A phobia is a type of panic disorder generated by an individual's fear. Patients who suffer this psychological disorder feel a compelling to avoid visual or physical contact with the source of this anxiety at all costs. Phobias can be caused by an animal, an object, or a situation (Bourne, 2011). While common phobias include fear of snakes and other poisonous animals, which are unlikely to affect the sufferers everyday life due to the low probability of them getting into actual contact with the source of their fear, other complex phobias like agoraphobia, "fear of public spaces"prove to be much more problematic for sufferers, affecting their everyday life in a very significant and dramatic way, affecting them both personally and professionally. In this respect, the influence of anxiety generated by phobias has been a subject of debate and discussion for experts.
[...] Behavior Research and Therapy (Volume 15): 397–402. Gaudiano, B. A. and J. D. Herbert (2000). "Can we really tap our problems away?" Skeptical Inquirer. Volume 24 (Number 4) Reed, S. B. (2007) EMDR Therapy (EYE MOVEMENT DESENSITIZATION REPROCESSING). http://www.psychotherapy-center.com/emdr.html Shapiro, F. (2001). EMDR: Eye Movement Desensitization of Reprocessing: Basic Principles, Protocols and Procedures (2nd ed.). New York: Guilford Press. Wolpe, J. (1958). Psychotherapy by reciprocal inhibition.. Stanford University Press. Mind.org.uk http://www.gotosee.co.uk/therapies/Cognitive-Behavior-Therapy.htm http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/Phobias http://www.phobias-help.com/phobia_statistics.html http://www.the-healing-practice.com/id25.htm ----------------------- Academic examination of phobias; definition, symptoms, treatments... [...]
[...] There are two main of phobias (ibid): 1. Simple and specific phobias: fear to animals or certain situations (Bourne, 2011), like visiting a dentist or flying in a plane. One of the most common specific phobias is arachnophobia, the fear to spiders, as 50% of women and 10% of men are, to some extent, sufferers of this kind of phobia. (http://www.the-healing- practice.com/id25.htm). 2. Complex or social phobias: caused by a number of specific social situations (Crozier and Alden, 2001), such speaking in public or, in the case of agoraphobia, fear of living the home, commonly generated by the individual's distress when being involved in unfamiliar social situations. [...]
[...] This treatment can create a new frame of mind in the client, so they can reprogram the patient's mind. Patients are able to see things in a new light, gaining a deeper and more logical understanding of things that can replace the illogic patterns of thought. This can minimise the symptoms suffered by phobia victims. “The mind can be reprogrammed to see things in a different way and to accept situations as normal that would previously have been viewed as threatening” (ibid). [...]
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