Unit-3---High-Anxiety-Phobias

Unit3HighAnxiety:PhobiasTeacher:Goodafternoon.Todaywe’regoingtoturntoanewtopicinpsychologyandstartlookingatsomespecificpsychologicalproblems.Thereareavarietyofmentalproblemsthatcanaffectusinourdailylives---somearenotsoserious,likeafearofcatsorofinsects,andothersaremoreserious.Nowaspsychologists,wetrytostudythesedifferentproblemsandfindwaystohelppeople.Iwanttostartthediscussionbytalkingaboutafairlycommonkindofpsychologicalproblem---aphobia,that’sP-H-O-B-I-A.First,I’llexplainwhataphobiais,andthenI’lltalkaboutsometheoriesonwhypeoplehavephobias.Asyouprobablyknow,aphobiaisafear.Sodoanyofyouhavephobias?Oh,comeon,youcantellme;I’mapsychologist.Yes,Monica?Student1:Ihaveafearofswimming.Idon’tliketogoneartheocean.Teacher:OK,that’snotanunusualphobia.Anyoneelse?Ali?Student2:Ihatedogs.Imean,Ijustdon’tlikethem.WhenIseeabigdog,actuallyanydog,Ijustgetnervous,soIavoidthem.Teacher:OK,that’sanothercommonphobia.Thanksforsharingthoseexamplesofphobias.Aphobiaisnotanormalfear;itisanextremefear---averystrongfear.Forexample,mybrother,who’sasuccessfulartist,hadcomputerphobia.Hedidn’tsimplydislikeusingcomputers.Heusedtohaveaverystrongfearofusingthem.Psychologistshavecomeupwiththreecharacteristicsofaphobia.Peopledisplaythesethreecharacteristicsiftheyhaveaphobia,notjustanormalfear.Nowfirst,aphobiaisnotarationalresponse.It’saverystrongreaction,toostrongforthesituation.Formybrother,thismeanthehadaverystrongphysicalreactionifsomeoneaskedhimtouseacomputer.Hestartedshakingviolentlyandhadtroublebreathing.Once,heevenstartedchoking.Physicalreactionslikethisarecommon.Second,aphobiaoftenlastsforalongtime,formonthsorevenyears.Inmybrother’scase,itlastedseveralyears.Third,thereactionistoostrongforapersontocontrol.Froexample,evenifmybrothertoldhimselfnottobeafraidatthecomputer,itdidn’thelp.Hestillfeltveryafraidof.So,inmybrother’scase,heavoidedusingacomputer.OK,sothosearethethreecharacteristicsofphobias.It’sanextreme,irrationalresponse,it’slong-lasting,andit’suncontrollable.Student3:souncontrollablemeansevenifyoutrytocontrolit,youcan’t?Teacher:Yes,itmeansyoucan’tcontrolitbytryingtodenyyoufeelthephobia.Therearewaystotreatphobias,andwe’lltalkaboutthoseinaminute.Yes?Student4:Whathappenedtoyourbrother?Didhegetoverit?Teacher:Yes,hedid.Themainthingwasthathedecidedthathewantedtogetoverit,andhewastreatedbyapsychologist.Nowheusescomputersallthetime.OK,solet’sspendaminutegoingoversomeclassificationsofphobias.Phobiasareclassifiedbythethingorsituationthatthepersonfears.GreekorLatinnamesareusuallyusedtodescribethefear.Here’sanexample:hypno,H-Y-P-N-O,meanssleep,sofearofsleepishypnophobia.Cyno,C-Y-N-O,meansdog.Soafearofdogsis…cynophobia.Right?Here’sanotherexample.Aerophobia.Listentothefirstpart,aero.What'sthefear?Aeroasinairplane---aerophobiaisfearofflying.Let'sturnnowtothecausesofphobias.Onetheoryisthataphobiaislearned.Thismeanssomethinghappensthatcausessomeone,orinasense“teachessomeone”tofeelafraid.Forexample,Alicouldhavelearnedtobeafraidofdogsifhewasattackedandinjuredbyoneasachild.Peoplecanalsolearntohavephobiasbywatchinghowotherpeoplereact.Infact,doctorsfindthatphobiastendtoruninfamilies.Forexample,let'simaginethatAli’smotherhasalwaysbeenafraidofdogs.WheneverAliandhismotherweretogetherandsawadog,hismotherwouldgetveryscared,verynervous.WhenAlisawhowhismotherreacted,hewouldthengraduallybecomeveryscared,too.Hewouldthenhavedevelopedcynophobiafromwatchinghismother.So,youcanseethattherearetwowayslearningcanbeinvolvedinphobias.So,thefirsttheoryisthataphobiaislearned.Learnedeitherbydirectexperienceorbywatchingthereactionsofothers.Thesecondtheorysaysthataphobiaisonlyasignofadeeperproblem.Thismeansthatthephobiaisn’tthewholeproblem.Let’stakeanotherexample.Ioncetreatedateenagerwhowasveryafraidofthedark.Hecouldn'tbeinadarkroombyhimself.Hewasterrifiedtogooutsideatnight,andsoon.Accordingtothistheory,whenheactedafraidofthedark,hewasreallyshowinghisfearofsomethingelse.Intherapy,itwasrevealedthathewasafraidofhisfather.Hisfatherwasverystrictwhenhewasyoung,andoncehisfathermadehimsitinadarkroomwhenhedidsomethingbad.Accordingtothistheory,hisfearofthedarkwasasignofhisdeeper,realfearofhisfather.Yes,question.Student4:Sowhatdidyoudo?Didhehavetotalkwithhisfather?Teacher:Well,no,wecouldn’tdothat.Butrecognizingthathewasreallyafraidofhisfather,andnotthedark,wasthekeystepinthetreatment.Nowhe’scured.Nomorefearofthedark.OK,solet’sthinkaboutthesetwotheories,andaboutthemaindifferencebetweenthem.Thefirsttheorysaysthatthephobiaistheproblemitself.Right?And,thesecondtheorysaysthatthephobiaisasignofadeeperproblemthepersonhas.Whyisthisdifferenceimportant?It’smostlyimportantindecidinghowtotreattheperson.Accordingtothefirsttheory,ifaphobiaislearned,perhapsitcanbeunlearned.Apsychologistwhofollowsthistheorywilltrytoteachsomeonetoreactdifferently,tobehavedifferentlywhenheorshefeelsafraid.Changingtheperson’sbehavioristhegoal.Ontheotherhand,apsychologistwhobelievesthesecondtheorymaystartbytryingtoteachthepersontoreactdifferently,butthedoctorisinterestedinmorethanthat.Thedoctor’sobjective,orgoal,istohelpthepat