Index IntroductionUnderstanding Specific PhobiasTreating Thunderstorm PhobiasConclusionWorks CitedIntroductionYou've probably heard of common phobias like claustrophobia; fear of enclosed spaces, fear of thunderstorms or arachnophobia; fear of spiders which causes anxiety and panic attacks. According to the Diagnostic Statistical Manual Volume 5 (DSM-V), a specific phobia is defined as a marked fear or anxiety about a specific object or situation. The criteria for meeting a specific phobia are as follows: the phobic object or situation almost always causes an immediate fear or anxiety that is disproportionate to the actual danger posed by the specific object or situation, the object or situation phobic is endured with intense fear and anxiety, causes clinically significant distress or impairment in social, occupational, or other important areas of functioning that typically lasts 6 months or more (American Psychiatric Association, 2013, p. 197). Furthermore, according to the DSM-V, the disorder is not better explained by symptoms of another mental disorder, including fear, anxiety, and avoidance of situations associated with panic-like symptoms (American Psychiatric Association, 2013, p. 198). An individual suffering from a specific phobia may experience problems as it interferes with many aspects of their life and can make them feel anxious, lonely, embarrassed or scared. Fortunately, there are effective treatment methods to reduce anxiety and fear and help people manage their reactions to the objects of their phobia. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay Understanding Specific Phobias Some individuals fear their surroundings even though the phobia is limited to a specific feature of that environment, such as thunderstorms or altitude. As stated in the article The Role of Hypnosis in Psychiatry, Part 6: Treatment of Specific Phobias: Natural Environment Type, Blood Injection Type, Injury, and Other Types by David Kraft, "Some patients remain homebound for periods of time and this can lead to actual agoraphobia” (p. 3, 2016). Many people who suffer from natural environment phobia develop safety behaviors to limit the possibility of experiencing the feared stimulus. These avoidant behaviors tend to become more complex over time if left untreated and the individual may develop anxiety disorders in which he avoids places or situations that cause panic (Kraft, 2016 Treatment of thunderstorm phobias Michael Heap (as cited by Kraft, 2016), has succeeded successfully treated a 47-year-old individual who had a lifelong fear of thunderstorms. This case study shows how a patient's ability to experience the feared event can play a significant role in the treatment process (Kraft, 2016). ). This process of counterconditioning is known as systemic desensitization, in which a patient is exposed to anxiety-provoking stimuli and taught relaxation techniques. If there are two competing emotions, the stronger inhibits the weaker, and relaxation training is done with imagery or video to make the fear weaker and the relaxation stronger. As Kraft writes, "Yet, he had a sense that he was actually experiencing a thunderstorm, and even felt a 'cooling sensation' that signified a drop in temperature as the storm progressed" (p. 3). During the initial stages of this patient's treatment, it was discovered that she had matched her fear of thunderstorms to the sound of bombs during the Blitz War. These sounds brought feelings of loneliness and fear or abandonment.