Phobia
01
Prepared by :
Muemmal Qais Hussein
Student in college of nursing

Introduction
2
A phobia is a type of anxiety disorder that causes an individual
to experience extreme, irrational fear about a situation, living
creature, place, or object.
When a person has a phobia, they will often shape their lives to
avoid what they consider to be dangerous. The imagined threat
is greater than any actual threat posed by the cause of terror.

3
What happens
to a person with
phobias?

If a person who suffers from a phobia of something (for example, cats) is
placed in one place with the causative agent of his phobia, he will
experience symptoms similar to intercepting a panic attack, such as rapid
heart rate, headache, trembling limbs, frozen eyes and an intense need to
urinate due to involuntary contraction of his body muscles In addition to
shortness of breath... But these symptoms will disappear as soon as the
factor causing this phobia is removed and this person will return to his
normal state...
4

5
What the general
types of the phobias?

6
Phobias
Complex Phobias
Specific Phobias
These are phobias about a
specific object or situation.
They often develop in childhood
or adolescence.
For some people, they might
become less severe as they get
older.
tend to have a more
disruptive or overwhelming
impact on your life than
specific phobias. They tend
to develop when you are an
adult.

How to diagnose specific phobias?
7

8
This type of phobia is diagnosed according to the first of the
five diagnostic axes (DSM-V), because it is an anxiety disorder.
A person with this type of phobia suffers from a severe and
irrational phobia of the place or the living things in it.
The severity of the symptoms of this type of phobia often
decreases with age, and the period in which this phobia is formed
is often childhood and adolescence.

9
1. Animal phobias.
2. Phobias of the natural environment.
3. Situational phobias. .
4. Body-based phobias.
5. Sexual phobias.

10
How to diagnose
complex phobias?

11
Complex phobias tend to have a more disruptive or overwhelming
impact on your life than specific phobias. They tend to develop
when you are an adult.
Two of the most common complex phobias are:
•Social phobia
•Agoraphobia

What causes of
phobia?
13

13
Much is still unknown about the actual cause of specific phobias. Causes
may include:
•Negative experiences. Many phobias develop as a result of having a
negative experience or panic attack related to a specific object or
situation.
•Genetics and environment. There may be a link between your own
specific phobia and the phobia or anxiety of your parents — this could be
due to genetics or learned behavior.
•Brain function. Changes in brain functioning also may play a role in
developing specific phobias.

14
Prevention
If you have a specific phobia, consider getting psychological help,
especially if you have children. Although genetics likely plays a role
in the development of specific phobias, repeatedly seeing someone
else's phobic reaction can trigger a specific phobia in children.
By dealing with your own fears, you'll be teaching your child
excellent resiliency skills and encouraging him or her to take brave
actions just like you did.

Thank you!
15