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Reaction Paper On Phobias

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One of the most common disorders suffering individuals in contemporary societies is the phobic disorder. Etymologically, the word phobia is the English equivalent of the Greek word “φοβία”, which means morbid, unreasonable, compulsive, and agonizing fear (Greek Language). The first noticed occurrence of a phobia happened approximately in the fourth century B.C., and was made known to us by Hippocrates, in his work The Seventh Book of Epidemics. However, the specific term “phobia” was not used until half a century later, when it was incorporated by the Roman doctor, Celsus, in the word hydrophobia. (The History of Phobias, 2012)The ancient origins of this word reveal that phobic disorders were first established many centuries ago. In Psychology, …show more content…

According to the DSM-IV, specific phobias are characterized by “marked and persistent fear that is excessive or unreasonable”, preceded by the encounter or expectation of a certain object or situation, such as heights, flight, specific animals or insects, blood, or injections (Christos Halkiopoulos, 2010, p. 156). Furthermore, exposure to the phobic stimulus almost always elicits an instantaneous fear response, which may be exhibited as “a situationally bound or situationally predisposed panic attack”. (Christos Halkiopoulos, 2010, p. 156)
Albeit phobias have been in existence for many centuries, a single cause for them has yet to be determined . Opinions as to the causes vary, and research is pointing in many directions. The aim of this essay is to compare and contrast some of the most prevalent theories around the causes of specific phobias, and determine whether there is one that can be singled out as the correct one. However, as will be shown further on, not all cases of specific phobias can be accounted for by the same …show more content…

Brain Chemistry
This model attributes specific phobias to abnormalities in the areas of the brain that are related to fear and anxiety. In particular, it is said that specific phobias stem from increased responsiveness to fearful stimuli, of fear and stress- associated areas of the brain, such as the sympathetic nervous system (SNS) and the parasympathetic nervous system (PNS) (David Sue, 2013).
The SNS is responsible for triggering fear responses and preparing the human body to face threatening situations. The amygdala and the hypothalamus of the brain belong to the SNS. The PNS is the system which returns the body to its normal, relaxed state after exposure to the threat has ceased. More specifically, once an individual comes into contact with a fearful stimulus, the amygdala is activated and in turn activates the hypothalamus. The hypothalamus activates the rest of the SNS with the objective of preparing the body to face the stimulus. A signal is sent by the hypothalamus to the adrenal glands which release epinephrine in the bloodstream. The epinephrine brings upon physiological changes , increasing the alertness of the brain and the energy levels of all body parts. If the brain continues to perceive the stimulus as dangerous, the hypothalamus releases corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH), which triggers the release of adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH). ACTH prompts the adrenal glands to release cortisol, which aids the body in remaining alert. Once the individual

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