Phobias and the Brain Essay

Sigmund Freud believed that phobias had to do with our external bodies reflecting what our internal emotions feel. Sigmund also believes the source of phobias always links back to your childhood. I agree with this theory. As a child, your mind is so open and vulnerable that anything can influence it. So if you were taught to be scared of snakes as a kid, you will most likely carry that with you your whole life. Luckily, our world has learned to be so advanced to be able to help us cope with these phobias. There are many therapy techniques that are made specifically with your phobia in mind. In an article I read, I learned about a case of a woman named Ellen. Ellen had a fear of flying due to a past uncomfortable experience. She was given hands on therapy that exposed her completely to her fear. She was taken to visit airports and gradually worked up to just sitting on planes. Once she was comfortable, she took various flights that increased in time. Nearly two years later, Ellen got her pilot’s license. As we advance farther into science, we are able to get closer and closer to picking apart phobias. We are able to reach into the human brain, study it, and help cure our fears! How cool is that? Although testing on animals isn’t right, we can thank monkeys for helping expand the knowledge of psychologists on phobias. As the years go on and we accumulate more cases, we

of there being a valid reason for the person to be upset by a certain

Of the many disorders presented in chapter 15, I find phobias the most interesting. A phobia is an anxiety disorder. It is an intensive fear of something that has little to no danger at all. Phobias can range in many different varieties such as; acrophobia which is the fear of heights, arachnophobia which is the fear of arachnids otherwise known as spiders, and claustrophobia which is the fear of closed spaces.

To begin, production of the study required knowledge of fear memory and its role in the brain. As with any memory,

Phobic disorders are one of the most common forms of psychiatric illness. There are so many different phobias. Some examples are, Social Anxiety Disorder, Agoraphobia: the fear of being alone in public places, Cynophobia: the fear of dogs, and Arachnophobia: the fear of spiders. Anxiety is a big common factor when experiencing phobic disorders. A disorder can start off really small and not be that big of a problem, but over time it can increase and get

According to Schacter, Gilbert, Wegner, & Nock (2015) There are three different forms of phobic disorders; specific phobia, social phobia, and agoraphobia. Specific phobia is when someone is afraid of something like an animal, or heights

While fear, a survival mechanism, is normal, as a reaction to potential danger, such as the reaction (often in first timers) when an airplane is taking-off or landing. Phobia on the other hand is an acute fear towards some illogical and unreasonable things, that barely pose any threat. Such as the fear of butterflies, fear of crowd, etc.

A phobia is an intense but unrealistic fear that can interfere with the ability to socialize, work, or go about everyday life, brought on by an object, event, or situation. “Many people to this very day fail to understand the difference between a phobia and a fear”(Richards). A fear is an emotional response to a perceived threat. “Fears are more common than phobias in the population today and are often bland reactions to objects or events”(Richards). For example, many people fear spiders, which causes them to experience a mild to moderate anxiety reaction when they see one. Phobias are known to be another form of anxiety, which is an emotional state of fearfulness or displeasure. “Anxiety is a common mental disorder that many people experience

Fear, one of the most powerful emotions experienced by many and has served generations after generations of people, but while serving became an overwhelming universal symbol of disdain, a feeling born from self-preservation, where its designated function has diminished it into a subversive role of the human condition. Where its horrifying purpose to protect has in some cases become a burden of irrationality that can be showed in a simple word known as a phobia. A phobia is the caustic effects of fear and attempting to treat it is going to be the goal of today where techniques will be showed how to counteract the ill consequences of an out of control emotion.

Specific Purpose: After hearing my presentation, my listeners will be able to name and describe several common phobias.

Fears and phobias are misinterpreted daily. “A fear is not considered a phobia until it causes distress or causes problems in life”. Fear is meant to keep from harm. Many have anxiety about things that they are uncomfortable with. It triggers intense reactions and constantly interferes with the ability to function daily, it is a problem (Patterson 58). Fears and phobias may seem alike, but they are very different.

A phobia is an anxiety disorder, it is a fear of something that triggers someone to feel intimidated. Most phobias are triggered in early childhood by a past event. The phobias of spiders, the dark, germs and small spaces are the top most rated phobias in the world. Believe it or not, but some people have a fear of phobias. Its called Phobophobia and its the fear of phobias in general, or developing one. There are more than four hundred phobias in the world, and over half of the world's population is affected by them. Pretty much anything can be a phobia. For instance, there is a phobia called Anatidaephobia. It is, in my opinion, a weird fear that somewhere, somehow, a duck is watching you. To me, this makes no sense, but apparently .09 of the world's population has this phobia. To conclude, even the simplest things such as a pencil can be a phobia to someone around the world.

Phobias typically present themselves for the first time during childhood. In most cases they are outgrown over time. However, there are some cases where specific phobias do not get outgrown and eventually become debilitating when they grow to interfere with an individual’s daily life. Childhood is a period during which an individual begins to interact with more of the world around them. A child is constantly introduced to new people, things and experiences. As this happens if a child does not also

The goal of my first main point is to familiarize everyone will the concept of a phobia, as well as some examples. Richard Kasschau, author of the textbook Understanding Psychology, defines a phobia as, "an intense and irrational fear of a particular object or situation." A phobia is not, however, simply a fear. Being afraid of spiders does not constitute a phobia. On the other hand, not leaving your home for 15 years because you 're afraid of encountering one, does. Phobias are also a type of anxiety disorder, which, according to the article "Anxiety Disorder," is "any of several disorders that are characterized by a feeling of fear, dread, or apprehension that arises without a clear or appropriate cause." They are considered anxiety disorders because many people who suffer from phobic tendencies experience symptoms similar to anxiety attacks. These symptoms include restlessness, stress, insomnia,

Maddy: Yeah, it really is a great topic. Now I know that people link phobias with fear. Is that really what a phobia is? Just fear?