Phobia
INTRODUCTION:
- Marked and persistent fear of objects or situations, exposure to which results in an immediate anxiety reaction.
- The patient avoids the phobic stimulus, and this avoidance usually impairs occupational or social functioning
- Panic attacks may be triggered by the phobic stimulus or may emerge spontaneously during the course of the illness.
- Unlike patients with other anxiety disorders, individuals with phobias experience anxiety only in specific situations
- Anxiety is usually dealt with the defense mechanism of repression.
- When repression fails to function adequately, other secondary defence mechanisms of ego like displacement come into action.
‘Extended definition’ of Agoraphobia includes:
- Fear of open spaces
- Fear of public places
- Fear of crowded places
- Fear of any place from where there is no easy escape to a safe place.
TYPES:
- Social phobia – irrational fear of activities or social interaction
- Shy-Bladder: fear of urinating in public lavatory
- Erythro phobia: Fear of blushing.
- Simple (specific) phobia – irrational fear of objects or situations
- Claustro phobia- Fear of closed spaces
- Acrophobia – fear of high places.
- Algophobia – fear of pain
- Arachnophobia– fear of spiders
- Xeno phobia –fear of strangers
- Zoophobia – fear of animals
- Sito phobia – fear of eating
- Thanatophobia – fear of death
- Cynophobia: fear of dogs
- Mysophobia: fear of dirt & germs
- Pyrophobia: fear of fire
- Ailurophobia
- : fear of cats
MANAGEMENT:
Drugs used:
- Anxiolytic drugs
- TCA
- SSRI
- MAO inhibitors
- Exposure therapy, a type of behavior therapy, is the most commonly used treatment of specific phobia. The therapist usually desensitizes the patient by a gradual exposure to the phobic stimulus. Relaxation and breathing control are important parts of the treatment.
- Hypnosis is used to enhance the therapist’s suggestions that the phobic object is not dangerous. At times, self-hypnosis can be taught so that the patient uses it as a method of relaxation when confronted with the phobic stimulus.
- Medication is used in the treatment of a specific phobia only if it is associated with panic attacks and generalized anxiety. The pharmacologic treatment is then directed toward the panic attacks.
- Supportive therapy may be used in helping the patient actively confront the phobic stimulus during treatment. It is usually used in addition to an ongoing treatment.
- Modelling It is a procedure in which patient is asked to follow the therapist and do as he do
- Systemic de-sensitization therapy ,,Psychodynamic therapy is used for phobia
Exam Question
- The woman who cannot urinate in a restroom because of embarrassment is probably suffering from social phobia.
- Agoraphobia is a disorder characterized by Avoidance of situations in which it occurs ,Presence of panic symptoms, Avoidance of being outside alone
- Phobia is neurosis
- Commonest type of phobia seen in clinical practice is Agoraphobia
- Displacement is the defense mechanism in phobia
- Patient of contamination phobia was asked by therapist to follow behind and touch everything he touches in patients house Therapist kept talking quietly & calmly all the time .This procedure is called modelling
- Systemic de-sensitization therapy is used for phobia
- In Agoraphobia behavioural therapy is helpful
- Thanatophobia – fear of death
- Claustro phobia- Fear of closed spaces
- Acrophobia – fear of high places.
- Definitive treatment of all types of phobias is behavioural therapy
- Systemic desensitization,Psychodynamic therapy,Exposure therapy are the method of treating Agoraphobia
- SSRI is first line treatment for Panic disorder, Social phobia, Post traumatic stress disorder
Don’t Forget to Solve all the previous Year Question asked on Phobia
