There are two types of phobias, specific and social. This article on How to Diagnose Phobias will discuss the causes of both types of phobias, including symptoms and diagnosis.

Specific phobias (formerly known as simple phobias) are described as a disorder where an individual experiences fear towards a specific situation or object. The types of specific phobias are situational (flying, driving, elevators, etc.), object (animals, insects, blood-injection, etc.), or other (vomiting, choking, falling, etc.). For instance, an individual with a specific phobia regarding spiders will become extremely anxious when confronted with a spider and will be distressed and impaired. In most cases of specific phobias, the anxiety the individual experiences is only related to the specific object or situation and they do not seek treatment as readily as individuals with other types of anxiety disorders. They realize their fears are unreasonable but still may restrict their lifestyle to avoid the object or situation. The most common phobias in community samples are fear of heights, mice, spiders, and insects. In the clinical setting, however, they rate situational most common, followed by natural environment, blood-injection-injury, and animal. http://www.minddisorders.com/Py-Z/Specific-phobias.html

Social phobias occur when individuals have an irrational fear of performing in social situations (giving a speech, etc.). The tendency is to avoid the situation, but if they cannot avoid the situation it causes them extremely high anxiety. If the phobia exists in most social situations, the disorder may include the term generalized. Individuals are usually aware or will become aware of the irrationality of their fears.http://www.social-anxiety-shyness-info.com/social-anxiety/diagnosing.htm

Specific Phobias

Learning and Conditioning. “Learning to experience fear is the core of a conditioning perspective. Informational and instructional factors can result in the formation of fears. For example, an individual who frequently hears of plane crashes in the news may develop a specific phobia of flying. Research shows that individuals with specific phobias pay more attention to information about danger than do individuals who do not have specific phobias. Vicarious acquisition occurs when an individual witnesses a traumatic event or sees another individual behave with fear when confronting a phobic stimulus. Direct conditioning occurs when an individual is frightened by a phobic stimulus.”http://www.minddisorders.com/Py-Z/Specific-phobias.html

Trauma. When an individual experiences a trauma, a phobia may develop. For instance, if someone is bitten by a dog, they may develop a fear of dogs. If they have been driving and had an accident, they may develop a fear of driving. These phobias may occur quickly after the occurrence of a trauma.

Psychodynamics. Phobias may emerge when individuals cannot repress impulses that are not acceptable. The phobia may focus on something that is less important than the impulse they are trying to repress. The phobia may then protect individuals from dealing with their emotional issues.

Physiological. Individuals may be predisposed to phobias biologically if the brain pathways dealing with the cognition and emotion of anxiety are highly activated.

Genetic and Family. Even though the environment is mainly the cause of phobias, individuals with a genetic predisposition are at risk for developing this disorder.

Sociocultural. Certain cultures may have an influence on specific phobias such as magic or spirits. Some data associates specific phobias with a lower socioeconomic level but the results are mixed.

Personal Variables. There appears to be a relationship between age, specific phobias, and the individuals’ insight into the quality of their fears. The is believed to be some connection between gender and specific phobia, with women being more afraid of animals and reporting for treatment more than men.http://www.minddisorders.com/Py-Z/Specific-phobias.html

Social Phobias

Environmental. Research is ongoing regarding the environment and social phobias.

Physical. The amygdala in the brain controls fear responses and may be implicated in social phobias.

Genetic. Animal studies suggest there may be a structure in the brain that affects learned fearfulness and may make social phobias inheritable.

Physiology and Hormones. A biochemical basis for the disorder is being researched. It may be that being sensitive to disapproval maybe be based on physiology or hormones.

Observation and Modeling. Social phobia fears may be acquired from observational learning or social imitation.http://www.cureresearch.com/s/social_phobia/causes.htm/refimitation.

General Symptoms of Phobias When faced with a phobic stimulus, individuals may experience the following symptoms:

- Tachycardia or rapid heartbeat
- Sweating
- Shortness of breath
- Tingling sensation in the hands
- Nausea
- Trembling
- Desire to run away
- Depression occurs, in some cases.

Specific Phobias are characterized by:
- Fear of an object or situation (phobic stimulus) that is enduring and significant;
- Anxiety response to phobic stimulus when confronted, including a possible panic attack;
- In children the response may be to cling, freeze, cry, or have tantrums when they become anxious from phobic stimulus;
- The fear is recognized by adults and adolescents as unreasonable, but children do not know that their fear is excessive;
- When individuals encounter a phobic stimulus they may try to avoid it, appear distressed, or become anxious which may interfere with their daily functions;
- For individuals under 18 years of age, the disorder must last for at least six months; and
- If another disorder cannot account for the symptoms of avoidance, panic attacks, or anxiety, a diagnosis of specific phobia may be given.http://www.medindia.net/patients/patientinfo/phobias-symptoms.htm

Social Phobias are characterized by:
- Exposure to unfamiliar people or to the scrutiny of others in social or performance situations where their actions may cause humiliation or embarrassment;
- Exposure to the feared social situation may cause a panic attack;
- The individual realizes the fear is unreasonable and excessive;
- Feared social situations are avoided or endured with distress and intense anxiety;
- By avoiding, becoming anxious or distressed by the feared social situation, the individuals’ normal routine, occupational functioning, social activities or relationships are disrupted;
- Individuals under 18 need duration of six months for diagnosis;
- If the symptoms are not a sign of another mental disorder such as Panic Disorder, Separation Anxiety Disorder, Body Dysmorphic Disorder, Pervasive Developmental Disorder, or Schizoid Personality Disorder, a diagnosis of social phobia may be given; and
- If there is another medical condition or mental disorder involved, the fear of embarrassment in social situations is not from the possible symptoms of these other disorders.http://counsellingresource.com/distress/anxiety-disorders/social-phobia-symptoms.html

Types of Phobias
Some of the more common phobias include:

- Confined spaces (claustrophobia)
- Heights (acrophobia)
- Water (hydrophobia/aquaphobia)
- Fire (arsonphobia)
- Fear of men (androphobia)
- Fear of speaking in public (glossophobia)
- Fear of crowds (enochlophobia)
- Fear of streets or crossing the street (agyrophobia)
- Fear of thunder and lightning (astrapophobia/keraunophobia)
- Fear of being alone (autophobia)

All Phobias:'

- Diagnosed when they limit the individuals’ lives in some manner;
- Avoiding a feared situation or object is important in diagnosis;
- Individuals anticipate encountering their fearful situation or object everywhere they turn causing anxiety;
- When the feared situation or object is encountered it sets off a panic attack or extremely anxious and sudden response.http://www.medindia.net/patients/patientinfo/phobias-diagnosis.htm

Specific phobias:

In addition to the criteria for all phobias, the criteria for diagnosing specific phobias includes:

- The degree of impairment;
- Focus of fear, and predictability and timing of reaction to phobic stimulus to differentiate it from other disorders with similar symptoms;
- Observation of behaviors, clinical interviews, physiological evaluation, and self-reporting;
- Onset of initial symptoms assists in determining type of phobia;
- How the type of phobia relates to age, gender and culture of individual;
- Whether there is a dual diagnosis with other mood and anxiety disorders, and substance-related disorders which often cause more distress than the specific phobia itself.http://www.minddisorders.com/Py-Z/Specific-phobias.html

Social phobias:
In addition to the criteria for all phobias, the criteria for social phobias includes:

- Irrational fear of social performance situations;
- A strong desire to avoid social performance situations;
- Extreme anxiety when social performance situation is endured;
- Plagued by personal significant loss or the perspective of future loss;
- Panic attacks resulting from social performance situation;
- Eliminating whether phobia occurred from a medical condition or a social situation that is temporary;
- Checking family history for a parent or close relative with similar condition;
- Adding generalization to diagnosis if phobia occurs in most social situations.http://www.social-anxiety-shyness-info.com/social-anxiety/diagnosing.htm

Disorders related to phobias:

- Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD);
- Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD);
- Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD);
- Somatoform Disorders (SD).

Mental disorders are subjective. They require the clinician to use good judgment. Many mental disorders have similar symptoms and more than one may occur in an individual. Getting a qualified professional to make a diagnosis is important.http://ezinearticles.com/?4-Types-of-Mental-Disorders-Related-to-Phobias-to-Diagnose&id=4134989

Complex Phobias:

The combination of several anxieties can paralyze an individual’s life. They can cause “emotional trauma and lead to self-replicating cycles - a phobia can make you behave oddly in public and later reinforce your fear of odd behavior in public. Likewise, prolonged agoraphobia can convince you of your inability to control panic attacks thus worsening the phobic condition.“http://www.medindia.net/patients/patientinfo/phobias-types.htm

The content on this page is for information purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Speak with a qualified heath care professional to ensure that you have the most accurate information regarding any mental health diagnosis.