This week’s module discussed mental health. I chose Phobias under the Anxiety Disorders section.
Phobias are irrational fears of objects, places, or situations. They are often developed because of a traumatic experience that someone has had earlier in their lives. They will go out of their way to avoid the certain object or place in order to avoid the fear and panic it causes them.
There are ways to treat, manage, and hopefully cure phobias. One way being exposure therapy, where the patient is exposed to the triggering object or situation slowly over time to help them become desensitized to it.
Another way is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). This both exposes the patient to the object or situation while working with them to change their perspective and how they view it.
A third option is through medications. Certain medications, like beta blockers, can be used to block the adrenaline signal sent to the brain/body that would cause these feelings of fear and anxiety. However the most affective options are usually talk therapy like those mentioned above.
Teachers can help by informing themselves of the phobia and how they are caused. They should make their classroom a comfortable environment to students and speak openly with the student experiencing difficulty in order to make them feel included, and that they aren’t alone in dealing with these issues. Teachers should try to keep in mind that some of these phobias could be caused by facotrs beyond the classroom environment. Following this statemen should also be aware of what resources are available in the school and when they should be used.
Overall, while many phobias can be intense and severe, there are ways to manage them and hopefully work through them entirely.
References
Bledsoe Psy.D. , T. S., & Baskin, J. (2023, June 15). Strategies for addressing student fear in
the classroom. Faculty Focus | Higher Ed Teaching & Learning.
https://www.facultyfocus.com/articles/teaching-and-learning/strategies-for-addressing-st
dent-fear-in-the-classroom/#:~:text=Engaging%20in%20dialogue%20with%20students,
f%20anxiety%20when%20they%20occur.
Mayo Clinic Staff. (2023, June 9). Specific phobias. Mayo Clinic.
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/specific-phobias/diagnosis-treatment/dr
-20355162#:~:text=The%20most%20effective%20treatments%20are,learn%20to%20m
nage%20your%20anxiety
Minahan, J. (2019, October 1). Trauma-informed teaching strategies. ASCD.
https://www.ascd.org/el/articles/trauma-informed-teaching-strategies
Phobias. Johns Hopkins Medicine. (n.d.).
https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/phobias
Types of phobia. Mind. (2021, February).
https://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/types-of-mental-health-problems/phobias/t
pes-of-phobia/
What causes phobias?. Mind. (2021b, February).
https://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/types-of-mental-health-problems/phobias/
auses-of-phobias/#:~:text=Experiencing%20long%2Dterm%20stress.,could%20develop%20into%20a%20phobia
Hi Maria, I liked the slide you’ve created for Phobias. It is indeed very informative and well detailed. I honestly did not know that Phobias was considered a form of anxiety disorder. I know a few people, like my cousin, who have this terrible phobia of dogs and cats. You mentioned that such phobias can be caused by a past traumatic event and this is exactly what happened to my cousin. When she was younger, she got scratched by a cat and ever since she has been scared of animals in general. Do you think such a phobia should be considered serious and need treatment? She managed to get close to her friend’s dog and throw food on the floor for the dog, but other than that, she will not let the dog jump on her. Overall, your slide was very helpful when it comes to detecting a person with a phobia! If I didn’t know what a phobia looked like, I could have definitely used this blog to determine that my cousin had a phobia!