Phobia - simple/specific

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Fears and phobias

• Exposure to the feared object provokes an anxiety reaction.
• The anxiety and discomfort is out of proportion to the real threat of the feared object.
• The person may experience excessive sweating, poor motor control, or rapid heart rate.
• The person avoids situations in which contact with the feared object or animal may occur -- for example, avoiding driving through tunnels, if tunnels are the subject of the specific phobia. This type of avoidance can interfere with job and social functioning.
• The person may feel weak or cowardly and lose self-esteem when avoiding the object of the phobia.

• Rapid heart rate
• Elevated blood pressure
• History of phobia
• Description of behavior from family, friends, and affected person

Review Date: 11/15/2006
Reviewed By: Paul Ballas, D.O., Department of Psychiatry, Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, Philadelphia, PA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.