Phobias

Phobias

A phobia is a psychological fear of certain objects or situations. Fears such as these are very common. Millions of Americans are afflicted with phobias. To escape their fear, they go to great lengths to avoid the object, place, or situation that provokes it. They change jobs merely to avoid an elevator ride, for example, or cut back their social life. One type of phobia, called specific phobia, can involve fear of an object or a situation that poses little or no danger. Phobias can also involve fear of being embarrassed, looked at, or made fun of in social or work situations. These are called social phobias. With both of these phobias, the fear is extreme and hard to control. Without treatment, phobias can last many years and affect a person's career, relationships, and daily life activities. Both specific and social phobias are types of anxiety disorders.

The website I went to was put up by the American Psychiatric Association. The site is credible because it was compiled by a group of psychiatrist. The purpose of the web page is to provide the public with information regarding phobias and how to look for symptoms. The site also provides information on the different types of phobias that people can have. The information seemed pretty accurate to me. I don't know much about phobias and the textbook didn't provide much information about them so I had nothing to compare the information to. The page did not indicate when it was last updated but it had a copyright of "© Copyright 1999 American Psychiatric Association". The main purpose of this page was, "developed for educational purposes and does not necessarily reflect opinion or policy of the American Psychiatric Association." There really is no point of view in this article. Its purpose is to provide information on Phobias.

Citation Page

Phobias. (1999) American Psychiatric Association, Public Information. American Psychiatric Association. [Online]. Available : http://www.psych.org/public_info/phobias.cfm