There are three main categories that a phobia can fall under. The three categories are as follows. First, Specific phobias, which are usually your phobias of something such as spiders, clowns or even something like your dentist. Specific phobias fall under a category of simple phobias. A simple phobia is something, or someone that people are disproportionately fearful of.
The next two categories of phobias are considered complex phobias. These phobias are inter connected to the memory. They usually deal with a certain situation or some circumstance. Social phobias which have now been reclassified as Social Anxiety Disorder is when a person finds being in at social event unbearable and difficult. For example, going to a wedding, or a party becomes extremely dreadful. People who suffer from a social phobia are mainly fearful of being humiliated in front of a large crowd. With the social phobias, these people might have been at one point been embarrassed in front of a large crowd and are frightened to have it happen again. Experts have reported that during the teenage years if already developed they will more than likely isolate themselves until adulthood. During this time people whom have a social phobia can go into depression and will ultimately change their entire lifestyle.
The final category of a phobia is the agoraphobia. One who has an agoraphobia is frighten of being in a situation where he or she cannot escape. They fear being desperate or not being saved from this certain situation. People may dread being on buses or going into large shopping malls. If bad enough these people will isolate themselves inside of their home where they feel the most secure. Much like social phobias people who suffer from agoraphobias avoid l...
... middle of paper ...
...rauma. Journal Of Clinical Psychology, 69(11), 1136-1147. doi:10.1002/jclp.22041
Tulbure, B., Szentagotai, A., Dobrean, A., & David, D. (2012). Evidence Based Clinical Assessment of Child and Adolescent Social Phobia: A Critical Review of Rating Scales. Child Psychiatry & Human Development, 43(5), 795-820. doi:10.1007/s10578-012-0297-y
Burstein, M., Georgiades, K., He, J., Schmitz, A., Feig, E., Khazanov, G., & Merikangas, K. (2012). SPECIFIC PHOBIA AMONG U.S. ADOLESCENTS: PHENOMENOLOGY AND TYPOLOGY. Depression & Anxiety (1091-4269), 29(12), 1072-1082. doi:10.1002/da.22008
Schutters, S. J., Dominguez, M. G., Knappe, S. S., Lieb, R. R., van Os, J. J., Schruers, K. J., & Wittchen, H. U. (2012). The association between social phobia, social anxiety cognitions and paranoid symptoms. Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica, 125(3), 213-227. doi:10.1111/j.1600-0447.2011.01787.x
Agoraphobia is a psychological disorder characterised by panic and anxiety. This particular anxiety disorder involves the fear of experiencing a panic attack in a public place where safety may be unavailable, which causes discomfort (Lilienfeld, 2017). This disorder is commonly recognized in women and often arises during adolescent years. Often times, people develop agoraphobia after a previous panic attacks, which than causes them to worry about having another in the future (Agoraphobia, 2017). This results in avoidant behaviours, such as evading places where an attack may occur. There are many causes, symptoms, effects on both the individual with the disorder and their loved ones, as well as a variety of treatments available.
... Rosnay, Marc, Joanna Pearson, Caroline Bergeron, Elizabeth Schofield, Melanie Royal-Lawson, and Peter J. Cooper. "Intergenerational Transmission of Social Anxiety: The Role of Social Referencing Processes in Infancy." Child Development. By Lynne Murray. Vol. 79. N.p.: Wiley, n.d. 1049-064. JSTOR. Web. 1 Mar. 2014.
A phobic disorder is marked by a persistent and irrational fear of an object or situation that presents no realistic danger. Agoraphobia is an intense, irrational fear or anxiety occasioned by the prospect of having to enter certain outdoor locations or open spaces. For example, busy streets, busy stores, tunnels, bridges, public transportation and cars. Traditionally agoraphobia was solely classified as a phobic disorder. However, due to recent studies it is now also viewed as a panic disorder. Panic disorders are characterised by recurrent attacks of overwhelming anxiety that usually occur suddenly and unexpectedly (Weiten, 1998).
Almost everyone alive has a fear of something whether it be heights, spiders or even clowns. Some people however have more serious issues with their fears, fears that follow them almost everywhere they go, these fears are called phobias. It is estimated that 4 to 5 percent of Americans have some type of phobia, which is an irrational fear of situations and certain objects. There are over 500 known phobias; a very common phobia is social phobia.
Having anxiety is common and a part of everyday life however; there is a huge difference between a fear and a social phobia or anxiety disorder. The difference and important distinction psychoanalysts make between a fear and a phobia is “a true phobia must be inconsistent with the conscious learning experience of the individual” (Karon 1). Patients with true phobias “do not respond to cognitive therapy but do respond well to psychoanalysis and psychoanalytic therapy” (Karon 2). Social phobia is a serious anxiety disorder that should not be taken lightly or mistaken as a fear you will simply grow out of the older you get. Social phobia has the power to destroy lives and can prevent people from living and enjoying their life to the fullest. Social phobia is a disabling condition that often starts between the ages of early childhood and late adolescence. The origins of social phobia can be linked to “traumatic social experiences and social isolation” (Hudson118-120). Social phobia is treatable however; research and statics show that not many seek help.
Phobias are considered a part of anxiety disorders, a phobia is an intense and irrational fear of a certain thing or situation. Some examples of phobias include fear of heights, insects, and even talking in front of a large crowd. The intensity of phobias differ from patient to patient but the severity of phobia...
There are three kinds of phobias: simple phobia, social phobia, and panic attacks. Simple phobias, also called specific phobias, are fears of a specific thing, such as spiders or being in a closed place. Most simple phobias develop during childhood and eventually disappear. Specific phobia is a marked fear of a specific object or situation. It is a category for any phobias other than agoraphobia and social phobia. The categories of specific phobias are 1. situational phobias such as: fear of elevators, airplanes, enclosed places, public transportation, tunnels, or bridges; 2. fear of the natural environment such as: storms, water, or heights; 3. animal phobias such as: fear of dogs, snakes, insects, or mice; 4. blood-injection-injury phobia such as: fear of seeing blood or an injury, or of receiving an injection. (Wood 520).
Social anxiety goes from not being able to socialize with people in a class to never leaving home due to the anxiety that is causes. Markway’s article states that there are three categories involved with social anxiety; mental distress, physical distress, and how avoidance affects someone socially. Mentally, it is exhausting to talk to people for to people and have that constant anxiety about the way they talk and act. People with social anxiety often think about how they can humiliate and embarrass themselves in front of others. This drives someone to fear that they may do something wrong at any given moments and may be rejected altogether (“Markway”, 2013).
Social Anxiety Disorder was first recognized by the American Psychiatric Association as a disorder in 1980 (1). It is characterized by such physical symptoms as increased heartbeat, blushing, dry mouth, trembling and shaking, difficulty swallowing, and twitching in the muscles (2). Many people with social anxiety disorder also have depression. A study in France found that 70 percent of patients who developed social anxiety disorder before the age of 15 also suffered from major depression (3). Diagnostic criteria, according to the current definition of social anxiety disorder given by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of the American Psychiatric Association, 4th ed. (DSM-IV), requires a persistent fear of at least one social situation which involves exposure to unfamiliar people or scrutiny by others. The patient must fear that he or she will act in this situation in a way that will cause embarrassment, and avoid the situation or experience extreme anxiety or a panic attack if faced with the situation. The patient must also realize that the fear is unreasonable. The avoidance or anxiety must interfere to a large extent with the normal routine, functioning, social activities, or relationships with the person (1).
One of the characteristics of a phobia is a feeling that is greater than the fear of a situation or object with an exaggeration of the danger associated with the said situation or even object. This persistent fear often leads to an anxiety disorder that leads an individual to develop mechanisms that ensure one avoids the object or situation that triggers the occurrence of the phobia. Phobias can have highly debilitating effects on an individual including the development of depression, isolation, substance abuse, and even suicide. Many people take phobia for granted however, it is clear that it has the potential to impair the quality of life for both the affected and the people around them. The fact that many of the phobias are manageable using
Social anxiety disorder is also known as social phobia. It is defined as the fear of social situations that involve interaction with other people. It is the fear and anxiety of being judged and evaluated negatively by other people or behaving in a way that might cause embarrassment or ridicule. This leads to feelings of inadequacy, self-consciousness, and depression. The person with social anxiety disorder may believe that all eyes are on him at all times. Social anxiety disorder is the third largest mental health case issue in the world, and it can effect 7% of the population (15 million Americans) at any given time.
Kearney, H. A. (2001). Social anxiety and social phobia in youth, characteristics, assessment, and psychological treatment. Springer Verlag.
Main Point 1: There are three main categories of phobias. The first category is Specific Phobias which are known as simple phobias. Specific phobias or simple phobias are usually fears about specific situations, living creatures, places, activities, or things. Examples of simple phobias is dentophobia (dentists), aerophobia (flying), claustrophobia (small spaces), and acrophobia (heights). The other two categories are Social Phobia and Agoraphobia. These two are known as complex phobias. The article “What is a Phobia?”, describes them as complex phobias because “they are linked to deep-rooted fear or anxiety about certain situations, incidents or circumstances, which make them more disabling than simple phobias.” Social phobia is also referred to as social anxiety disorder. Social phobia may be defined in which a person has an excessive and unreasonable fear of social situations. (Webmd.com) A person with social phobia finds being in social situations very difficult to handle with because of the lack of social skills or experiences that person may have. Going out to social events such as parties or functions may cause anxiety to a person with social phobia. There is that fear a person has of being embarrassed in public. People with this phobia may be afraid of a specific situation such as public speaking. Medicinenet.com defines “agoraphobia” as “a fear of being outside or otherwise being in a situation from which one either cannot escape or from which escaping would be difficult or humiliating.” The results of agoraphobia are anxiety and panic attacks. People with agoraphobia sometimes confine themselves inside their own home when symptoms are
We are currently in the twenty-first century and young adults are feared by many things called social phobias. For example, social phobias would be public speaking, which many people dread and some young adults fear this much more than others. These young adults are at risk for having depression associated with their anxiety. In a 2001 article about social anxiety it explains, how young adults might need intervention to get through their anxiety and depression, this could be there only medicine (Stein 2001). Many studies have been linked to social phobias in young adults by doing surveys. These surveys gave results which helped psychologist figure out what the best treatments could be for these young adults.
For over three years, I have suffered from social anxiety disorder and shattered my social life in the process. Social anxiety disorder, also known as social anxiety or social phobia, is a psychiatric disorder where the sufferer has a fear of being in social situations, and is unable to interact with other people. This might appear as bashfulness to those that lack understanding of the problem. However, this is a problem that is much more severe than that. Social anxiety has the potential to ruin peoples’ lives. By fearing other people, you become unable to communicate with them, and therefore you are unable to live a normal, everyday lifestyle.