However, unlike other phobias, this increase can be followed by a quick drop in blood pressure, which causes dizziness andor nausea. Severity measure for specific phobia adult this measure can. Exposure therapy is the treatment of choice for specific phobias and can result in a rapid and lasting cure. Pdf phobias are common in later life, yet treatment research in this population remains scant. When this is the case, it is likely that the person fulfils the criteria for a specific phobia diagnostic and statisti cal manual of mental disorders, dsmivtr. Cognitive behavioral therapy cbt, a short term, skillsfocused therapy that aims to help people diffuse unhelpful emotional responses by helping people consider them differently or change their behavior, is effective in treating specific phobias. Treatment anxiety and depression association of america. Thus, doing exposure with needles would probably not be very helpful to improve, he or she would have to do exposure with blood. Acute and longterm efficacy studies of in vivo exposure, virtual reality, cognitive therapy and other treatments from 1960 to 2005 were retrieved from computer search engines.
They also outperformed placebo conditions and alternative active psychotherapeutic approaches. The commonest is the phobia of spiders arachnophobia, particularly in women. Do you have a serious and persistent fear of a specific object or situation such as flying, heights, animals, receiving an injection, or seeing blood. Fear of flying aerophobia is one of the most common specific phobias.
Exposurebased treatments in particular are highlighted given their demonstrated effectiveness for this condition. Approximately 79% of children have been estimated to have specific phobia. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. Treatment for specific phobia focuses on behavioral therapy. For example, fear of blood or needles, fear of enclosed places, and fear of flying are common specific phobias, with fear of spiders, fear of. Despite individuals being aware that their phobia is irrational, they cannot control the. Learn how bayside psychotherapy in melbourne can easily treat various kinds of specific phobias. A specific phobia is an intense, persistent, irrational fear of a specific object, situation, or activity, or person. In order to be diagnosed, the phobia has to interfere with the patients ability to do necessary daily tasks or causes them to plan their life around avoiding things that trigger their fear. The term phobia refers to a group of symptoms brought on by certain objects or situations.
These irrational fears can interfere with personal relationships, work, and school, and prevent you from enjoying life. Specific phobias patient treatment manual this manual is both a guide to treatment and a workbook for persons who suffer from anxiety and panic disorder. For example, fear of blood or needles, fear of enclosed places, and fear of flying are common specific phobias, with fear of spiders, fear of snakes, and fear of heights being most common. Sociodemographic and psychological characteristics of 62 youth with animal and natural environment types of specific phobia were examined in a treatmentseeking sample. A specific phobia to water is called aquaphobia instead. For example, fears of spiders or snakes may not be considered a phobia for someone who. The efficacy of exposure therapy, in combination with.
The measure was designed to be completed by an individual upon receiving a diagnosis of specific phobia or clinically significant specific phobia symptoms and thereafter, prior to followup. Although specific phobia is a chronic illness and animal extinction studies suggest that relapse is a common phenomenon, little is known about long. The following are two therapies normally used in treating specific phobia. Specific phobia is an intense, irrational fear of something that poses little or no actual danger. For example, one may have a fear of medical or dental visits, heights, flying, elevators, germs, or. As the name suggests, a person with a specific phobia experiences intense fear in response to an object or situation. Intensive cognitivebehavioural treatment for specific phobia in. Social phobia is a condition where people are overly concerned about how they appear to others. Psychological approaches in the treatment of specific phobias. It provokes an immediate anxiety response that can sometimes take the form of a panic attack. A specific phobia is a type of anxiety disorder defined as an extreme or irrational fear of or aversion to something. The anxiety disorders association of america adaa is a national 501c3 nonprofit organiza tion whose mission is to promote the prevention, treatment, and cure of anxiety disorders and to improve the lives of all people who suffer from them.
Like other phobias, your heart rate and blood pressure increase when confronted, in this case, by blood or a needle. Understanding phobias specific simple phobias these are phobias about one thing, such as spiders or flying. Specific phobias assessment tool the institute of living. Typical phobias include driving, flying, blood, needles, and spiders. The efficacy of exposure therapy, in combination with other cognitivebehavioral therapy cbt components, in the treatment of specific phobia with a middle and older aged sample was examined. Intensive treatment of specific phobias in children and. People with a specific phobia have an excessive and unreasonable fear in the presence of or in anticipation of a specific object, place, or situation. Firstline treatment for specific phobia is cognitivebehavioral therapy cbt that includes exposure treatment.
First the therapist helps the patient understand incorrect assumptions and then gradually exposes him or her to the phobia source. Medicaid plans also may pay for social phobia treatment. Pdf treatment of specific phobia in older adults researchgate. A typical method involves gradual, repeated exposure to the feared object, event or situation. Do you feel anxious almost every time you encounter this specific object or. People with specific phobias are highly distressed about having the fear, and often will go to great lengths to avoid the object or situation in question. The word phobia may also refer to conditions other than true phobias. There is a lack of current detailed national data on the prevalence, correlates, disability and comorbidity of dsmiv specific phobia sp, the prevalence of specific objects and situations feared, and associations between impairment, treatment and comorbidity and the number of specific situations and objects feared, among adults in the usa. Specific phobias the anxiety treatment center of greater. Although a fear of fainting is common in all phobias, bloodinjectioninjury phobia is the only phobia where fainting can actually occur. Specific phobias center for the treatment and study of. Realistic thinking often, the anxious thoughts that people have due to their phobia are unrealistic, or very. A specific phobia is an unrealistic or extreme fear of a specific situation, object, or setting. Fortunately, specific phobia is highly treatable through behavior therapy.
Ost, 1987b, fewer than 10% of adults report ever seeking treatment for their phobias and that the average duration of their phobias is 20 years stinson et al. Cognitive behavioral therapy cbt is the most commonly used. Jan 17, 2020 people with specific phobias experience intense, irrational fears of certain things or situations. Psychotherapy for specific phobia in adults is discussed here. Specific phobia case studies mental health articles. Other treatments include relaxation and breathing control techniques. Sometimes your doctor may also recommend other therapies or medication. Dishabiliophobia fear of undressing in front of someone.
People with a specific phobias have an excessive and unreasonable fear in the presence of or anticipation of a specific object, place, or situation. If you have a phobia of blood, needles, or of being injured, your symptoms might be different from other phobias. Pharmacotherapy, specifically benzodiazepines have a limited role in treatment of. Phobias are more serious than simple fear sensations and are not limited to fears of specific triggers. Pdf treatment options for the specific phobias researchgate. Aug 09, 2018 incidence and race preference of specific phobia in the united states. A specific phobia is an unreasonable fear of certain objects or situations so excessive that it disrupts a persons life or causes great distress. Treatment of specific phobias with emdr centrum voor. Although the person with a phobia realizes that the fear is irrational, even thinking about it can cause extreme anxiety. These findings converge with those obtained in treatment studies which. Treatment for phobias can involve therapeutic techniques, medications, or a combination of both. Anxiety disorders phobia, specific phobias flashcards. Laboratory for the study of anxiety disorders, department of psychology, the university of texas at austin, united states.
Other specific phobias, such as the fear of public speaking, are more related to social phobia. Regarding its symptomatology, some types of specific phobias e. The format and characteristics of exposurebased treatment and predictors of treatment. Ella milliner, school of applied psychology, griffith health. For example, the term hydrophobia is an old name for rabies, since an aversion to water is one of that diseases symptoms. Acute and longterm efficacy studies of in vivo exposure, virtual reality, cognitive therapy. Specific phobia causes, dsm 5 diagnostic criteria, symptoms, treatment. A cbtbased approach, including gradual desensitization, is the most commonly used treatment for specific phobia. They often develop in childhood or adolescence, and for many people they will lessen as they get older. If the fear doesnt bother the person and doesnt interfere with daytoday activities, then it remains a fear and not a phobia. Specific phobias symptoms center for the treatment and.
Treatment of specific phobia in adults sciencedirect. Specific phobias are among the most common psychological problems both in men and women. Specific phobia is one of the most common and easily treated mental disorders. Specific phobia also called simple phobia is an anxiety disorder that applies to an irrational and marked anxiety or fear consistently triggered by a single object or situation. For treatment of specific phobias, exposurebased therapy is the first choice followed by cognitive therapy. Incidence and race preference of specific phobia in the united states. For example, fear of blood or needles, fear of enclosed places, and fear of flying are common specific phobias, with fear of spiders, fear of snakes, and fear ofheights being most common. The national institute of mental health nimh estimates that 512% of americans have phobias.
Psychological approaches in the treatment of specific. Aug 01, 2009 moreover, although the average age of onset of specific phobia is between 9 and 10 years of age although a wide range has been reported that varies by type of fear. Social phobia social anxiety disorder uc santa barbara. The best treatment for specific phobias is a form of psychotherapy called exposure therapy. People who are going to have treatment should check with their own insurance companies to find out about coverage. Usually, the fear is proportionally greater than the actual danger or threat. Differences due to age, sex, ethnicity, family structure, and family socioeconomic status were not found between youth with the two types of specific phobia. Moreover, although the average age of onset of specific phobia is between 9 and 10 years of age although a wide range has been reported that varies by type of fear. Severity measure for specific phobia adult this measure. Most individuals who seek treatment for phobias and other anxiety disorders see significant improvement and enjoy a better quality of life. Common specific phobias include animals, insects, heights, thunder, driving, public transportation, flying, dental or medical procedures, and elevators. The prevalence of simple phobias is 7% in the general population.
For people who dont have insurance, local city or county governments may offer treatment at a clinic or health center, where the cost is based on income. People with specific phobias experience intense, irrational fears of certain things or situations. The epidemiology of dsmiv specific phobia in the usa. Answer the following seven questions yes or no then click the do i have a specific phobia. Although adults with phobias may realize that these fears are irrational, even thinking about facing the feared object or situation brings on severe anxiety symptoms. A hydrophobe is a chemical compound that repels water. Definition specific phobia, or simple phobia, is an intense, unreasonable, and persistent fear caused by the presence or anticipation of a specific object or situation. For information about agoraphobia and social phobia go to what is a specific phobia.
The diagnosis is made according to the diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders dsm criteria and treatment is focused on resolving fear through exposure therapy and other forms of psychotherapy. Intensive onesession treatment of specific phobias springerlink. As expected, exposurebased treatment produced large effects sizes relative to no treatment. Sociodemographic and psychological characteristics of 62 youth with animal and natural environment types of specific phobia were examined in a treatment seeking sample. Weekly treatment with homework assignments usually succeeds in 12 to16 sessions. For treatment of specific phobias, exposurebased therapy is the first choice followed by cognitive therapy, relaxation techniques and shortterm. You can have more than one type of specific phobia. Dec 20, 2017 phobias are more serious than simple fear sensations and are not limited to fears of specific triggers. Read more about symptoms, diagnosis, treatment, complications, causes and prognosis. Psyc 300 specific phobia and ptsd flashcards quizlet. Watch this video to learn if every phobia is treatable or not. However, the clinical features of specific phobia types in children have not. In general, cognitivebehavioral therapy cbt can work for those with specific phobia.
Dec 20, 2014 see the many different symptoms of both. See approach to treating specific phobia in adults. Pdf real world applications of onesession treatment. Understanding the cause of a phobia is actually less important than focusing on how to treat the avoidance behavior that has developed over time. This strong fear makes a person want to avoid the objects, animals or situations that provoke responses typical for specific phobias. The vast majority of people with an anxiety disorder can be helped with professional care. These phobias might include dogs, closedin places, heights, escalators, tunnels, highway driving. A phobia is an extreme form of fear or anxiety triggered by a particular situation such as going outside or object such as spiders, even when there is no danger. Michael was a 23yearold finalyear student nurse who lived at home with his parents. Some may respond to treatment after a few months, while others may need more than a year.
The severity measure for specific phobiaadult is a 10item measure that assesses the severity of specific phobia in individuals age 18 and older. Treatment anxiety and depression association of america, adaa. Treatment may be complicated if people have more than one anxiety disorder or suffer from depression or substance abuse. During treatment, it is a workbook in which individuals can record their own experience of their disorder, together with the. For example, you may know that it is safe to be out on a balcony in a highrise block, but feel terrified to go out on it or even enjoy the view. Specific phobias involve persistent and irrational fears of a specific situation or object that is out of proportion to the actual risk.
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