What Is A Phobia?

1. What Is A Phobia? • A phobia is an irrational fear, a kind of anxiety disorder in which there is a relentless dread of a situation, living creature, place or thing. • A phobia is an unreasonable fear caused by the presence or thought of a specific object or situation that usually poses little or no actual danger • Adults with a specific phobia recognize that the fear is unreasonable, yet they are unable to overcome it. • The distress associated with the phobia can interfere with a person's ability to function.

2. What are common Phobias? • Animal phobias: the fear of dogs, snakes, insects, or mice. Animal phobias are the most common specific phobias. • Situational phobias: such as flying, riding in a car or on public transportation, driving, going over bridges or in tunnels, or of being in a closed-in place, like an elevator. • Natural environment phobias: the fear of storms, heights, or water.

3. Blood-injection-injury phobias: These involve a fear of being injured, of seeing blood or of invasive medical procedures, such as blood tests or injections • Other phobias: These include a fear of falling down, a fear of loud sounds, and a fear of costumed characters, such as clowns.

4. What Are the Symptoms of Specific Phobias? • Physical symptoms of anxiety or a panic attack, such as a pounding heart, nausea or diarrhea, sweating, trembling or shaking, numbness or tingling, problems with breathing (shortness of breath), feeling dizzy or lightheaded, feeling like you are choking. • Becoming nervous ahead of time about being in certain situations or coming into contact with the object of your phobia. (For example, a person with a fear of dogs may become anxious about going for a walk because he or she may see a dog along the way.) • Children with a specific phobia may express their anxiety by crying, clinging to a parent, or throwing a tantrum.

5. How Common Are Specific Phobias? • about 5%-12% of Americans have phobias. An estimated 6.3 million adult Americans. • Phobias usually first appear in adolescence and adulthood, but can occur in people of all ages. • They are slightly more common in women than in men. • Specific phobias in children are common and usually disappear over time. • Specific phobias in adults generally start suddenly and are more lasting than childhood phobias. • Only about 20% of specific phobias in adults go away on their own (without treatment).

6. How does Obsessive-Compulsive behavior affect a person? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3lvbcShuz14

10. Obsession - • A reoccurring thought or image that seems to be beyond control • Secret life of the Brain • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JOrOw8L_Gb4

11. Compulsion • An apparently irresistible urge to repeat an act or engage in ritualistic behavior • Ex. Don’t step on cracks or excessive washing of the hands • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x4sadYeLHKU

12. Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder • Obsessive-compulsive disorder is an anxiety disorder in which people have unwanted and repeated thoughts, feelings, or behaviors • that make them feel driven to do something (compulsions). • Often the person carries out the behavior to get rid of the obsessive thoughts, but this only provides temporary relief. • Not performing the obsessive rituals can cause great anxiety.

13. Obsession and compulsion are considered a problem only when such thoughts and activities interfere with what a person wants and needs to do

14. Symptoms of OCD • Checking and rechecking actions (such as turning out the lights and locking the door) • Excessive counting • Excessive fear of germs • The compulsion to repeatedly wash the hands to ward off infection • OCD is treated using medications and therapy.

15. Causes of OCD • A circuit in our brain relays information from a part of the brain called the orbitofrontal cortex, • When this circuit is activated, certain impulses are brought to your attention and cause you to perform a particular behavior that addresses the impulse. • For example, after using the restroom, you may begin to wash your hands Once you have performed the appropriate behavior the impulse from this brain circuit diminishes and you stop washing your hands • It has been suggested that if you have OCD, your brain has difficulty turning off or ignoring impulses from this circuit. This, in turn, causes repetitive behaviors called compulsions and/or uncontrollable thoughts called obsessions • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_wEU-165NRY • DR OZ

16. Why do people develop obsessions and compulsions? • Could be that they serve as a diversion from a person’s real fears and their origins and thus may reduce anxiety somewhat • Gives the person evidence that they are doing something well (even if it is avoiding cracks on a sidewalk) • OC does run in families (may have a genetic link) • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dSZNnz9SM4g • mandel

17. Do obsessive compulsive people realize what they are doing? • Yes, they realize their thoughts and actions are irrational but they feel unable to stop them.

18. OCPD • is a type of personality disorder marked by their being rigid, controlling, and being a perfectionist • Relationships will suffer sometimes because work comes first • People with this disorder often have trouble relaxing because they are preoccupied with details, rules, and productivity. • They are often perceived by others as stubborn, stingy, self-righteous, and uncooperative.

19. People suffering from OCPD have careful rules and procedures for conducting many aspects of their everyday lives. • They will often insist that there is one and only one right way (their way) to fold laundry, cut grass, drive a car, or write a report. • They are often highly anxious in situations without clearly defined rules because such situations cause them fear of making a mistake and being punished for it.

20. A person must display at least four of the following to be classified as OCPD: • 1. Preoccupation with details, rules, lists, to the point at which the major goal of the activity is lost. • 2. Excessive concern for perfection in small details that interferes with the completion of projects. • 3. Dedication to work and productivity that shuts out friendships and leisure-time activities

21. 4. Excessive moral rigidity and inflexibility in matters of ethics and values • 5. Hoarding things, or saving worn-out or useless objects even when they have no sentimental or monetary value. • 6. Insistence that tasks be completed according to one's personal preferences. • 7. Stinginess with the self and others. • 8. Excessive rigidity and stubbornness.

22. Post-traumatic Stress Disorder • A condition in which a person who has experienced a traumatic event feels severe and long-lasting aftereffects

23. Who suffers from PTSD? • Common among veterans of combat • Survivors of acts of: • Terrorisms, natural disasters, catastrophes such as plane crashes, human aggression such as rape and assault • ****Not all people who suffer a traumatic event suffer from PTSD*******

24. People who are exposed repeatedly or over a long period of time to distressing conditions are more likely to develop the disorder

25. What protects people from getting PTSD? • Often social support • The event that triggers the disorder overwhelms a person’s sense of reality and ability to cope

26. When does it occur? • May begin immediately after the traumatic event • May develop later

27. Symptoms of PTSD: • Involuntary flashbacks • Recurring nightmares during which the victim re-experiences the ordeal • Insomnia • Feelings of guilt

28. PTSD • Can be extremely long lasting

30. Sybil 2007 remake part 1 of 8 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d73YSNtdT3o

31. Multiple Personality DisorderDissociative Identity Disorder is a fairly common effect of severe trauma during early childhood usually extreme, repetitive physical, sexual, and/or emotional abuse. Most of us have experienced mild dissociation, which is like daydreaming or getting lost in the moment while working on a project. 

33. However, dissociative identity disorder is a severe form of dissociation which produces a lack of connection in a person's thoughts, memories, feelings, actions, or sense of identity The dissociative aspect is thought to be a coping mechanism -- the person literally dissociates himself from a situation or experience that's too violent, traumatic, or painful to deal with.

34. What Are the Symptoms of Dissociative Identity Disorder? It is characterized by the presence of two or more distinct identities or personality states that continually have power over the person's behavior. There's also an inability to recall key personal information that is too far-reaching to be explained as mere forgetfulness. With dissociative identity disorder, there are also distinct memory variations, which fluctuate with the person's split personality.

35. The "alters" or different identities have their own age, sex, or race. Each has his or her own postures, gestures, and distinct way of talking. Sometimes the alters are imaginary people; sometimes they are animals. As each personality reveals itself and controls the individuals' behavior and thoughts, it's called "switching."

36. Switching can take seconds to minutes to days. When under hypnosis, the person's different "alters" or identities may be very responsive to the therapist's requests.

37. People with dissociative disorders may experience any of the following symptoms: Depression Mood swings Suicidal tendencies Sleep disorders (insomnia, night terrors, and sleep walking) Anxiety, panic attacks, and phobias (flashbacks, reactions to stimuli or "triggers") Alcohol and drug abuse Compulsions and rituals Psychotic-like symptoms (including auditory and visual hallucinations) Eating disorders

38. Other symptoms may include headache, amnesia, time loss, trances, and "out of body experiences." Some people have a tendency toward self-persecution, self-sabotage, and even violence (both self-inflicted and outwardly directed).

39. As an example, someone may find themselves doing things they wouldn't normally do such as speeding, reckless driving, or stealing money from their employer or friend, yet they feel they are being compelled to do it. Some describe this feeling as being a passenger in their body rather than the driver. In other words, they truly believe they have no choice.

40. HBO show http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B0LNyXsErb8