a phobia is characterized by?

Answer 1

A specific phobia is an intense fear of something posing little or no actual danger. Common specific phobias are closed-in places, heights, escalators, tunnels, highway driving, water, flying, dogs, and blood. Such phobias aren't just extreme fear; they are irrational fear of a particular thing.

Of the different types of anxiety disorders, phobias are the most common. The American Psychiatric Association reports that each year, 7.8% of American adults suffer from a phobia. In fact, phobias are the most common psychological disorder among women and the second most common disorder among men over 25.

Specific phobias involve a strong, irrational fear of a specific situation or object. There are five types of specific phobias:

Animal phobias. Animal phobias are fears caused by an animal or insect. Examples include fear of snakes, fear of spiders, fear of rodents, and fear of dogs.
Natural environment phobias. Natural environment phobias are fears cued by objects found in nature. Examples include fear of heights, fear of storms, fear of water, and fear of the dark.
Situational phobias. Situational phobias are fears triggered by a specific situation. Examples include fear of enclosed spaces (claustrophobia), fear of elevators, fear of flying, fear of dentists, fear of driving, fear of tunnels, and fear of bridges.
Blood-Injection-Injury phobia. Blood-injection-injury phobia involves fear of blood, fear or injury, or a fear of shots or another medical procedure.
Other phobias. This includes all phobias that don’t fall into one of the first four categories. Examples include fear of choking, fear of illness, fear of injury, fear of death, and fear of clowns.
Specific phobias are very common. They usually begin in childhood or adolescence and as many as 50% go away on their own within five years. The most common phobias are of animals, storms, heights, illness, injury, and death. Animal phobias and blood-injection-injury phobias are most common in children. Situational phobias usually begin in the mid-twenties and are most common in adults. Although there are many possible causes of a specific phobia, some phobias are the result of a traumatic experience. Visit these links for more information on specific phobias:

Animal Phobias & Bird Phobias

Animal/Bird Phobias – Learn about animal and bird phobias, including how to treat them. (Anxiety Care)

Claustrophobia

Claustrophobia – Describes the causes, risk factors, symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment of claustrophobia. (Massachusetts General Hospital - Maxwell & Eleanor Blum Patient and Family Learning Center)

Claustrophobia – Describes symptoms of claustrophobia and provides an overview of available treatments. (Better Health Channel, Australia)

Dental Phobia

Dental Phobia – Discusses dental phobia and what you can do about it. Provides a dental anxiety self-test. (floss.com)

Fear of Flying

Airfraid – Offers fear of flying information and links to airline-sponsored courses in the UK and US for people afraid to fly. (Airfraid.com)

Fear of Flying – Fear of flying resource covers symptoms medical issues, and cognitive coping strategies. (A Guide to Psychology and its Practice)

Fear of Flying: Introduction (commercial site) – A thorough article on the fear of flying. Includes descriptions of common causes and solutions. (HealthyPlace.com)

Specific Phobia: Fear of Flying – Provides treatment information, a personal story on fear of flying, book recommendations, and tips for getting help. (Anxiety Disorders Association of America)

Fear of Heights

Acrophobia – Article on the fear of heights. Includes information on causes and solutions. (Wikipedia)

Fear of Snakes

Ophidiophobia – Article on the fear of snakes. Includes a list of famous people with this phobia. (Wikipedia)

Fear of Spiders

Fear of Spiders – Overview of arachnophobia, including a historical look at spider phobia.

Fear of Water

Fear of Water – A photo essay provides an overview of one approach to overcoming a fear of water. (Enjoythewater.com)

Needle Phobia or Blood-Injection-Injury Phobia

Needle Phobia Page – In-depth look at needle phobia, including treatments.

The Needle Phobia Information Site – Resource for those with needle phobia. Includes a discussion forum, treatment strategies, links to journal articles, and personal stories.

When Health Fears Hurt Health – Article by the American Psychological Association on health phobias, including dental phobia, blood phobia, needle phobia, and disease phobia. (APA Online)

Phobias in Children and Teens

The Child Anxiety Network – Provides information about child anxiety, including how to help your child cope. Features a section on childhood phobias.

Fears and Phobias – Information geared to teenagers about fears, phobias, and treatment. (TeenHealth)

Phobias – Easy-to-understand phobia information for children. (KidsHealth)

Phobia Treatments

Systematic Desensitization – Detailed look at systematic desensitization and how to do it on your own. Includes instructions on relaxation, constructing an anxiety hierarchy, and confronting phobias in vivo. (A Guide to Psychology and Its Practice)

A Virtual Cure – Article by the American Psychological Association on the use of virtual reality in combination with cognitive-behavioral therapy as a tool to help people overcome phobias. (APA Online)

What is Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy? – Describes several treatment approaches and provides referrals. (National Association of Cognitive-Behavioral Therapists (NACBT))

Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy – Overview of cognitive-behavioral therapy, including its use in the treatment of phobias. (National Alliance on Mental Illness)

How Hypnosis Helps Phobias – Learn how hypnosis is used to treat phobias. Includes advice on finding a qualified hypnotherapist. (Natural Bloom)

Relaxation Techniques – Describes relaxation techniques in general, how they help, how to learn on your own, and how to find a qualified practitioner. (University of Maryland Medical Center)

Phobia Support and Self-Help

Overcoming Particular Fears (Phobias) (PDF) – Provides a list of suggestions for overcoming different types of phobias and a sample worksheet for you track your progress. (World Health Organization)

Helping Someone Else Overcome a Phobia – Provides guidance and tips for helping a friend or family member overcome a phobia. (Gloucestershire Primary Mental Health Service, reprinted from The World Health Organisation Division of Mental Health & Substance Misuse)

US:

Anxiety Disorders Association of America (ADAA) – Non-profit organization dedicated to the diagnosis, treatment, and cure of anxiety disorders. Provides a newsletter, a national network of self-help groups, and a search tool for finding a therapist.

Freedom From Fear – National non-profit mental health advocacy association dedicated to helping depression and anxiety sufferers, including those with phobic disorders. Includes information on finding help and a bookstore.

Anxieties.com – Free self-help site for people with anxieties, including phobias and panic attacks. Features a self-assessment questionnaire, weekend treatment groups, and a “Don’t Panic Self-Help Kit.”

AnxietyPanic.com – Site dedicated to educating patients, families, caregivers, and the community about anxiety and panic disorders. Features a phobia treatment section.

UK:

National Phobics Society – UK charity for suffers and ex-sufferers of anxiety disorders and phobias. Includes treatment information, advice, and support.

First Steps to Freedom – Support resource for people who suffer from phobias and other anxiety problems. Offers factual information, self-help books, one-on-one telephone counseling, and a confidential help line.

No Panic – Provides self-help information for people with phobias, panic attacks, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and other anxiety disorders.

Triumph over Phobia – National UK network of self-help groups dedicated to helping phobia sufferers overcome their fear.

Delving Deeper into Phobias

Anxiety Disorder: Specific Phobia – Article geared toward medical professionals provides a thorough look at specific phobias, including clinical history, treatment, and medication. (eMedicine)

Fears and Phobias: Are They Normal or Abnormal? – Results of a research study investigating the incidence of animal phobia in the adult population. The study found that almost 50% are fearful of at least one animal or insect. (Bombay Hospital Journal)

Fear of Snakes, Spiders Rooted in Evolution, Study Finds – News article on the evolutionary development of snake phobia and spider phobia. (National Geographic News)

Answer 2

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Answer 3

It is an irrational fear of something that affects your life in a clinically significant way. For example, let's say you have a fear of flying and refuse to travel by plane. Or you have a fear of spiders and you won't open your windows because you are afraid they will come in your house.

Answer 4

Panic attacks, general uncertainty, disorder leading to inaction and apathy without evaluation of statistics unknown. It is what the slaves of society undergo. Information hoarders make slaves of society do the work while they rest on the advantages of information and its usage to further their advantage to be able to live longer and credit themselves with the success..or their ancestors. Just something we and all soulage concocted before we and all soulage were created/divided into the masses we have temporarily taken form as to have an interesting show here in our lives. It is interesting... isn't it? lol

Answer 5

An exaggerated, irrational fear of something.

Answer 6

by definition, an irrational fear or anxiety.

Answer 7

...fear