phobic disorder
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
Noun: A type of anxiety disorder marked by an intense, persistent, and irrational fear of a specific object, activity, or situation. The fear is excessive relative to the actual danger posed and leads to avoidance behavior or significant distress.
Usage
The term "phobic disorder" is a clinical or diagnostic term used in psychology and psychiatry. It functions as a general category encompassing all specific phobias. - She was diagnosed with a phobic disorder after experiencing panic attacks at the sight of spiders. - Treatment for a phobic disorder often involves cognitive-behavioral therapy.
Advanced Usage
- In diagnostic manuals: "Phobic disorder" is a classification that includes specific phobias (e.g., arachnophobia, acrophobia), social phobia (social anxiety disorder), and agoraphobia. The specific type of phobia determines the exact diagnosis.
- The clinician noted that the patient's symptoms were consistent with an anxiety-based phobic disorder.
Variants and Related Words
- Phobia (n): The specific fear itself; a symptom or component of a phobic disorder.
- Arachnophobia is a common phobia.
- Phobic (adj): Relating to or characteristic of a phobia.
- He had a phobic reaction to enclosed spaces.
Synonyms
- Anxiety disorder: The broader category of disorders to which phobic disorders belong.
- Phobia: Often used interchangeably in non-clinical contexts, though "phobia" typically refers to the specific fear, while "phobic disorder" refers to the clinical diagnosis.
Related Phrases
- Specific phobic disorder: A more precise term for a phobic disorder focused on a particular object or situation.
- Her fear of flying was classified as a specific phobic disorder.
Noun
- an anxiety disorder characterized by extreme and irrational fear of simple things or social situations
- phobic disorder is a general term for all phobias