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Specific phobia is diagnosed when a person has a strong, persistent fear that is
unreasonable when in the presence of or anticipating contact with a specific
object or situation (flying, heights, animals, receiving an injection, seeing
blood). The exposure to the specific object or situation causes an immediate
anxiety response, which may take the form of a panic attack, even though the
person knows that the fear is excessive or unreasonable.To prevent these
anxious states, the person avoids the phobic situation, or experiences intense
anxiety or distress when they cannot be sidestepped. The avoidance, anxious
anticipation, or distress of the feared situation must interfere significantly
with the person's normal routine, occupational (or academic) functioning, social
activities or relationships, or there is significant distress about having the
phobia.
Phobias can be specified according to five subtypes:
- Animal Type. This subtype is specified if animals or insects trigger the
fear.
- Natural Environment Type. This subtype is specified if objects in the
natural environment, such as storms, heights, or water trigger the fear.
- Blood-Injection-Injury Type. This subtype is specified if seeing blood or an
injury or by receiving an injection or other invasive medical procedure triggers
the fear.
- Situational Type. This subtype is specified if situations such as public
transportation, tunnels, bridges, elevators, flying, driving, or enclosed places
trigger the fear.
- Other Type. This subtype is specified if other types of events trigger the
fear (e.g., avoidance of situations that may lead to choking, vomiting, or
contracting an illness; in children, avoidance of loud sounds and people in
costumes).
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