Specific phobia
Marked fear/anxiety about a specific object or situation, out of proportion to actual danger.
How it presents
immediate fear/anxiety on exposure to the phobic stimulus, active avoidance, ≥6 months, significant distress/impairment
Tell it apart from
- Agoraphobia
- Social anxiety disorder
- Panic disorder
Treatment reasoning
Exposure-based CBT (systematic desensitization, in vivo exposure) is high-efficacy; virtual reality exposure; benzodiazepines rarely.