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phobia

Also known as medical phobia, phobic disorder, phobias

A phobia is an anxiety disorder, defined by an irrational, unrealistic, persistent and excessive fear of an object or situation. Phobias typically result in a rapid onset of fear and are usually present for more than six months. Those affected go to great lengths to avoid the situation or object, to a degree greater than the actual danger posed. If the object or situation cannot be avoided, they experience significant distress. Other symptoms can include fainting, which may occur in blood or injury phobia, and panic attacks, often found in agoraphobia and emetophobia. Around 75% of those with

AI overview

A phobia is an anxiety disorder characterized by an intense, irrational fear of a specific object or situation that lasts for more than six months and causes people to avoid it far more than the actual danger warrants. People with phobias experience significant distress if they cannot avoid their feared object or situation, and may also suffer from panic attacks or fainting spells.

AI-generated from the Wikipedia summary — may contain errors.

Key facts

Medical condition (new).name: Phobia
Medical condition (new).image: Little Miss Muffet 2 - WW Denslow - Project Gutenberg etext 18546.jpg
Medical condition (new).caption: The fear of spiders is one of the most common phobias.
Medical condition (new).field: Psychiatry, clinical psychology
Medical condition (new).symptoms: Fear of an object or situation
Medical condition (new).complications: Suicide, high risk of comorbidities
Medical condition (new).onset: Rapid
Medical condition (new).duration: More than six months
Medical condition (new).types: Specific phobias, social anxiety disorder, agoraphobia
Medical condition (new).causes: Genetic and environmental factors
Medical condition (new).treatment: Exposure therapy, counselling, medication
Medical condition (new).medication: Antidepressants, benzodiazepines, beta-blockers
Medical condition (new).frequency: Specific phobias: ~5%Social phobia: ~5%Agoraphobia: ~2%

via Wikipedia infobox

Research

22,364 papers

Specific Phobia, Fear, and the Autism Spectrum in Children and Adolescents: Adapting OST for ASD.ReviewClinical child and family psychology review · 2024Davis TE 3rd, Brennan JDOI: 10.1007/s10567-024-00475-6
Needle phobia: a neglected diagnosis.ReviewThe Journal of family practice · 1995Hamilton JG
Phobia-specific patterns of cognitive emotion regulation strategies.Scientific reports · 2023Zsido AN, Lang A, Labadi B et al.DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-33395-6
Snake phobia among the general population of Tamil Nadu, India.PLoS neglected tropical diseases · 2024Salim A, Chandrasekharuni G, Almeida JR et al.DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0012284
[CME: Fear of Flying and Flying Phobia].ReviewPraxis · 2018Schindler BDOI: 10.1024/1661-8157/a002980
Understanding Blood-Injection-Injury Phobia: Do Not Miss the Point.ReviewA&A practice · 2026McCoy DJ, Togioka BM, Lalwani K et al.DOI: 10.1213/XAA.0000000000002216
Treatment of specific phobia in adults.ReviewClinical psychology review · 2007Choy Y, Fyer AJ, Lipsitz JDDOI: 10.1016/j.cpr.2006.10.002
Functional neuroimaging in specific phobia.ReviewPsychiatry research · 2012Del Casale A, Ferracuti S, Rapinesi C et al.DOI: 10.1016/j.pscychresns.2011.10.009

via PubMed

Wikidata facts

Image: Pixella15551 (24325317125).jpg

Show 6 more facts

Commons category: Phobias
ICPC 2 ID: P79
NCI Thesaurus ID: C35420
exact match: identifiers.org/doid/DOID:591
ICD-9-CM: 300.20
WordLift URL: data.medicalrecords.com/medicalrecords/healthwise/phobia

Sources (10)

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~38 min read

Article

37 sections

Contents

Classification
ICD-11
DSM-5
Causes
Environmental
Classical conditioning
Vicarious conditioning
Informational/Instructional acquisition
Genetic
Mechanism
Limbic system
Amygdala
Disruption by damage
Diagnosis
Specific phobias
Treatments
Therapy
Systematic desensitization
Medications
Antidepressants
Benzodiazepines
Beta-blockers
Hypnotherapy
Prognosis
Specific phobia
Comorbidities
Epidemiology
History
Society and culture
Terminology
Popular culture
Movies
Television shows
Research directions
References
Further reading
External links

Phobias can be divided into specific phobias, social anxiety disorder, and agoraphobia. Specific phobias are further divided to include certain animals, natural environment, blood or injury, and particular situations. The most common are fear of spiders, fear of snakes, and fear of heights. Specific phobias may be caused by a negative experience with the object or situation in early childhood to early adulthood. Social phobia is when a person fears a situation due to worries about others judging them. Agoraphobia is a fear of a situation due to perceived difficulty or inability to escape.