| Phobia | |
|---|---|
 | |
| The fear of spiders is one of the most common phobias. | |
| Specialty | Psychiatry, clinical psychology |
| Symptoms | Fear of an object or situation[1] |
| Complications | Suicide[1] |
| Usual onset | Rapid[1] |
| Duration | More than six months[1] |
| Types | Specific phobias, social phobia, agoraphobia[1][2] |
| Causes | Unknown, some genetic effects[3] |
| Treatment | Exposure therapy, counselling, medication[4][5][2] |
| Medication | Antidepressants, benzodiazepines, beta-blockers[4] |
| Frequency | Specific phobias: ~5%[1] Social phobia: ~5%[6] Agoraphobia: ~2%[6] |
A phobia is a type of anxiety disorder defined by a persistent and excessive fear of an object or situation.[1] Phobias typically result in a rapid onset of fear and are present for more than six months.[1] Those affected will go to great lengths to avoid the situation or object, to a degree greater than the actual danger posed.[1] If the object or situation cannot be avoided, they experience significant distress.[1] Other symptoms can include fainting, which may occur in blood or injury phobia,[1] and panic attacks, which are often found in agoraphobia.[6] Around 75% of those with phobias have multiple phobias.[1]
Phobias can be divided into specific phobias, social phobia, and agoraphobia.[1][2] Specific phobias include those to certain animals, natural environment situations, blood or injury, and specific situations.[1] The most common are fear of spiders, fear of snakes, and fear of heights.[7] Specific phobias may be caused by a negative experience with the object or situation.[1] Social phobia is when a person fears a situation due to worries about others judging them.[1] Agoraphobia is a fear of a situation due to a difficulty or inability to escape.[1]
It is recommended that specific phobias be treated with exposure therapy, in which the person is introduced to the situation or object in question until the fear resolves.[2] Medications are not useful for specific phobias.[2] Social phobia and agoraphobia are often treated with some combination of counselling and medication.[4][5] Medications used include antidepressants, benzodiazepines, or beta-blockers.[4]
Specific phobias affect about 6–8% of people in the Western world and 2–4% of people in Asia, Africa, and Latin America in a given year.[1] Social phobia affects about 7% of people in the United States and 0.5–2.5% of people in the rest of the world.[6] Agoraphobia affects about 1.7% of people.[6] Women are affected by phobias about twice as often as men.[1][6] Typically, the onset of a phobia is around the ages of 10–17, and rates are lower with increasing age.[1][6] Those with phobias are at a higher risk of suicide.[1]
References edit
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u American Psychiatric Association (2013), Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (5th ed.), Arlington: American Psychiatric Publishing, pp. 190, 197–202, ISBN 978-0890425558
- ^ a b c d e Hamm, AO (September 2009). "Specific phobias". The Psychiatric Clinics of North America. 32 (3): 577–91. doi:10.1016/j.psc.2009.05.008. PMID 19716991.
- ^ Straight A's in Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing. Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. 2006. p. 172. ISBN 9781582554488. Archived from the original on 2020-06-15. Retrieved 2020-08-01.
- ^ a b c d "Anxiety Disorders". NIMH. March 2016. Archived from the original on 27 July 2016. Retrieved 27 July 2016.
- ^ a b Perugi, G; Frare, F; Toni, C (2007). "Diagnosis and treatment of agoraphobia with panic disorder". CNS Drugs. 21 (9): 741–64. doi:10.2165/00023210-200721090-00004. PMID 17696574.
- ^ a b c d e f g American Psychiatric Association (2013), Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (5th ed.), Arlington: American Psychiatric Publishing, pp. 204, 218–219, ISBN 978-0890425558
- ^ "Specific Phobias". USVA. Archived from the original on 14 July 2016. Retrieved 26 July 2016.