Phobias
Definition of Phobias
Phobias are characterised by the arousal of anxiety when anticipating or encountering a specific object or situation, leading, when possible, to avoidance of the object or situation in order to ward off further anxiety. One example of a phobic object is arachnophobia (anxiety about spiders), one of a phobic situation is agoraphobia (anxiety in open spaces). The list of phobias is extensive. In the UK, phobias affect 13 in every 1000 men and 22 in every 1000 women (ONS).
Symptoms of Phobias
Symptoms of Phobias
People with phobias may experience extreme anxiety and find that
phobic avoidance restricts their lives. A person with claustrophobia
(anxiety in an enclosed space) may never use a lift, one with aerophobia
(anxiety of flying) may never visit far off countries. A phobic
character (refusing to be parted from a protective other) habitually
avoids anxiety situations, whereas a counter-phobic character seeks out
such situations, taking satisfaction from mastering them.
Causes of Phobias
There are different causes which produce the symptom of phobia. The cause is believed to be, in psychoanalysis and psychodynamic psychotherapy, an unconscious conflict, in cognitive behavioural therapy, catastrophic thinking, and in evolutionary psychology, evolutionary adaptation.
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