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Anxiety Disorders and Phobias

Learn about Rhytiphobia (Fear of Wrinkles) and Nyctophobia (Fear of the Dark) including symptoms, diagnosis, and treatments. Explore Biological and Cognitive Levels of Analysis and Sociocultural influences on phobias.

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Anxiety Disorders and Phobias

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  1. Anxiety Disorders and Phobias Annabel, Collin, Lavanya

  2. (Lavanya is a sufferer of this) Rhytiphobia Fear of Getting Wrinkles...

  3. Symptoms • Can’t look at people with wrinkles • Rapid heartbeat when doing so • Repeated botox • Overuse of sunscreen and other skin products

  4. Diagnosis • Bad experiences with wrinkles cause fear • My mother cut her wrinkly skin • Always having ironed clothing • Don’t want to get old and wrinkly • Do you become queasy at the smallest idea of Getting Wrinkles? • Does your mouth go dry and your palms get sweaty? • Does your heart rate instantly sky-rocket? • Do your legs feel as if they will give way?

  5. Treatment • People most likely to have phobia: • Predisposition for fear and anxiety • Characterized as ‘high-strung’ • Adrenal insufficiency • Discover the source and create positive connections • Force yourself to get wrinkles

  6. Nyctophobia Fear of the Dark...

  7. Symptoms • Dry mouth • Numbness • Nauseous • Muscle tension • Trembling • Rapid heartbeat • Sweating • Feeling dizzy • Anxiety or panic attacks • A person may sleep with a nightlight on and carry flashlights with them

  8. Diagnosis • If a child is afraid of the dark, it should pass before they reach adulthood. • Most of the people who are afraid of the dark are aware that this is affecting their daily life

  9. Treatment 1. Speak to a professional about this problem. • If it goes untreated, it may lead to other problems such as sleep disorders and night blindness. 2. Gradually increase exposure to the object of fear in a non-threatening situation. 3. Breathing techniques and self talk. Decreasing one’s anxiety in the presence of the fear, can help you to overcome it.

  10. Treatment cont. 4. Get hypnotized. This may be used in extreme circumstances. 5. Get medication prescribed. Often antidepressants help with anxiety and for nyctophobia, sleep aids may be helpful. 6. Counseling 7. Support group.

  11. BIOLOGICAL LEVEL OF ANALYSIS • Overactivity in the sympathetic nervous system- cause of phobias

  12. Adrenaline • Fight or flight • Basis of anxiety reaction • Prepares body for action to deal with threatening situations

  13. Merckelbach et al 1996 • Increased levels of adrenocorticotrope hormone (ACTH) bring on of new fears • Phobic individuals do tend to have elevated levels of this hormone. • Premenstrual women are reported to be more susceptible to fear-learning than other women.

  14. CLOA • Bandura’s self-efficacy theory helps back up the existence of phobias • Self-efficacy is people’s belief in their ability to succeed • If they believe that they cannot succeed, their reaction is justifiable • Lacking in cause and effect relationship for specific phobias • Appraisal theory • Evaluations of how situation will affect one's personal well-being

  15. CLOA • Beck and Emery model • Cognitive schemas responsible for increased and irrational interpretation of threat • Combines self-efficacy theory and appraisal theory • If either one of those have a maladaptive (not providing adequate adjustment to environment) appraisal, anxiety reactions are of high chance • Humans without phobia have learnt to distance themselves away from those reactions

  16. CLOA • Cannot define how schemas are made, thus cannot find cause and effect relationship. • Or do experimental research

  17. Sociocultural Level of Analysis • There is much less research available about sociocultural influences in the development of phobias • Research indicates that there are differences across cultures and genders

  18. Davey et al. (1998) • Ratings of disgust and fear were much in India than Japan. • In Japan, there is also a phobia related to the disgustingness of one’s own body that is not seen in Western cultures.

  19. Iancu et al. (2007) • Investigated phobias among 850 Israeli youths in schools for military, medicine, or mechanics • Found that phobias were more present among males, those in the school for mechanics, those who had not graduated from high school, those not in a romantic relationship and those with less than two good friends • The researchers suggest that Israel is a masculine and psychologically high-stress atmosphere

  20. Chapman et al. (2007) • They found that African Americans hold more fears • Explained because of a generally higher level of anxiety among African Americans due to overt racism

  21. Sources http://assets.pearsonglobalschools.com/asset_mgr/current/201214/PsychologyChapter5.pdf https://noctiphobia.wordpress.com/diagnosis-symptoms-treatments/

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