Phobia-Phobic Disorders
A phobia is a type of anxiety disorder defined by a persistent and excessive fear of an object or situation. Phobias typically result in a rapid onset of fear and are present for more than six months.
Cluster Number:
Wiki Number: PW166
Diagnosis: Phobia-Phobic Disorders
US Patients: 8.7%-18.1% suffer-may not be patients;
World Patients: Specific-6-8% in Western world; 2-4% Asia, Africa & Latin America; Social-7% US; 0.5-2.5% elsewhere; agoraphobia-1.7%
Sex Ratio: M;W2, Phobias are the most common mental illness-challenge among women.
Age Onset: Ages 10-17; During or after the event lasting 6-months to permanently; 75% of those with phobias have multiple phobias.
Brain Area: Insula involved with the autonomic functions; anterior cingulate cortex, ventromedial prefrontal & medial prefrontal cortexes
Symptoms: an anxiety disorder with persistent and excessive fear of an object or situation. Phobias can be specific, social or agoraphobia-places
Progression: Range from mild concern to panic attacks-lose control over themselves physically.
Causes: Fear conditioning; traumatizing event; observing others who fear; the basolateral amygdala keeps a memory with the hippocampus
Medications: Social phobias-antidepressants, benzodiazepines or beta blockers//EMDR-Eye Movement Desensitization & Reprocessing
Therapies: Specific phobias (such as, spiders, snakes, heights)use-exposure therapy; social phobias-systematic desensitization, relaxation
Youtube Video: Phobias? Why Do We Have Them?
Amazon or Library Book: The Anxiety and Phobia Workbook
Click the book to link or order from Amazon.
Support Group: Facebook-phobiassupportgroup; 609-713-2963 (Phobia Anxiety Support Group)
4 CURRENT ARTICLES
FROM PUBMED
The world-wide medical research
reports chosen for each diagnosis
Clicking each title opens the
PubMed article’s summary-abstract.
- Dermatologists' Perceptions and Factors Influencing the Selection of Topical Anti-Inflammatory Agents for Atopic Dermatitis in China: A Cross-Sectional Survey Studyby Jian Hu on December 3, 2024
CONCLUSION: Local adverse effects and patient steroid phobia were the reasons that limited Chinese dermatologists from choosing TCS for treating AD. Instead, more of them choose to use TCI. PDE-4 inhibitors were sometimes considered as an alternative to TCS or TCI, but its local adverse effects and limited efficacy affected the choice of this agent.
- Sexuality and gender change efforts in Malaysia - proximal stressors and mental ill-health amongst LGBT+ adultsby Kyle Tan on December 2, 2024
Despite growing international criticism of actions and efforts to change sexual orientation and gender identity, such efforts remain prevalent in Malaysia. Using data from a nationwide community-based survey, this study examined the prevalence of these efforts amongst LGBT+ adults and the association between exposure to them and mental health outcomes. Participants (n = 521) completed an online survey assessing exposure to efforts to change their sexual orientation and/or gender identity,...
- Post-event processing in social anxiety: A scoping reviewby Aidan J Flynn on December 2, 2024
Graded exposure successfully reduces fear in specific phobias and anxiety disorders, yet social exposure in daily life often fails to mitigate social anxiety. Post-event processing, perseverative, negative, self-referential thinking that occurs following a social-evaluative event, may partly explain inhibited desensitization to social fears. Post-event processing has been studied extensively since its first description by Clark and Wells (1995) and previously reviewed (e.g., Brozovich &...
- Level of Work-Related Anxiety and Potential Causes of Anxiety in Healthcare Workers in the Emergency Departmentby Turgut Dolanbay on November 29, 2024
CONCLUSION: This study suggests that teaching healthcare workers how to cope with workplace trauma and workplace-related situational phobias can be an effective solution to prevent anxiety disorders in healthcare workers working in ED.