Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsProfessional Screenings for PhobiaDetermining Phobia SubtypesDifferential Diagnosis of PhobiasLabs and TestsSelf/At-Home Testing for Phobia
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Professional Screenings for Phobia
Determining Phobia Subtypes
Differential Diagnosis of Phobias
Labs and Tests
Self/At-Home Testing for Phobia
A mental health provider uses criteria in theDiagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders(DSM–5) to diagnose a phobia.People diagnosed with aspecific phobiahave excessive and persistent fear and/or avoidance of specific objects or situations.
Specific phobias typically start in late childhood or early adolescence.It is one of the most common types ofanxiety disorders. An estimated 12.5% of adults in the United States have a specific phobia in their lives.
This article covers specific phobia tests and screenings that providers use to diagnose the condition.
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Most Common Phobias
A primary care provider may do an initial screening for a specific phobia. They can refer you to a licensed mental health professional who can provide an official diagnosis and offer treatment.
The diagnosis of a specific phobia is made using the criteria set in the DSM-5, the guide that providers use to make mental health diagnoses.
Phobia TestsMental health professionals can use tools like the Severity Measure for Specific Phobias to diagnose and assess the severity of a specific phobia. This tool is available for adults and children.The tool shows a person a sentence like“During the past seven days, I have…”and a series of statements that complete the sentence, such as“…felt moments of sudden terror, fear, or fright in these situations.“A person checks a box to show how often they feel the way that the sentence described. For example, if they did not have these feelings at all, they could check“Never”but if they felt like that every day, they would check“All of the time.”
Phobia Tests
Mental health professionals can use tools like the Severity Measure for Specific Phobias to diagnose and assess the severity of a specific phobia. This tool is available for adults and children.The tool shows a person a sentence like“During the past seven days, I have…”and a series of statements that complete the sentence, such as“…felt moments of sudden terror, fear, or fright in these situations.“A person checks a box to show how often they feel the way that the sentence described. For example, if they did not have these feelings at all, they could check“Never”but if they felt like that every day, they would check“All of the time.”
Mental health professionals can use tools like the Severity Measure for Specific Phobias to diagnose and assess the severity of a specific phobia. This tool is available for adults and children.
The tool shows a person a sentence like“During the past seven days, I have…”and a series of statements that complete the sentence, such as“…felt moments of sudden terror, fear, or fright in these situations.”
A person checks a box to show how often they feel the way that the sentence described. For example, if they did not have these feelings at all, they could check“Never”but if they felt like that every day, they would check“All of the time.”
During the interview, you will be asked about your symptoms. A provider will also ask about your medical and family history. For example, they will want to know if any family members have phobias. They will also ask if you have any experiences or trauma that might have triggered the phobia you have.
This is the criteria for a diagnosis of a specific phobia according to the DSM-5:
The fear, anxiety, and avoidance must also:
Your provider also needs to make sure that another medical or mental health condition isn’t causing your symptoms before they can diagnose you with a specific phobia.
What Is the Fear of Sharp Objects?
Onset
Out of all anxiety disorders, specific phobias tend to have the earliest ages of onset. According to a 2017 meta-analysis, the average age of onset for specific phobias is 11 years old.
Specific phobias have highcomorbidity, which means a person has more other mental health disorders, which may come on after the phobia.
When Is Fear Normal?It’s normal for children and even adults to be afraid of things and it can be a very rational response to an experience. For example, if you are camping and see a bear, being afraid of the animal would be a reasonable and possibly even protective response.Phobias, on the other hand, are a sense of fear that is out of proportion, irrational, and causes a person a lot of distress in their daily life.
When Is Fear Normal?
It’s normal for children and even adults to be afraid of things and it can be a very rational response to an experience. For example, if you are camping and see a bear, being afraid of the animal would be a reasonable and possibly even protective response.Phobias, on the other hand, are a sense of fear that is out of proportion, irrational, and causes a person a lot of distress in their daily life.
It’s normal for children and even adults to be afraid of things and it can be a very rational response to an experience. For example, if you are camping and see a bear, being afraid of the animal would be a reasonable and possibly even protective response.
Phobias, on the other hand, are a sense of fear that is out of proportion, irrational, and causes a person a lot of distress in their daily life.
Why Am I Afraid of Strangers?
According to the DSM-5, specific phobias can be categorized into general categories:
A mental health provider will determine which category a person’s specific phobia belongs to when making a diagnosis.
Zoophobia (Fear of Animals)
Agoraphobia
Agoraphobiais a marked fear or anxiety about being in specific situations. A person with agoraphobia fears or avoids these situations because they worry that escape would be difficult if they were topanicor have other incapacitating symptoms.
Using public transportation, standing in line or being in a crowd, being outside the home, and being in open spaces or enclosed spaces such as shops or theaters can all be fears of someone with agoraphobia.
What Is Fear of Traveling (Hodophobia)?
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)is a chronic mental health condition in which a person has uncontrollable and unwanted thoughts (obsessions) and/or behaviors (compulsions) that are often repetitive and aimed at reducing anxiety.
Peanut Butter Phobia: How to Cope with Choking Fears
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)is a mental health condition in which a person has symptoms long after experiencing or witnessing a trauma.
Thalassophobia: Fear of Deep Water
Separation Anxiety Disorder
Separation anxiety disorderis a condition in which a person feels extreme fear or distress when separated from an emotional attachment, such as a parent, a loved one, or a place where they feel safe (like their home).
What Is Fear of Being Left Alone?
Social Anxiety Disorder
What Is Fear of Getting Sick (Nosophobia)?
A mental health professional must make a diagnosis of phobia. However, recognizing the signs can help you decide if you need to ask for help. The sooner you reach out to a provider, the sooner you can get treatment and learn to manage your phobia.
That said, asking for help isn’t easy. Many people with specific phobias realize that their fears are irrational, but thinking about facing the object or situation of their phobia can cause even more severe anxiety symptoms.
Signs that you may have a phobia include:
If you have altered your life because of the fear or anxiety you are experiencing, it can be a sign you have a specific phobia. The way and degree to which you have changed your life because of the fear will depend on the kind of phobia you have.
For example, phobias about animals, such as spiders or dogs, may lead you to avoid or remove yourself from situations where the animals are present.
If the specific phobia is associated with something that cannot be easily avoided, the phobia may have caused you to severely change how you live your life. For example, a phobia of heights might be preventing you from working in a specific building or visiting a friend who lives in a city apartment.
Fear of Bees
Summary
Specific phobias cause intense—but irrational—fear. They can be so severe that they make you change how you live your life so you can avoid being afraid.
If you have symptoms of a specific phobia, talk to a qualified mental health professional. They can make a formal diagnosis and help you find ways to manage your symptoms.
Self-assessment screening for phobias can be helpful but it does not replace seeing a healthcare provider to get diagnosed and treated.
4 Ways to Overcome Your Biggest Phobia
14 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.National Institute of Mental Health.Specific phobia.Lijster JM, Dierckx B, Utens EM, et al.The age of onset of anxiety disorders.Can J Psychiatry. 2017;62(4):237-246. doi:10.1177/0706743716640757Eaton WW, Bienvenu OJ, Miloyan B.Specific phobias.Lancet Psychiatry. 2018;5(8):678-686. doi:10.1016/S2215-0366(18)30169-XSubstance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.Table 3.11, DSM-IV to DSM-5 Specific Phobia Comparison. [Internet]. Rockville (MD): Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (US); 2016 Jun.APA.Severity Measure for Specific Phobia—Adult.APA.Severity Measure for Specific Phobia—Child Age 11–17.de Vries YA, Al-Hamzawi A, Alonso J, et al.Childhood generalized specific phobia as an early marker of internalizing psychopathology across the lifespan: results from the World Mental Health Surveys.BMC Med. 2019;17. doi: 10.1186/s12916-019-1328-3Gadsen Regional Medical Center.Fear vs. phobia.Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.Table 3.10, Panic Disorder and Agoraphobia Criteria Changes from DSM-IV to DSM-5. [Internet]. Rockville (MD): Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (US); 2016 Jun.Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.Table 3.13, DSM-IV to DSM-5 Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder Comparison. [Internet]. Rockville (MD): Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (US); 2016 Jun.Center for Substance Abuse Treatment (US). Trauma-Informed Care in Behavioral Health Services.Exhibit 1.3-4, DSM-5 Diagnostic Criteria for PTSD. Rockville (MD): Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (US); 2014. (Treatment Improvement Protocol (TIP) Series, No. 57.)Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.Table 15, DSM-IV to DSM-5 Separation Anxiety Disorder Comparison. [Internet]. Rockville (MD): Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (US); 2016 Jun.Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.Table 16, DSM-IV to DSM-5 Social Phobia/Social Anxiety Disorder Comparison. [Internet]. Rockville (MD): Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (US); 2016 Jun.National Institute of Mental Health.Anxiety disorders.
14 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.National Institute of Mental Health.Specific phobia.Lijster JM, Dierckx B, Utens EM, et al.The age of onset of anxiety disorders.Can J Psychiatry. 2017;62(4):237-246. doi:10.1177/0706743716640757Eaton WW, Bienvenu OJ, Miloyan B.Specific phobias.Lancet Psychiatry. 2018;5(8):678-686. doi:10.1016/S2215-0366(18)30169-XSubstance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.Table 3.11, DSM-IV to DSM-5 Specific Phobia Comparison. [Internet]. Rockville (MD): Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (US); 2016 Jun.APA.Severity Measure for Specific Phobia—Adult.APA.Severity Measure for Specific Phobia—Child Age 11–17.de Vries YA, Al-Hamzawi A, Alonso J, et al.Childhood generalized specific phobia as an early marker of internalizing psychopathology across the lifespan: results from the World Mental Health Surveys.BMC Med. 2019;17. doi: 10.1186/s12916-019-1328-3Gadsen Regional Medical Center.Fear vs. phobia.Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.Table 3.10, Panic Disorder and Agoraphobia Criteria Changes from DSM-IV to DSM-5. [Internet]. Rockville (MD): Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (US); 2016 Jun.Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.Table 3.13, DSM-IV to DSM-5 Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder Comparison. [Internet]. Rockville (MD): Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (US); 2016 Jun.Center for Substance Abuse Treatment (US). Trauma-Informed Care in Behavioral Health Services.Exhibit 1.3-4, DSM-5 Diagnostic Criteria for PTSD. Rockville (MD): Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (US); 2014. (Treatment Improvement Protocol (TIP) Series, No. 57.)Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.Table 15, DSM-IV to DSM-5 Separation Anxiety Disorder Comparison. [Internet]. Rockville (MD): Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (US); 2016 Jun.Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.Table 16, DSM-IV to DSM-5 Social Phobia/Social Anxiety Disorder Comparison. [Internet]. Rockville (MD): Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (US); 2016 Jun.National Institute of Mental Health.Anxiety disorders.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
National Institute of Mental Health.Specific phobia.Lijster JM, Dierckx B, Utens EM, et al.The age of onset of anxiety disorders.Can J Psychiatry. 2017;62(4):237-246. doi:10.1177/0706743716640757Eaton WW, Bienvenu OJ, Miloyan B.Specific phobias.Lancet Psychiatry. 2018;5(8):678-686. doi:10.1016/S2215-0366(18)30169-XSubstance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.Table 3.11, DSM-IV to DSM-5 Specific Phobia Comparison. [Internet]. Rockville (MD): Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (US); 2016 Jun.APA.Severity Measure for Specific Phobia—Adult.APA.Severity Measure for Specific Phobia—Child Age 11–17.de Vries YA, Al-Hamzawi A, Alonso J, et al.Childhood generalized specific phobia as an early marker of internalizing psychopathology across the lifespan: results from the World Mental Health Surveys.BMC Med. 2019;17. doi: 10.1186/s12916-019-1328-3Gadsen Regional Medical Center.Fear vs. phobia.Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.Table 3.10, Panic Disorder and Agoraphobia Criteria Changes from DSM-IV to DSM-5. [Internet]. Rockville (MD): Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (US); 2016 Jun.Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.Table 3.13, DSM-IV to DSM-5 Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder Comparison. [Internet]. Rockville (MD): Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (US); 2016 Jun.Center for Substance Abuse Treatment (US). Trauma-Informed Care in Behavioral Health Services.Exhibit 1.3-4, DSM-5 Diagnostic Criteria for PTSD. Rockville (MD): Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (US); 2014. (Treatment Improvement Protocol (TIP) Series, No. 57.)Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.Table 15, DSM-IV to DSM-5 Separation Anxiety Disorder Comparison. [Internet]. Rockville (MD): Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (US); 2016 Jun.Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.Table 16, DSM-IV to DSM-5 Social Phobia/Social Anxiety Disorder Comparison. [Internet]. Rockville (MD): Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (US); 2016 Jun.National Institute of Mental Health.Anxiety disorders.
National Institute of Mental Health.Specific phobia.
Lijster JM, Dierckx B, Utens EM, et al.The age of onset of anxiety disorders.Can J Psychiatry. 2017;62(4):237-246. doi:10.1177/0706743716640757
Eaton WW, Bienvenu OJ, Miloyan B.Specific phobias.Lancet Psychiatry. 2018;5(8):678-686. doi:10.1016/S2215-0366(18)30169-X
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.Table 3.11, DSM-IV to DSM-5 Specific Phobia Comparison. [Internet]. Rockville (MD): Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (US); 2016 Jun.
APA.Severity Measure for Specific Phobia—Adult.
APA.Severity Measure for Specific Phobia—Child Age 11–17.
de Vries YA, Al-Hamzawi A, Alonso J, et al.Childhood generalized specific phobia as an early marker of internalizing psychopathology across the lifespan: results from the World Mental Health Surveys.BMC Med. 2019;17. doi: 10.1186/s12916-019-1328-3
Gadsen Regional Medical Center.Fear vs. phobia.
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.Table 3.10, Panic Disorder and Agoraphobia Criteria Changes from DSM-IV to DSM-5. [Internet]. Rockville (MD): Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (US); 2016 Jun.
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.Table 3.13, DSM-IV to DSM-5 Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder Comparison. [Internet]. Rockville (MD): Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (US); 2016 Jun.
Center for Substance Abuse Treatment (US). Trauma-Informed Care in Behavioral Health Services.Exhibit 1.3-4, DSM-5 Diagnostic Criteria for PTSD. Rockville (MD): Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (US); 2014. (Treatment Improvement Protocol (TIP) Series, No. 57.)
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.Table 15, DSM-IV to DSM-5 Separation Anxiety Disorder Comparison. [Internet]. Rockville (MD): Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (US); 2016 Jun.
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.Table 16, DSM-IV to DSM-5 Social Phobia/Social Anxiety Disorder Comparison. [Internet]. Rockville (MD): Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (US); 2016 Jun.
National Institute of Mental Health.Anxiety disorders.
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