Phobias are basically a cluster of anxiety signs triggered due to particular objects or certain situations. There are some types of phobias based on the triggering stimulants. One of these is known as specific phobia, normally known as simple phobia. The triggering point of this type of phobia is the presence or even a small thought of a certain object in the environment that usually is not harmful for the person. This piece of content is the best source to understand the basic understanding of what specific phobia is, what is the most common phobia, what is the list of phobias, does everyone have a phobia, some common facts about phobias, is a phobia a mental disorder, the possible causes, the identifying signs, and effective treatment plans.
What Is Specific Phobia As Per DSM-5?
Before understanding the real definition of specific phobia, one must be clear about the fact that fear and phobia are two completely different things, so it is essential to learn about the difference first. Several people experience various fears linked to different objects and situations. However, this does not mean that they are going through specific phobias.
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Mental health therapists cannot perform specific lab tests to diagnose specific phobia in a person, therefore they refer to their guideline book namely diagnostic statistical manual of mental disorders. According to DSM-5 the followings signs indicate that a person is suffering from specific phobia:
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Extreme fear:
The sufferer shows excessive, illogical, constant and intense fear followed by a particular object or situation.
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Instant anxious response:
The fear reaction of such a person is spontaneous and appears the moment a person is exposed to the triggering object or situation.
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Extensive stress and avoidance:
The sufferer will try their level best to avoid the triggering situation or object and this avoidance will lead them to extreme stress.
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Life-limiting:
The signs of specific phobia negatively and significantly impacts the overall functioning of a person such as their work, personal life, and school performance.
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Duration:
The duration of the signs to be diagnosed as specific phobia is at least six months.
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Not caused by any other disorder:
There are several anxiety disorders that have similar signs. In such a case a professional must first thoroughly check the signs to get a better understanding that they are not actually the signs of other mental health disorders such as adjustment disorder, GAD, ADHD, mood disorder, MDD, trauma, bipolar disorder, and acute stress.
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Categories Of Specific Phobias
There are particularly 5 types of specific phobias. Some of the example of a specific phobia are:
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Injury Type:
As the name suggests, such a type of phobia is linked with getting injured and this fear results in developing a phobia of being physically harmed or injured. Some common types of injury type of phobia include fear of dentists and needles (injections).
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Situation Type:
This is a specific type of phobia that is linked with the manifestation of fear in certain situations such as washing fear, or enclosed spaces.
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Animal Type:
This is a certain type of fear linked with different kinds of animals such as dogs, cats, snakes, and insects.
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Environment Type:
Such a fear is associated with the nature or environment such as fear of thunder and lightning.
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Other Types:
There are certain types of fears that do not come under the category of the above explained four categories so they fit in this type of fear. This can include fear of dolls, loud noises, and puking.
Triggers Of Specific Phobias
The onset of specific phobias are not caused by a single reason but instead there is a cluster of triggers that lead to it. Some of the commonly experienced ones are as follows:
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Genes:
This is a basic fact that individuals having a strong family history of anxiety disorders or even phobias are more at a risk of developing specific phobias.
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Temperament:
Several researches show that people with weak temperaments have a high chance of getting infected by specific phobia.
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Experiences:
If a person has faced several traumatic experiences in their lives then there is a probability they will face anxiety disorders or even specific phobias at a certain point of life such as for the phobia linked with animals one might have experienced a severe animal bite.
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Prevalence Of Specific Phobia
The national institute of mental health estimates that almost nearly 5-12 percent of Americans have been diagnosed with phobias. And, in total an estimated figure of the affected people is 6.3 million adults in America.
Phobias are seen to manifest usually during adolescence and adulthood, but this does not mean it does not affect other people of different ages. The prevalence rate is much more common in women as compared to men. Children are often seen to exhibit signs of phobias but these signs usually disappear after some time. However, the case is a bit when an adult is suffering from specific phobias. They usually show these signs for a longer period of time. Moreover, 20 percent of specific phobias adults improve without consulting a mental health professional.
Therapeutic Approach To Treat Specific Phobias
There are several proven and effective ways to overcome the signs of specific phobias:
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Medications:
The first approach is treating the signs of specific phobia by the prescription of medicines to ensure that the condition of the patient is stable. Therefore, the patient is given anti-anxiety medicines such as Xanax, Ativan, and particular benzodiazepines. If a phobia is not accompanied by any other mental health condition such as depression or panic disorder then the need of prescribing daily basis medicines is reduced. In recent times, another group of medicines has jumped into the scene that are specifically for the blood pressure called beta-blockers.
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Psychotherapy:
Psychotherapy is one of the oldest and effective therapeutic approaches to treat symptoms of specific phobia. Cognitive behavioral therapy is widely used psychotherapy effective in treating signs of various mental health issues including specific phobias. The basic aim of such a treatment method is to restructure the negative thoughts of a person into positive ones.
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Relaxation Techniques:
There are some relaxation techniques that are responsible for minimizing the signs of anxiety such as deep breathing.
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Conclusion!
A phobia can be extremely concerning for some individuals. There are several types of phobias that manifest vulnerable human bodies. However, the most commonly experienced is specific phobia, this particular phobia is linked with extreme fear related to a particular object or situation. It usually becomes a bit complex for the mental health professionals to diagnose specific phobias in the sufferers, therefore they rely on DSM-5. Although signs of specific phobia can be overwhelming for a person suffering from it, recovery is possible with the help of certain therapeutic methods such as psychiatric medications, psychotherapy, and relaxation techniques. If you are looking for reliable telehealth services for treating the signs of specific phobia, then Orange Coast Psychiatry is your best pick.
