Rare specific phobias - types and treatment
Abstract
Specific phobia is a common disorder. According to statistics, it can affect about 20% of the population. It is characterized
by unreasonable fear of specific situations or objects and is associated with a strong desire to avoid them. Anxiety
results from an irrational or excessive evaluation of a relevant item or situation. Anxiety attack may be accompanied
by symptoms such as an abnormally rapid heart rate and breathing, nausea, chest pain, increased muscle tension or
palmar hyperhidrosis. Only the distance from the fear-producing situation or object can be freed from anxiety. Despite
the prevalence of this problem, only some people decide to start therapy. About 85% of people will never use the
available treatments. Most of people start therapy only when their daily functioning is completely disturbed by phobia.
There are four types of specific phobias: regarding nature forces, animals, situations and blood-injection-wound phobias.
Among them, we can distinguish better known phobias, such as, arachnophobia, and less frequently occurring,
i.e. ankraophobia — fear of wind. The frequency of a specific phobia depends on the geographical latitude, culture of
a relevant region, the level of educational attainment, and the structure of sex and age. Despite the differences characterizing
phobias, the treatment of this disorder is based mainly on cognitive-behavioral and psychodynamic therapy.
Literature analysis shows that in vivo exposure result in 80% positive therapeutic response.
Keywords: specific phobiapsychotherapyBIIPambulophobiaankraophobiaphobia of numbers
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