What are specific phobias? Provide examples. Are there gender ...

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What are specific phobias? Provide examples. Are there gender differences in the diagnosis of specific phobias? How common are specific phobias?
 
  What will be an ideal response?

Question 2

Describe existential anxiety. Provide examples. What events may trigger existential anxiety?
 
  What will be an ideal response?

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Answer to Question 1

Specific phobias are intense and exaggerated fears of specific objects or situations other than public places or social contexts covered by the other phobia categories. Examples of common specific phobias include fear of particular animals, storms or heights, seeing blood or receiving an injection, flying or driving, or fear of choking to name a few. Specific phobia is more common in women than men by a ratio of 2 to 1 (American Psychiatric Association, 2000). This disorder is considered to be one of the most common of the anxiety disorders (lifetime prevalence estimate is 12.5; Kessler et al., 2005).

Answer to Question 2

Besides everyday anxiety, we can feel existential anxiety, a form of anxiety associated with awareness of ultimate concerns such as death, meaning, freedom, and isolation (Yalom, 1980). These concerns capture the essence of existence and embody the cosmic questions such as What happens after death? What is the meaning of life? Why do we exist? How much freedom do we really have? What is loneliness and why do we experience it? Certain events such as the death of a loved one, a diagnosis of a serious illness, separation or divorce, difficult choices that have long lasting life consequences (educational, career, or romantic commitments, etc.), traumatic events that evoke a crisis of meaning, midlife or other lifespan transitional passages, and so forth, may trigger existential anxiety.

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