Abstract
Jane was a 20-year-old college student whose graduation was in doubt because she was too fearful to perform mandatory dissections in a required biology class. When merely thinking about “cutting up animals,” Jane experienced palpitations, breathlessness, nausea, and goosebumps. Michael was a 48-year-old journalist whose health was jeopardized because he was intensely fearful when being examined by physicians, dentists, or nurses. Michael avoided medical and dental settings steadfastly, and he experienced intense fear accompanied by lowered heart rate, lowered blood pressure, and fainting when avoidance was not possible. Kathy was a 29-year-old retail saleswoman whose livelihood was threatened by an intense fear of black men. She was too fearful to work alone, and she avoided all places in which black men might be encountered. Jane, Michael, and Kathy all suffered from a specific anxiety disorder called simple phobia.
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McGlynn, F.D. (1994). Simple Phobia. In: Hersen, M., Ammerman, R.T. (eds) Handbook of Prescriptive Treatments for Adults. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4899-1456-9_9
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