Phobic Disorders

Paper Summary:

The paper explains that phobic disorders are psychiatric disorders that involve intense, unreasonable fear of a particular stimulus and its avoidance. The paper examines HIV-specific phobias and their clinical evaluation as well as their treatment and prognosis.

Outline:
Etiology
Clinical Evaluation
Treatment and Prognosis
Summary

From the Paper:

"Most lay people interchange fear of specific objects or situations with phobias. From a psychiatric perspective, a phobia, irrespective of cause or type, is centered on a specific object or situation that triggers an irrational, intense fear and feeling of anxiety. Phobias depart from the experience of fear in that they severely handicap the individual by causing severe distress and inability to function in a number of domains such as the workplace, school or at home either because of the emotions felt or irrational actions taken to avoid the object or situation. Fear reactions, no matter how intense or distressful, are transitory compared to the longer duration of phobias and often do not involve frequent disruption of daily living activities through avoidance behaviors. Phobias, in addition, can worsen if the individual develops a "phobia of the phobia," where he dreads the experience of anxiety and distress brought about by the original phobia."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Albucher, RC. (2005). Phobic disorders. eMedicine. Retrieved October 22, 2006, from http://www.emedicine.com/med/topic1821.htm
• American Psychiatric Association (APA). (2000). Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition, Text Revision (DSM IV-TR). Retrieved October 22, 2006, from http://www.behavenet.com/capsules/disorders/specphob.htm
• Dijker, A. J., Koomen, W., & Kok, G. (1997). Interpersonal determinants of fear of people with AIDS: the moderating role of predictable behavior. Basic and Applied Social Psychology, 19(1), 61-79. Retrieved October 22, 2006, from Questia database: http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=95159840
• Harell, JP & Wright, Jr., LW. (1998). The development and validation of the Multicomponent AIDS Phobia Scale. Journal of Psychopathology and Behavioral Assessment, 20(3), 201-216. Retrieved October 22, 2006, from http://www.springerlink.com/content/t6115200330v8271/
• Mariner WK. (1995). AIDS phobia, public health warnings, and lawsuits: deterring harm or rewarding ignorance? Am J Public Health, 85(11), 1562-8. Retrieved October 22, 2006, from http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/picrender.fcgi?artid=1615706&blobtype=pdf

More papers on Phobic Disorders:

• Analytical Essay # 130111 : "HIV/AIDS and Specific Phobic Disorders"
• Term Paper # 136977 : "Anxiety Disorders: Specific Phobias"
• Term Paper # 129220 : "Biological, Emotional, Cognitive, and Behavioral Disorders"

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