c. Hysterical Neurosis. In this type of neurosis, the individual loses emotional
control, or develops some physical symptoms, when there seems to be no underlying
cause for either. For example, student aviators have been found to develop vision
problems and hearing problems as well as partial numbness of the tongue although
there was no physical reason for such symptoms. The symptoms, examples of
hysterical neurosis, were unwittingly developed by the students as a defense
mechanism to a stressful situation. Physical illness gave the students an acceptable
way to stop flying. Just leaving the flight training program was obviously not acceptable
to these students.
d. Phobic Neurosis. A phobic neurosis is a persistent fear of some object or
situation that is no real danger to the person or a situation in which the person magnifies
a danger out of all proportion to reality. Phobic neuroses should not be confused with
normal fears. Most people have minor, irrational fears from time to time, but phobic
fears are intense and interfere with everyday activities. For example, people with
phobic fears may go to great lengths to avoid going into a small room or passageway
even when it is necessary for them to do so. Phobia sufferers often admit they have no
real reason to be afraid of an object or situation, but they say they cannot help
themselves. There are a wide range of symptoms of phobic fears. Included are the
following: tension headaches, back pains, stomach upsets, and dizzy spells. Acute
feelings of panic and feelings of unreality or strangeness often occur. Here is a list of
common phobic neuroses:
(1)
Acrophobia--fear of high places.
(2)
Agoraphobia--fear of open places.
(3)
Algophobia--fear of pain.
(4)
Astraphobia--fear of storms, thunder, and lighting.
(5)
Claustrophobia--fear of closed places.
(6)
Hematophobia--fear of blood.
(7)
(8)
Monophobia--fear of being alone.
(9)
Nyctophobia--fear of darkness.
(10) Ochlophobia--fear of crowds.
(11) Pathophobia--fear of disease.
(12) Syphilophobia--fear of syphilis.
MD0586
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