Phobias
– Depression, phobias and obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) are the
three most common mental health disorders.
– Between 7% - 10% of people will suffer from a phobia in a lifetime.
– The three most common types of phobias are activity based phobias,
object based phobias and animal based phobias.
There are three categories of phobias according to the DSM 5 which is a
classification tool used to diagnose mental health illness. These three
categories are social phobias, agoraphobia and specific phobias;
Social phobias - Social anxiety disorder is a persistent and overwhelming
fear of social situations. It is much more than “shyness”. It can be intense
fear and anxiety over simple everyday activities such as shopping or
speaking on the phone.
Agoraphobia - It is a fear of being in situations where escape might be
difficult or help wouldn’t be available if things go wrong. Many people
assume that this is simply a fear of open spaces but it is more complex
than this. A person with agoraphobia might be scared of travelling in
public, visiting a shopping centre or leaving home.
DSM V Classification of Disorders
They classify them as a marked and persistent fear of a specific object or
situation. Exposure to the phobic stimulus nearly always produces a rapid
anxiety response. Fear of the phobic object or situation is excessive and
out of proportion to the danger it presents. The phobic stimulus is either
avoided or responded to with great anxiety. The phobic reactions interfere
significantly with the individuals working or social life, or he/she is very
distressed about the phobia.
– Depression, phobias and obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) are the
three most common mental health disorders.
– Between 7% - 10% of people will suffer from a phobia in a lifetime.
– The three most common types of phobias are activity based phobias,
object based phobias and animal based phobias.
There are three categories of phobias according to the DSM 5 which is a
classification tool used to diagnose mental health illness. These three
categories are social phobias, agoraphobia and specific phobias;
Social phobias - Social anxiety disorder is a persistent and overwhelming
fear of social situations. It is much more than “shyness”. It can be intense
fear and anxiety over simple everyday activities such as shopping or
speaking on the phone.
Agoraphobia - It is a fear of being in situations where escape might be
difficult or help wouldn’t be available if things go wrong. Many people
assume that this is simply a fear of open spaces but it is more complex
than this. A person with agoraphobia might be scared of travelling in
public, visiting a shopping centre or leaving home.
DSM V Classification of Disorders
They classify them as a marked and persistent fear of a specific object or
situation. Exposure to the phobic stimulus nearly always produces a rapid
anxiety response. Fear of the phobic object or situation is excessive and
out of proportion to the danger it presents. The phobic stimulus is either
avoided or responded to with great anxiety. The phobic reactions interfere
significantly with the individuals working or social life, or he/she is very
distressed about the phobia.
