Specific Phobia

DEFINITION

• Irrational fear of an object or stimulus out of proportion to the danger the phobic stimulus actually represents, leading to avoidance and distress or impairment
• Common subtypes
  
  • Blood-injection-injury (BII): e.g. fear of needles, violent imagery, giving blood
    • Marked by a biphasic physiological response that frequently leads to syncope: initial sympathetic-mediated response of increased heart rate and blood pressure rapidly followed by a vasovagal-mediated response of decreased heart rate and blood pressure
  • Animal: e.g. fear of spiders, dogs, snakes
  • Natural environment: e.g. fear of the dark, lightning, water
  • Situational: e.g. fear of tunnels, flying, bridges
  • Other: e.g. fear of vomiting, spiders, "space" (falling), clowns