Definition

Noun: An anxiety disorder characterized by an extreme and irrational fear of specific objects, activities, or social situations. The fear is disproportionate to the actual danger posed and leads to avoidance behavior.

Usage

"Phobic neurosis" is a clinical term used in psychology and psychiatry to classify a type of anxiety disorder. It describes a condition where the primary symptom is a persistent, irrational fear (a phobia) that causes significant distress or impairment in social, occupational, or other important areas of functioning.

Examples

• The patient was diagnosed with phobic neurosis, manifesting as an overwhelming fear of open spaces.
• Traditional psychoanalytic theory often interpreted phobic neurosis as a symptom of an unconscious conflict.
• Her phobic neurosis, specifically social phobia, made attending large gatherings nearly impossible.

Advanced Usage

• The term "phobic neurosis" originates from older psychiatric classifications (like the DSM-II). In modern diagnostic manuals (like the DSM-5), the specific disorders previously grouped under this term are now categorized more precisely as "phobic disorders" or "anxiety disorders," such as specific phobia, social anxiety disorder, or agoraphobia.
• In psychodynamic theory, phobic neurosis might be analyzed as a defense mechanism where anxiety from an internal conflict is displaced onto an external object or situation.

Variants and Related Words

• Phobia (n): The core symptom; an irrational fear of a specific thing.
• Phobic (adj): Relating to or characteristic of a phobia (e.g., a phobic reaction).
• Phobic disorder (n): A more modern general term synonymous with phobic neurosis, encompassing all types of phobias.

Synonyms

• Anxiety disorder (specific type)
• Phobic disorder
• Irrational fear syndrome

Related Phrases

• Specific phobia: A type of phobic neurosis focused on a particular object or situation (e.g., spiders, heights).
• Social phobia: A type of phobic neurosis involving fear of social or performance situations.
• Agoraphobia: A type of phobic neurosis involving fear of situations where escape might be difficult.

Noun

1. an anxiety disorder characterized by extreme and irrational fear of simple things or social situations
   • phobic disorder is a general term for all phobias