According to the American Psychiatric Association, aphobiais an irrational and excessive fear of an object or situation.
Typical symptoms associated with phobias include:
In some cases, these symptoms may escalate into a full-scaleanxiety attack.
In general, women are affected more than men.
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In exposure treatments, the person is strategically exposed to their feared object to help them overcome their fear.
Another method often used in phobia treatment is counter-conditioning.
In this method, the person is taught a new response to the feared object.
This new behavior is incompatible with the previous panic response, so the phobic response gradually diminishes.
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