Index

Anxiety Disorder Flow Chart
Criteria
Definition
Treatment ( Psychotherapy )
Treatment ( Pharmacotherapy )
Specify Types

Definition

Specific Phobia ( formerly Simple Phobia ) is a fear, without apparent justification of a specific place, thing, or situation. ( E.g., fear of  blood, fear of crowds, fear of dogs, fear of enclosed places, fear of heights, fear of mice / rats, fear of snakes ) Multiple specific phobias can be common.

ONSET: Varies with type.

Situational Type: Bimodal, first peck in childhood, second peck in mid-20s.
Natural Environment Type: Common in childhood, less common in early adulthood.
Animal Type: Childhood.
Blood-Injection-Injury Type: Childhood.
Other Type: Childhood.

Diagnostic Criteria ( DSM-IV™ ) made easy.

NOT DUE TO A SUBSTANCE, GENERAL MEDICAL CONDITION, OR OTHER DISORDER.
SEE: CAUSING ANXIETY.

Excessive or unreasonable fear of a place, thing, or situation(s).

Recognize this fear is excessive or unreasonable, children may not recognize this.

Exposure to this phobic stimulus ( place, thing, or situation(s) ) can lead to embarrassment and a anxiety response in the form of a situationally bound or a situationally predisposed Panic Attack. In children the anxiety may be expressed it the form of crying, tantrums, freezing up, or clinging.

The phobic situation(s) may be avoid or endured with intense distress and interferes significantly with a persons normal daily routine. ( E.g., school, work, social activities, relationships )

If under 18 symptoms present of at least 6 months.

Specify Types

Situational Type: Fear of specific situation. ( E.g., riding public transportation, riding in a car, driving, airplanes, tunnels, bridges )

Natural Environment Type: Fear of natural environment things. ( E.g., storms, heights, or water )

Animal Type: Fear of animals or insects.

Blood-Injection-Injury Type: Fear of seeing blood or invasive medical procedure. ( E.g., injections, blood test, injury )

Other Type: Fear cued from other stimuli. ( E.g., falling down, loud sounds )

Treatment ( Psychotherapy )

Desensitization  can cue about 75% of specific phobias.

Adlerian Therapy
Behavior Therapy
Existential Therapy
Gestalt Therapy
Person-centered Therapy
Psychoanalytic
Rational-emotive Therapy
Reality Therapy
Transactional Analysis

Treatment ( Pharmacotherapy )

Alprazolam Intensol
Ativan
BuSpar
Centrax
Equanil
Inderal
Klonopin
Libritabs
Librium
Luvox
Meprospan
Miltown
Novo-Alprazol
Paxil
Paxipam
Serax
T-Quil
Tranxene
Valium
Valrelease
Versed
Xanax