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Phobia Research Paper

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Phobia Research Paper
Known as a mental disorder a phobia is a persistent fear of a specific object, activity, or situation that leads to compelling desire to avoid it. Phobias tend to affect the way people live their lives, for example, their working and social environments, considering that they last for a very long time and are capable to cause intense psychological physical stress. It is considered today the most common mental and anxiety disorder in the United States (Matig Mavissakalian & David H. Barlow 1981 pp 2). There are many phobias such as: the fear of aging, fear of changing, fear of clowns, fear of getting fat, fear of being in closed spaces, etc.

One who encounters phobias has to deal with a collection of uncontrollable symptoms when their fear is presented. The mild cases, if not psychology cured, tend to grow into fears that are not able to be controlled which lead a person to feel like their life is being taking away from their own control (Erin Gersley 2001). In order to avoid their fear he or she will do anything in their power to not have to encounter it. Although feeling powerless and helpless, the people with the phobias tend to believe that their fears are irrational and exaggerated. These fears are avoided because when encountered they will bring the inability to function normally due to the anxiety provoked. Physical reactions are also encountered although psychologically is mostly common. Severe panic attacks, rapid heartbeat, sweating, difficulty breathing are some symptoms that people experience (Mavissakalian & Barlow 1981 pp 2-3). Hence, regardless the phobia, he or she will most likely experience a particular set of symptoms.

Observable psychologists have found that the pupils become dilated, the skin perspires, they might suffer from tremulousness, or their face becomes flushed when encountering their phobia. In some cases, a person will do anything that they can to escape the situation of fear causing them to take excessive measures to relief

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