The subject of the paper is the presentation of simple phobias, with particular attention to those connected with natural environment, their classification according to ICD-10 and DSM-IV systems, current views on aetiology and pathogenesis of phobic fear, ... (Source: SafetyLit: All (Unduplicated))MedWorm Message: Get the very latest Swine Flu news via the MedWorm Swine Flu RSS news feed - updated hourly from thousands of authoritative health and news sources.

Authors: Gomes GM, Mello CF, da Rosa MM, Bochi GV, Ferreira J, Barron S, Rubin MA Polyamines, such as spermidine and spermine, have been reported to improve memory retention through the activation of N-methyl-d-aspartate receptors (NMDAr). However whether polyamine agonists and antagonists alter extinction remains unclear. In the current study, we investigated whether spermidine and polyamine antagonists that selectively block the NR2B subunit at the NMDAr alter the extinction of contextual conditioned fear in male Wistar rats. The bilateral intrahippocampal administration of exogenous spermidine (2 nmol/site) immediately after, but not 6 hours after extinction training, facilitated the extinction of fear conditioning. The injection of the NMDAr antagonists arcaine (0.2 nmol/site), ife...

Authors: Ollendick TH, Raishevich N, Davis Iii TE, Sirbu C, Ost LG Sociodemographic and psychological characteristics of 62 youth with animal and natural environment types of specific phobia were examined in a treatment-seeking sample. Differences due to age, sex, ethnicity, family structure, and family socioeconomic status were not found between youth with the two types of specific phobia. Moreover, differences were not obtained between the two groups in the clinical severity of their phobias, the perceived dangerousness of the feared outcomes associated with their phobias, the perceived levels of coping with their phobias, or overall fearfulness. However, differences between youth with the two types of specific phobias were found on somatic/anxious symptoms, depressive symptoms, and ...

Imagine a life controlled by fear and anxiety, where every movement is scrutinized and even the smallest decision is agonized over. Hours are spent examining daily tasks or situations that most people endure easily. (Source: Disabled World)

Phobias, such as the fear of flying, elevators or public speaking can disrupt people's lives. Dr. Jon LaPook talks with psychologist Robert Reiner about how to overcome these fears with the help of virtual reality. (Source: Health News: CBSNews.com)

This study investigated the alleged role of these UCS-expectancy biases in the maintenance of phobic complaints. First, this study sought to replicate these earlier findings in a community sample of high spider fearful individuals who applied for treatment (n = 60) and a sample of low spider fear controls (n = 30). Second, the present study tested if UCS-expectancies disappear following successful treatment and whether there were any differences between harm and contamination-related UCS expectancies in this respect. If contamination- and/or harm-related UCS-expectancy biases play a critical role in the maintenance of spider fear, these biases should be substantially reduced after successful treatment. The results showed that spider fearful individuals associated spiders relatively strongl...MedWorm Message: Get the very latest Swine Flu news via the MedWorm Swine Flu RSS news feed - updated hourly from thousands of authoritative health and news sources.

Abstract  Data from National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2005/2006 show that 32.7% of US adults are overweight (BMI 25.0–29.9), 34.3% are obese (BMI 30–39.9), and 5.9% are extremely obese (BMI ≥ 40). For the first time, the number of obese American adults is greater than those who are merely overweight. Negative attitudes and fat phobia toward the overweight exist not only in the general population, but also among health professionals including dietitians and dietetics students. The purpose of this study was to determine if fat phobia might be reduced among future professionals by putting students on a calorie-restricted diet for a short period. Forty dietetics and health promotion students enrolled in a university obesity course completed the Fa...

Homophobia is not an actual phobia, say Arkansas psychologists. In a recent study, they found that homophobia originates not out of fear -- as true phobias do -- but from feelings of disgust. They also found close associations between homophobic tendencies and concerns about contamination. (Am. Psychological Society, 9-Jun-2002) (Source: About.com Mental Health)

CONCLUSION: Specific phobias in intellectual disability can be treated with behavior therapy as well. However, the special needs of these people need to be considered. PMID: 20119654 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher] (Source: Der Nervenarzt)

(Emory University) Draw a map of the brain when fear and anxiety are involved, and the amygdala looms large. But scientists have now extended the brain's fear map to include the prelimbic cortex. Researchers found that mice lacking a critical growth factor in the prelimbic cortex have trouble remembering to fear electric shocks. The discovery could help improve diagnosis and treatment for anxiety disorders such as post-traumatic stress disorder and phobias. (Source: EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science)

Here's the polite version of a question I received recently about my support of mindfulness meditation as a practice for well-being in relationships:Why are you encouraging people to zone out? Sitting around pretending they're above it all, and avoiding real feelings? Who wants to be in a relationship with a self-involved bliss-ninny?Wow.There are an awful lot of misconceptions about mindfulness meditation. This one, about how people who meditate are just using it as a place to "hide out" by just getting zoned, escaping into some blissed-out, checked-out place, is why a lot of people mistakenly decide that meditation is useless, or worse.There are some merits to asking the question, though, because it's true that some people who meditate use it in ways which aren't beneficial, sometimes ma...MedWorm Message: Get the very latest Swine Flu news via the MedWorm Swine Flu RSS news feed - updated hourly from thousands of authoritative health and news sources.

Studying animals in behavioral experiments has been a cornerstone of psychological research, but whether the observations are relevant for human behavior has been unclear. Weill Cornell Medical College researchers have identified an alteration to the DNA of a gene that imparts similar anxiety-related behavior in both humans and mice, demonstrating that laboratory animals can be accurately used to study these human behaviors. The findings may help researchers develop new clinical strategies to treat humans with anxiety disorders, such as phobias and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)... (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)

CONCLUSIONS Several anxiety symptoms distinguished women with PCOS from a control group matched on BMI. A better understanding of the symptoms is needed to identify and alleviate anxiety symptoms in this vulnerable group. (Source: Human Reproduction)

Mental health professionals have shown that there are serious emotional disturbances (SED) among children as a result of Hurricane Katrina. The Category 3 storm ravaged the Gulf Coast in August 2005. Characteristics of SED include inappropriate behavior, depression, hyperactivity, eating disorders, fears and phobias, and learning difficulties. (Source: ScienceDaily Headlines)

(Virginia Tech) A team of mental health professionals, emergency response experts, and researchers has published the results of a study that shows serious emotional disturbances (SED) among children as a result of Hurricane Katrina. The Category 3 storm ravaged the Gulf Coast in August 2005. Characteristics of SED include inappropriate behavior, depression, hyperactivity, eating disorders, fears and phobias, and learning difficulties. (Source: EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science)

Conclusions  Anxiety and depressive disorders appear to differ with regard to risk constellations and temporal longitudinal patterns, and GAD is a heterogeneous disorder that is, overall, more closely related to other anxiety disorders than to depressive disorders. More work is needed to elucidate the potentially unique aspects of pathways and mechanisms involved in the etiopathogenesis of GAD. Grouping GAD with depressive disorders, as suggested by cross-sectional features and diagnostic comorbidity patterns, minimizes the importance of longitudinal data on risk factors and symptom trajectories. (Source: Archives of General Psychiatry)MedWorm Message: Get the very latest Swine Flu news via the MedWorm Swine Flu RSS news feed - updated hourly from thousands of authoritative health and news sources.

This study investigated whether the administration of L-theanine (Anxitane™), associated with a behavioral therapy, can attenuate signs of specific noise phobias in dogs (). (Source: Journal of Veterinary Behavior: Clinical Applications and Research)

The connection between phobias and fetishes.  (Source: Psychology Today)

RESEARCHERS have found a drug-free way to block terrifying memories and phobias, ranging from a fear of spiders to full-blown post-traumatic stress disorder. (Source: Scotsman.com News - Health)

Conclusion This study has illustrated that it may be possible to ‘overwrite’ fearful memories; however, there are a large number of limitations to this conclusion: The fearful memories assessed in this study were developed in a laboratory setting and related to a mild electrical shock. They may not be representative of real-life fears, particularly those developed from a very traumatic experience. It is not yet clear how these techniques could be adapted for use in people with actual phobias or post-traumatic stress disorder. In this experimental situation the fear-inducing event, that is the shock, was paired with an associated image, and then the shocks removed during memory extinction. With some phobias, for example fear of spiders, it is not clear how the fear-provoking even...