Changes

[[File:lighterstill.jpg]][[File:Phobia.jpg|right|frame]]

[[File:lighterstill.jpg]][[File:Phobia.jpg|right|frame]]

*[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/18th_century 1786]

*[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/18th_century 1786]

==Definitions==

==Definitions==

*1: an exaggerated usually inexplicable and illogical [[fear]] of a particular object, class of objects, or situation  

*1: an exaggerated usually inexplicable and illogical [[fear]] of a particular object, class of objects, or situation  

==Description==

==Description==

A '''phobia''' (from the [[Greek]]: φόβος, ''Phóbos'', meaning "[[fear]]" or "morbid fear") is a type of [[anxiety]] disorder, usually defined as a [[persistent]] fear of an object or situation in which the sufferer [[commits]] to great lengths in avoiding, typically disproportional to the actual [[danger]] posed, often being recognized as irrational. In the event the phobia cannot be avoided entirely the sufferer will endure the situation or object with marked distress and significant [[interference]] in [[social]] or occupational activities. The terms distress and impairment as defined by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition ([http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DSM-IV-TR DSM-IV-TR]) should also take into account the [[context]] of the sufferer's [[environment]] if attempting a [[diagnosis]]. The DSM-IV-TR states that if a phobic [[stimulus]], whether it be an object or a [[social]] situation, is absent entirely in an [[environment]] - a [[diagnosis]] cannot be made. An example of this situation would be an [[individual]] who has a fear of mice ([http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suriphobia Suriphobia]) but lives in an area devoid of mice. Even though the [[concept]] of mice causes marked distress and impairment within the [[individual]], because the individual does not encounter mice in the environment no actual distress or impairment is ever [[experienced]]. Proximity and the [[degree]] to which escape from the phobic stimulus should also be [[considered]]. As the sufferer approaches a phobic [[stimulus]], [[anxiety]] levels increase (e.g. as one gets closer to a snake, fear increases in [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ophidiophobia Ophidiophobia]), and the degree to which [[escape]] of the phobic stimulus is [[limited]] and has the [[effect]] of varying the [[intensity]] of fear in instances such as riding an elevator (e.g. [[anxiety]] increases at the midway point between floors and decreases when the floor is reached and the doors open). Finally, a point warranting [[clarification]] is that the term phobia is an [[encompassing]] term and when [[discussed]] is usually done in terms of specific phobias and social phobias. Specific phobias are nouns such as [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arachnophobia arachnophobia] or [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acrophobia acrophobia] which, as the name implies, are specific, and social phobia are phobias within social situations such as public speaking and crowded areas.[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phobia]

A '''phobia''' (from the [[Greek]]: φόβος, ''Phóbos'', meaning "[[fear]]" or "morbid fear") is a type of [[anxiety]] disorder, usually defined as a [[persistent]] fear of an object or situation in which the sufferer [[commits]] to great lengths in avoiding, typically disproportional to the actual [[danger]] posed, often being recognized as irrational. In the event the phobia cannot be avoided entirely the sufferer will endure the situation or object with marked distress and significant [[interference]] in [[social]] or occupational activities. The terms distress and impairment as defined by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition ([https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DSM-IV-TR DSM-IV-TR]) should also take into account the [[context]] of the sufferer's [[environment]] if attempting a [[diagnosis]]. The DSM-IV-TR states that if a phobic [[stimulus]], whether it be an object or a [[social]] situation, is absent entirely in an [[environment]] - a [[diagnosis]] cannot be made. An example of this situation would be an [[individual]] who has a fear of mice ([https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suriphobia Suriphobia]) but lives in an area devoid of mice. Even though the [[concept]] of mice causes marked distress and impairment within the [[individual]], because the individual does not encounter mice in the environment no actual distress or impairment is ever [[experienced]]. Proximity and the [[degree]] to which escape from the phobic stimulus should also be [[considered]]. As the sufferer approaches a phobic [[stimulus]], [[anxiety]] levels increase (e.g. as one gets closer to a snake, fear increases in [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ophidiophobia Ophidiophobia]), and the degree to which [[escape]] of the phobic stimulus is [[limited]] and has the [[effect]] of varying the [[intensity]] of fear in instances such as riding an elevator (e.g. [[anxiety]] increases at the midway point between floors and decreases when the floor is reached and the doors open). Finally, a point warranting [[clarification]] is that the term phobia is an [[encompassing]] term and when [[discussed]] is usually done in terms of specific phobias and social phobias. Specific phobias are nouns such as [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arachnophobia arachnophobia] or [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acrophobia acrophobia] which, as the name implies, are specific, and social phobia are phobias within social situations such as public speaking and crowded areas.[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phobia]

[[Category: Psychology]]

[[Category: Psychology]]