3 ARTICLES ABOUT TYPES OF ANXIETY DISORDERS

ARTICLE #1

TITLE

Why Some People Have a Crippling Fear of Flying — and How They Can Overcome It

DESCRIPTION

This is a great article that will give students insight into a common type of anxiety:  fear of flying.  “At one point or another, as many as 12.5% of Americans will struggle with a phobia — “an intense, irrational fear of something that poses little or no actual danger” — according to the National Institute of Mental Health. Of these, a fear of flying, or aviophobia, is one of the most common, with estimated prevalence ranging from 2.5% to 6.5% of the population.”   The article explains why individuals (even those who don’t quite get diagnosed at a level of phobia) experience anxiety:  “A lot of it is the lack of control they have in the situation,” explains Todd Farchione, the director of Boston University’s Intensive Treatment Program for Panic Disorder and Specific Phobias. “When the doors close, they’re in it. They’re stuck. They can’t get out of the situation. I think that’s often what’s most frightening for most people.”  The article finishes with some suggestions to help manage the fears.  If used for class discussion, the article will be very engaging.

SOURCE

Time, July 6, 2018, by Jamie Ducharme

LINK TO RESOURCE

https://time.com/5330978/fear-of-flying-aviophobia/

(Tiny URL)  https://tinyurl.com/y3ncfjgt

ARTICLE #2

TITLE

The Boxing Champion Who Battles O.C.D.

DESCRIPTION

This is an extremely engaging case about Virginia “Ginny” Fuchs an olympic boxing champion.  The case details her problems with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD).  “By definition, O.C.D. involves unwanted, recurring and distressing thoughts. In response, people often perform repetitive behaviors, or rituals, to alleviate the anxiety caused by the obsessions.  “But the ritual only works very temporarily,” said Dr. Joyce Davidson, a psychiatrist and medical director at the Menninger Clinic in Houston. The obsessions keep coming back so people get stuck in this vicious circle of obsessions and rituals. In many cases, it really snowballs.”  This article and case will make a great discussion with the class around anxiety and OCD symptoms.

SOURCE

New York Times, July 31, 2019, by Aimee Berg

LINK TO RESOURCE

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/07/31/sports/virginia-fuchs-boxing-ocd.html

(Tiny URL)  https://tinyurl.com/yy4ecg42

ARTICLE #3

TITLE

18 Halloween-themed phobias you might have

DESCRIPTION

This brief article and accompanying video will make a fabulous adjunct to the text book discussion for the Abnormal/Psychopathology disorders.   The article highlights specific phobias and focuses humorously on Halloween themed phobias.  “Specific phobias also include irrational fears of specific supernatural creatures such as vampires, witches and ghosts. The names of all phobias are derived from Greek, combined with the Latin “phobia,” meaning fear, at the end. So the fear of spiders becomes arachnophobia from the Greek word “arachne,” meaning “spider.” If you are afraid of one aspect of Halloween, there’s probably a name for it.”   Students will really become engaged with a lively class discussion about the topics discussed in the article.

It is very easy to show the 1 minute-20second video:  DIRECT LINK TO THE VIDEO: https://tinyurl.com/y2xx8n8c

SOURCE

ABC News 7, November 1, 2019

LINK TO RESOURCE

https://abc7news.com/society/halloween-phobias-you-might-have/1576238/

(Tiny URL)  https://tinyurl.com/y3b7r7l9

CLASS DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

•What are ANXIETY DISORDERS?

•What are the symptoms of PHOBIAS?  Name at least 3 types.

•What are the symptoms of OBSESSIVE-COMPULSIVE disorders?  How do these affect daily living in a negative way?

•What do these disorders have in common?