What is a phobia?

Match the words with their definitions

• Trigger

• Techniques people use to manage stress and difficult emotions.

• Coping strategies

• A technique that involves gradually exposing someone to their fear in a controlled way.

• Fight-or-flight response

• A psychological treatment that helps people identify and change negative thinking and behavior patterns.

• Cognitive behavioral therapy

• The body’s natural response to danger, preparing to either defend oneself or escape.

• Systematic desensitization

• A specific situation, object, or memory that causes an intense emotional reaction.

What caused Anna’s fear of elevators?

• A scary movie she watched

• Getting lost in a building

• Getting stuck in an elevator as a child

• Seeing someone else have a panic attack

What phobia was she diagnosed with?

• Acrophobia (fear of heights)

• Claustrophobia (fear of enclosed spaces)

• Agoraphobia (fear of open spaces)

• Arachnophobia (fear of spiders)

What treatment did Anna receive?

• Medication for anxiety

• Hypnotherapy

• Cognitive behavioral therapy and systematic desensitization

• Group therapy with other patients

What was the first step in her treatment process?

• Riding an elevator with her therapist

• Looking at pictures of elevators

• Talking to people about elevators

• Standing inside an elevator alone

5. How does Anna feel about elevators now?

• She refuses to use them

• She feels exactly the same as before

• She loves using them

• She can use them, but still feels a bit nervous

Phobias are intense and often ​ (a)   fears that go beyond normal discomfort. People with phobias may experience extreme ​ (b)   even when there is no real danger present. For example, someone with a fear of flying might feel completely ​ (c)   when boarding a plane, even though flying is statistically very safe. These emotional reactions are not always based on facts, but rather on how the threat is ​ (d)   . This makes it hard for the person to control their response. In some cases, professional help is needed, and individuals may seek support from a therapist or even a ​ (e)   specialist to manage their symptoms and regain control.

• irrational
• powerless
• perceived
• anxiety
• psychiatric