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Anxiety Disorders
Anxiety is something that everyone feels from time to time. It can relate to
immediate concerns, such as attending an interview or sitting an exam, or to
longer-term concerns about the future. When anxiety becomes so intense
that it interferes with a person’s ability to function, then it can be regarded
as an anxiety disorder. Anxiety disorders are the most prevalent of all adult
mental disorders. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental
Disorders, fourth edition, DSM-IV, has classified anxiety disorders into a
number of different categories according to symptomatology. One example
is phobias.
Phobias (can be grouped into 3 categories)
Specific (simple) phobias are, as the term implies, fears relating to
something specific and, although they are often referred to as simple
phobias, they are far from simple. Almost everyone has aversions to certain
things, the most common being spiders, snakes, rodents or fear of heights.
This is quite normal and it is only when the fear becomes an excessive and
unreasonable fear that it is classified as a phobia. The list below has some
specific phobias:
Specific (simple) phobias
Arachnophobia
Ophidiophobia
Helminthophobia
Ailurophobia
Cynophobia
Hippophobia
Musophobia
Apiphobia
Acrophobia
Aerophobia
Claustrophobia
Ochlophobia
Autophobia
Kenophobia
Ergasiophobia
Scholionophobia
Bibliophobia
Graphophobia
Fear of
Spiders
Snakes
Worms
Cats
Dogs
Horses
Mice
Bees
Heights
Flying
Enclosed spaces
Crowds
Being alone
Empty rooms
Work
School
Books
Writing
Phasmophobia
Xenophobia
Pediophobia
Androphobia
Gynophobia
Oneirophobia
Sciophobia
Achluophobia
Phengophobia
Tachophobia
Keraunophobia
Astraphobia
Hydrophobia
Pyrophobia
Homichlophobia
Algophobia
Spermophobia
Necrophobia
fear of
Ghosts
Strangers
Children
Men
Women
Dreams
Shadows
Darkness
Daylight
Speed
Thunder
Lightning
Water
Fire
Fog
Pain
Germs
death
Source: extracted from Melville 1978
Social Phobia is an excessive fear of social situations. Most people are
nervous about public speaking, but someone with a social phobia is afraid of
any activity performed in public, such as eating in public or using a public
lavatory. Social phobias are more common in women than men, with about
70% of sufferers being female.
Agoraphobia, a fear of public places, is especially debilitating because it can
result in people being afraid to go out of their own home, which means unable
to go to work or even to shop for provisions. Many people with agoraphobia
are also prone to panic attacks when they are in public places. With the
increase in air travel, fear of flying is becoming one of the most common
phobias and many airlines now offer therapy programmes based on
systematic desensitisation.
Case Study
A young student in his first year at university was referred to a therapist after seeking help at the
student health centre. During initial interviews he spoke of feeling frightened and often panicking
when heading to his classes. He claimed he felt comfortable in his room, but was unable to
concentrate on his work or to face other people. He admitted to fears of catching syphilis and of
going bald. These fears were so intense that at times he would compulsively scrub his head, and
genitals so hard that they would bleed. He was reluctant to touch door handles and would never use
public toilets. The student admitted that he knew his fears were irrational, but felt that he would be
in even more “mental anguish” if he did not take these precautions.
In later sessions with the therapist, the student’s history revealed previous concerns about his
sexual identity. As a child he harboured feelings of inferiority because he had not been as fast or as
strong as his peers. These feelings were reinforced by his mother who had not encourages him to
play rough games in case he got hurt. At puberty the student had also worried that he might be
sexually deficient. At a summer camp he had discovered he was underdeveloped sexually
compared with the other boys. He had even wondered if he was developing into a girl. Although he
did in fact mature into a young man, he constantly worried about his masculine identity, even
fantasising that he was a girl. The student admitted that at times his anxiety was so great that he
considered suicide.
Panic Attacks
According to DSM-IV, a panic attack involves intense fear or discomfort,
with four or more physiological symptoms suddenly appearing. These
symptoms include palpitations, shortness of breath, accelerated heart rate,
nausea, sweating, chest pain, feeling dizzy and fear of dying.
Social and Psychological Explanations of Phobias