Case Study of Phobias
Case Study of Phobias
Case Study of Phobias
Introduction
A phobia is an irrational fear of something that's unlikely to cause harm. The word itself comes
from the Greek word phobos, which means fear or horror. Hydrophobia, for example, literally
translates to fear of water. When someone has a phobia, they experience intense fear of a certain
object or situation.
B.HISTORY COLLECTION
HISTORY COLLECTION
I. IDENTIFICATION
Name: U.L
Sex: F
Age: 34years old
Marital status: Single
Place of birth: Western Province
NgomaDistrict
Rukumbeli Sector
Kigese Cell
Ngamba village
Sibling’s position: 3th
Profession: Accountant
Religion: islam
Nationality: Rwandan
Admission date:
ii) HEENT: Patient does not have any problem in eyes with no jaundice, moisture mouth;
pink tongue with no sore throat neck is flexed, proper hairs, etc.
iii) Respiratory system: no any problem in respiration presented or observed to the client.
iv) Cardiovascular system: no problem indicated to the heart with normal heart sounds.
v) Nervous system: normal sensations, shaking due to side effects of drugs, pupils are reacting
to light, with GCS of 15/15.
vi) GI: No abdominal tenderness or distended
vii) Urinary system: no complaints of urination with normal urine output.
viii) Integumentary system: she has scars on the legs and left arm due to wounding during 2nd
crisis.
MULTIAXIAL DIAGNOSIS
Axis I: Bipolar disorder
Axis II: neither mental retardation nor personality disorder
Axis III: NONE
AXIS IV: Job stress and excessive losses
XI. COMPLEMENTARY EXAMS
-Full blood count (FBC): NORMAL RESULTS
-HIV Test: Neg.
Causes
Genetic and environmental factors can cause phobias. Children who have a close relative with
an anxiety disorder are at risk of developing a phobia. Distressing events, such as nearly
drowning, can bring on a phobia. Exposure to confined spaces, extreme heights,
and animal or insect bites can all be sources of phobias.
People with ongoing medical conditions or health concerns often have phobias. There’s a high
incidence of people developing phobias after traumatic brain injuries. Substance
abuse and depression are also connected to phobias.
Phobias have different symptoms from serious mental illnesses such as schizophrenia. In
schizophrenia, people have visual and auditory hallucinations, delusions, paranoia, negative
symptoms such as anhedonia, and disorganized symptoms. Phobias may be irrational, but people
with phobias do not fail reality testing.
Risk factors
People with a genetic predisposition to anxiety may be at high risk of developing a phobia. Age,
socioeconomic status, and gender seem to be risk factors only for certain phobias. For example,
women are more likely to have animal phobias. Children or people with a low socioeconomic
status are more likely to have social phobias. Men make up the majority of those with dentist and
doctor phobias
Symptoms of phobias
The most common and disabling symptom of a phobia is a panic attack. Features of a panic
attack include:
pounding or racing heart
shortness of breath
rapid speech or inability to speak
dry mouth
upset stomach
nausea
elevated blood pressure
trembling or shaking
chest pain or tightness
a choking sensation
dizziness or lightheadedness
profuse sweating
a sense of impending doom
A person with a phobia doesn’t have to have panic attacks for accurate diagnosis, however.
Treatment options
Treatment for phobias can involve therapeutic techniques, medications, or a combination of both.
Cognitive behavioral therapy
Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is the most commonly used therapeutic treatment for
phobias. It involves exposure to the source of the fear in a controlled setting. This treatment can
decondition people and reduce anxiety.The therapy focuses on identifying and changing negative
thoughts, dysfunctional beliefs, and negative reactions to the phobic situation. New CBT
techniques use virtual reality technology to expose people to the sources of their phobias safely.
Medication
Antidepressants and anti-anxiety medications can help calm emotional and physical reactions to
fear. Often, a combination of medication and professional therapy is the most helpful.
Health education
specific phobias, cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) with exposure treatment is advised. In
exposure therapy, people are gradually exposed to what frightens them until the fear starts to
fade. Relaxation and breathing exercises also help to ease symptoms.
alking with a mental health professional can help you manage your specific phobia. Exposure
therapy and cognitive behavioral therapy are the most effective treatments. Exposure therapy
focuses on changing your response to the object or situation that you
Talking treatments, such as counselling, are often very effective at treating phobias. In
particular, cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) and mindfulness have been found to be very
effective for treating phobias.