The Encyclopedia of Phobias, Fears, and Anxieties

643 Pages·2008·5.12 MB·English

by  Ronald M.

THE ENCYCLOPEDIA OF
PHOBIAS, FEARS,
AND ANXIETIES
THIRD EDITION
Ronald M. Doctor, Ph.D.
Ada P. Kahn, Ph.D.
and
Christine Adamec
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The Encyclopedia of Phobias, Fears, and Anxieties, Third Edition
Copyright © 2008, 2000, 1989 by Ronald M. Doctor, Ph.D., and Ada P. Kahn, Ph.D.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means,
electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage or retrieval
systems, without permission in writing from the publisher. For information contact:
Facts On File, Inc.
An imprint of Infobase Publishing
132 West 31st Street
New York NY 10001
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Doctor, Ronald M. (Ronald Manual)
The encyclopedia of phobias, fears, and anxieties / Ronald M. Doctor, Ada P. Kahn, and Christine
Adamec.—3rd ed.
p. ; cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN-13: 978-0-8160-6453-3 (alk. paper)
ISBN-10: 0-8160-6453-9 (alk. paper)
1. Phobias—Dictionaries. 2. Fear—Dictionaries. 3. Anxiety—Dictionaries. I. Kahn, Ada P. II. Adamec,
Christine A., 1949–III. Title. IV. Title: Phobias, fears, and anxieties.
[DNLM: 1. Phobic Disorders—Dictionary—English. 2. Anxiety—Dictionary—English. 3. Fear—
Dictionary—English. WM 13 D637e 2008]
RC535.D63 2008
616.85′22003—dc22 2007015217
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CONTENTS
Preface v
Acknowledgments vii
Introduction: A Historical Overview of Phobias ix
Entries A to Z 1
Resources 519
Bibliography 529
Index 543
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PREFACE
This encyclopedia explores in depth diverse cultural in emphasis rather than psychological, in
aspects of phobias, fears, and anxieties. Infor- order to present a broad perspective. Some entries
mation on these subjects has developed along with concern esoteric manifestations of phobias but are
our knowledge of other areas of mental health. included for purposes of depth. Most of the known
Just as our understanding of the human psyche is technical names of specific phobias are defined and
far from complete, so too is our understanding of described to the extent that information is avail-
the origins and management of phobias, fears, and able from the literature of psychology and psychia-
anxieties. This second edition explores additional try. Entries range from descriptions of symptoms
life areas related to anxieties as well as many com- to explanations of treatments for the disorders,
plementary approaches. from some concepts of historical interest to some
This book deals with experiences we all have at self-help suggestions for phobic individuals.
times but that for some of us become a persistent The Encyclopedia of Phobias, Fears, and Anxieties is
and sometimes devastating problem. Although we intended for both lay readers and health-care pro-
don’t fully understand the causes of the problem, fessionals. We have tried to use easy-to-understand
or why some people are more susceptible to it than language without becoming overly simplistic, so
others, we have been more fortunate in treating that the book can be used by psychologists, social
phobias, fears, and anxieties. Behavioral thera- workers, teachers, and family members as well as
pies have been shown to be particularly effective, by individuals who are facing phobias, fears, or
and self-help techniques are flourishing. Drugs anxieties. To give the book an added usefulness
have also been useful, but the biochemical and for phobic individuals, we have carefully selected
physiological mechanisms underlying phobias, some self-tests and self-help suggestions (such as
fears, and anxieties are still only partially under- how to relieve a fear of flying). Our suggestions
stood. It is clear that anxiety and related disorders are general, but references are included for more
are much more than a physical or even behav- complete and specific self-help approaches in each
ioral response alone. The complex nature of the entry. Professionals will find this a convenient
problem confronts the clinician and researcher at reference guide for short descriptions of concepts
every turn. they want to explain to patients or clients, and for
In preparing the contents of The Encyclopedia details they may seek in the course of their own
of Phobias, Fears, and Anxieties, we were guided by writing, teaching, or counseling. For all who seek
several purposes. First, we wanted to be inclusive information to this field, we hope The Encyclopedia
rather than restrictive, and thus we were quite lib- of Phobias, Fears, and Anxieties will prove a valuable
eral in choosing entries. For example, some entries source of information not otherwise available in
(such as fears of voodoo, magic, etc.) are socio- one place.
v
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vi Preface
Space limitations have dictated conciseness; to sive force within. We hope that you, too, find it
assist readers seeking additional information, we enlightening.
have included in many entries references to relevant —Ronald Manual Doctor, Ph.D.
books and journal articles. We have also included Northridge, California
an extensive bibliography at the end of the book. —Ada P. Kahn, Ph.D.
Preparing this book has given us a deeper Evanston, Illinois
appreciation of humanity’s struggle with the elu-
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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
We appreciate the cooperation of the Ameri- Chicago; the library of the Institute for Psychoanal-
can Psychiatric Association for permitting ysis, Chicago; the Oviatt Library, California State
reproduction of instructive tables and charts. University, Northridge, California; the Wellcome
We thank many librarians in the reference Institute for the Study of the History of Medicine,
department of Rush North Shore Medical Center, London; and the library at the Maudsley Hospital,
Skokie, Illinois, and the Skokie Public Library for University of London, for their assistance.
their ongoing assistance in locating research mate- We thank Jennifer Welbourne, Rebecca
rials and obtaining data sources through the metro- Burkhardt, and Michelle Pellegrino for their assis-
politan Chicago area North Suburban Inter-library tance with research.
Loan Service, Wheeling, Illinois. Also, we thank —Ronald M. Doctor, Ph.D.
librarians in the Division of Library and Information Northridge, California
Management, American Medical Association, Chi- —Ada P. Kahn, Ph.D.
cago; the Northwestern University Medical Library, Evanston, Illinois
vii
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INTRODUCTION: A HISTORICAL
OVERVIEW OF PHOBIAS
Phobias are common in the United States and to avoid the feared object. Avoidance is a critical
throughout the world. An estimated 19.2 mil- marker for labeling a behavior as phobic.
lion adults over age 18 in the United States, or 9 Most phobics know that their extreme fears are
percent of the population, have experienced spe- irrational and may even seem silly, yet they con-
cific phobic reactions at some time in their lives. tinue to be transfixed by them, trapped and unable
Phobic objects, people, or situations are extremely to escape from them. However, today psychother-
variable, ranging from fear of large ferocious dogs, apy and medications can often ease the way for the
a phobia many people can understand, to other phobic person, greatly enhancing his or her life, at
phobias that most people find baffling, such as last largely freeing them from the emotional bonds
fear of gravity, fear of developing a fever, or fear that have held them captive.
of strangers. In addition, about 15 million adults Phobias are different from fears, in both their
(6.8 percent of the population) in any given year intensity and their importance in the person’s life.
suffer from social phobia, in which they avoid or Many experts have debated why people develop
feel anxious about interacting with others. About phobias. Some experts believe that phobias are
1.8 million people (less than 1 percent of the adult hardwired into the brain as evolutionary rudi-
population) have agoraphobia that is not associated ments (called prepared fears), while others believe
with panic disorder. Agoraphobia is often charac- they stem from unresolved conflicts in childhood
terized by individuals’ fear of leaving their homes or traumas. In some cases, the origin of a phobia
or safe areas, lest something dire occur to them. cannot be determined, even by a skilled therapist.
Whatever the phobia, the individual’s life is Talented therapists, though, should be able to pro-
often dominated by this intense fear, both at work vide considerable relief to most people suffering
(if the phobic person can work) and at home, and from phobias, even when they cannot ascertain the
it often makes life extremely difficult for both the initial source of the phobia.
phobic person and family members. For example, This introduction covers key theories about
the agoraphobic parent cannot attend parent- the origins of the term phobia, describes the dif-
teacher meetings or travel comfortably with their ference between fears and phobias, and discusses
family. The social phobic shuns social gatherings, some general theories about why phobias develop,
even those honoring a beloved spouse, and may as well as offering some newer theories that have
have difficulty writing checks in public. The indi- been advanced to explain phobias. In addition,
vidual with a specific phobia goes to great lengths a historical overview on views about phobias
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