phobia?

Answer 4

Excessive fear of a social situation eg. Public speaking, ringing doctor

Question 5

What is agoraphobia?

Answer 5

Excessive fear of being outside or in public places

Question 6

What are the 3 characteristics of phobias?

Answer 6

-Behavioural (how we act)
-Emotional (how we feel)
-Cognitive (how we think)

Question 7

What are the 3 main behaviours shown in behavioural characteristics of phobias?

Answer 7

1. Panic (freeze, cry, run etc)
2. Avoidance (change every day life to dec chance of coming into contact with phobic stimuli)
3. Endurance (If you cannot avoid the phobic stimuli you must endure it but anxiety levels are very high)

Question 8

What are the 2 main behaviours shown in emotional characteristics of phobias?

Answer 8

-Excessive fear (immediate, short term feeling we feel in response to the phobic stimuli)

-Excessive anxiety (state of discomfort where you cannot relax, its less severe than a fear but is long lasting)

Question 9

What are the 3 main behaviours shown in cognitive characteristics of phobias?

Answer 9

• selective attention to phobic stimulus (feel like we see thing first and cant think abt anything else)

-irrational beliefs (illogical assumptions about phobic stimuli)

-cognitive distortions (we think in a way that warps reality of thing were scared of)