A person has fears of animals, the natural environment such as thunderstorms, and specific situations such as flying. This person has -

Correct option is B

A specific phobia is an intense, irrational fear of a particular object, situation, or environment that leads to avoidance behavior. The fears mentioned—animals, thunderstorms, and flying—are all classified under specific phobias in the DSM-5.

Correct Answer: (2) Specific Phobias

Explanation:

Specific phobias are categorized into different subtypes:
-Animal Type: Fear of animals (e.g., dogs, snakes).
-Natural Environment Type: Fear of storms, heights, or water.
-Situational Type: Fear of flying, elevators, or enclosed spaces.
-Blood-Injection-Injury Type: Fear of needles, blood, or medical procedures.

Symptoms include:
-Extreme fear and panic when exposed to the feared object/situation.
-Avoidance behavior.
-Physical symptoms like sweating, trembling, and rapid heartbeat.

Information Booster:
-Specific phobias affect 7-9% of people and usually begin in childhood.
-Exposure therapy (systematic desensitization) is the most effective treatment.
-Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) helps challenge irrational fears.
-Phobias involve the amygdala, the brain region linked to fear responses.
-Some phobias (e.g., arachnophobia, acrophobia) have evolutionary origins.
-Avoidance reinforces phobias by preventing desensitization.
-Medication (e.g., beta-blockers, SSRIs) is sometimes used for severe cases.

Additional Information:
Social Anxiety Disorder
-Involves fear of social situations and negative evaluation by others.

Panic Disorder
-Involves recurrent, unexpected panic attacks with intense physical symptoms.
-Example: Sudden palpitations, dizziness, and breathlessness without a clear trigger.
-Specific phobias trigger fear in response to specific stimuli, while panic disorder occurs unexpectedly.

Generalized Anxiety Disorder
-Characterized by excessive, uncontrollable worry about multiple aspects of life (e.g., work, health, finances).