specific phobia

phobia /pho·bia/ (fo´be-ah) a persistent, irrational, intense fear of a specific object, activity, or situation (the phobic stimulus), fear that is recognized as being excessive or unreasonable by the individual himself. When a phobia is a significant source of distress or interferes with social functioning, it is considered a mental disorder (sometimes called a phobic disorder ); in DSM-IV phobias are classified with the anxiety disorders and are subclassified as agoraphobia, specific phobias, and social phobias.pho´bic

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simple phobia  specific p.

social phobia  an anxiety disorder characterized by fear and avoidance of social or performance situations in which the individual fears possible embarrassment and humiliation.

specific phobia  persistent and excessive or unreasonable fear of a circumscribed, well-defined object or situation.

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Specific Phobia

A phobia related to exposure to specific objects or situations

Examples Animals (e.g., snakes, rats), insects (e.g., spiders), heights, lightning, flying, most common in children
Specific phobias are not generally associated with mental disorders and often respond well to desensitisation therapy

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phobia [fo´be-ah]

a persistent, irrational, intense fear of a specific object, activity, or situation (the phobic stimulus), fear that is recognized as being excessive or unreasonable by the individual himself. When a phobia is a significant source of distress or interferes with social functioning, it is considered a mental disorder (sometimes called a phobic disorder). Some typical phobias are: acrophobia (fear of heights), astraphobia (fear of lightning), cenotophobia (fear of new things or new ideas), claustrophobia (fear of closed places), hemophobia (fear of blood), and xenophobia (dread of strangers). Phobias are subclassified as agoraphobia, social phobias, and specific phobias. See also anxiety disorders. adj., adj pho´bic.

simple phobia specific phobia.

social phobia an anxiety disorder characterized by fear and avoidance of social or performance situations in which the individual fears possible embarrassment and humiliation, for example, fear of speaking, performing, or eating in public.

specific phobia an anxiety disorder characterized by persistent and excessive or unreasonable fear of a circumscribed, well-defined object or situation, in contrast to fear of being alone or of public places (agoraphobia) or fear of embarrassment in social situations (social phobia). Common specific phobias involve fear of animals, particularly dogs, snakes, insects, and mice; fear of closed spaces (claustrophobia); and fear of heights (acrophobia).

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specific phobia

Psychology A persistent, irrational fear of an object, activity or situation that compels a person to avoid it, evoking distress and functional impairment, disproportionate to the actual threat of a feared object or situation Examples Animals, insects, heights, lightning, flying, most common in children; SPs are not generally associated with mental disorders. See Phobia.