Phobias

**Phobias**

**What Is a Phobia?** A phobia is a strong, irrational fear of something that poses little to no danger. A phobia can also be described as an anxiety disorder. However, there are three different types of phobias: **Specific Phobias** : Also known as 'simple phobias', these are the most common type of phobias, with one out of every ten Americans having a phobia. It is the fear of a particular situation or object, like 'claustrophobia', the fear of small, enclosed spaces, or 'clourophobia', the fear of clowns. **Social Phobias** : Social Phobia is the fear of being judged or watched by others, and being embarrassed in public. These fears range from the fear of speaking in public, to using the restroom or even signing their name in public. **Agoraphobia** : Agoraphobia is the fear of being trapped, and having a panic attack. It affects about 3 percent of the population, and usually begins between the ages 15 to 35. Usually, people with this disorder will avoid public places in order to avoid the possibility of having a panic attack. While there is debate on how a phobia forms, it is believed that it can be the cause of a past event that the mind records the feelings as fear, a little like Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). For example, a child that is once bitten by a dog may form a phobia of dogs when he grows up. The symptoms of having a phobia are as follows: Usually, however, a person with a phobia will try to avoid the situations or objects that cause the phobia. This only hides the problem, instead of healing it. **Treatment of Phobias** The treatment of Phobias is as varied as the Phobias themselves: **Flooding** : This is immersing the Phobic in the fear-inducing scenarios until the fear goes away. For example, if a person is afraid of snakes, have the person confront non-dangerous snakes until the fear reflex for snakes is removed. However, some fears are so strong that patients cannot handle flooding, so other forms of treatment must be practiced. <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; font-size: 120%; text-align: center;">**<span style="color: #800080; font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; font-size: 120%;">Counter-Conditioning **: This is when the Phobic is trained to replace the fear response to the object/situation with a relaxation response. The therapists start with the least fear-inducing stimuli, and move up when the patient is truly relaxed. <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; font-size: 120%; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; font-size: 120%;">**Modeling** : This is having the Phobic view others that show relaxation where he/she feels fear, and is encouraged to mimic them. While this is claimed to work, it is still debated upon. <span style="color: #808000; font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; font-size: 180%;">** Public Perception of Phobias ** <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; font-size: 120%; text-align: center;">While phobias are known in general day-to-day lives, they are either seen as understood and accepted (claustraphobia), or silly and irrational (<range type="comment" id="872128">‍‍‍mesophobia ‍‍ ). <span style="color: #808000; font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; font-size: 180%;">**Types of Specific Phobias** <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; font-size: 120%; text-align: center;">Androphobia - the fear of men <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; font-size: 120%; text-align: center;">Bolshephobia - the fear of Bulsheviks  <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; font-size: 120%; text-align: center;">Cyclophobia - the fear of bicycles  <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; font-size: 120%; text-align: center;">Demonophobia - the fear of demons  <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; font-size: 120%; text-align: center;">Eosophobia - the fear of dawn or daylight  <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; font-size: 120%; text-align: center;">Francophobia - the fear of France  <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; font-size: 120%; text-align: center;">Gynophobia - the fear of women  <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; font-size: 120%; text-align: center;">Hylophobia - the fear of forests  <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; font-size: 120%; text-align: center;">Iophobia - the fear of poison  <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; font-size: 120%; text-align: center;">Neophobia - the fear of new things  <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; font-size: 120%; text-align: center;">Ostraconophobia - the fear of shellfish  <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; font-size: 120%; text-align: center;">Pediophobia - the fear of dolls  <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; font-size: 120%; text-align: center;">Radiophobia - the fear of radiation  <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; font-size: 120%; text-align: center;">Suriphobia - the fear of mice  <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; font-size: 120%; text-align: center;">Teratophobia - the fear of monsters  <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; font-size: 120%; text-align: center;">Verbophobia - the fear of words  <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; font-size: 120%; text-align: center;">Xanthophobia - the fear of yellow (color or word)  <span style="display: block; font-family: 'courier new',courier,monospace; font-size: 120%; text-align: center;">Zemmiphobia - the fear of the great mole rat **<span style="display: block; font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; text-align: left;">This mental disorder can be linked to: ** <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; font-size: 120%; text-align: left;">Ailurophobia  <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; font-size: 120%; text-align: left;">Phasmophobia  <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; font-size: 120%; text-align: left;">PTSD <span style="display: block; font-family: impact,charcoal,sans-serif; font-size: 150%; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; font-size: 150%;">Sources: **Information:** Metcalf, Tom and Gena. //Perspectives on Diseases and Disorders, Phobias//. Gale Cengage Learning. Greenhaven Press: Farmington Hills, Michigan. 2009. 15 September 2011. Print. "Phobias". MedlinePlus. 15 September 2011. Web. []. "Treatment of Phobias". 15 September 2011. Web. []. "Types of Phobia". Phobia Fear Release. 19 September 2011. Web. []. "When and How does a Phobia start?" Phobia Fear Release. 15 September 2011. Web. []. **Pictures:** "Luposlipaphobia". The Far Side Comics. 15 September 2011. Web. <http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_KG-vEMi4dQs/TIOu_SMYeDI/AAAAAAAAAHM/Pv0w_RnOO3Y/s1600/luposlipaphobia.jpg>.
 * <span style="display: block; font-family: 'courier new',courier,monospace; font-size: 120%; text-align: left;">Panic or Fear
 * <span style="display: block; font-family: 'courier new',courier,monospace; font-size: 120%; text-align: left;">Rapid Heartbeat
 * <span style="display: block; font-family: 'courier new',courier,monospace; font-size: 120%; text-align: left;">Shortness of Breath
 * <span style="display: block; font-family: 'courier new',courier,monospace; font-size: 120%; text-align: left;">Trembling
 * <span style="display: block; font-family: 'courier new',courier,monospace; font-size: 120%; text-align: left;">A strong desire to get away