WARM UP QUESTIONS 

 
1. What is phobia? 
2. What images spring to mind when you hear the word ‘phobia’? 
3. Are all phobias rational? 
4. Do you know anyone with phobia? 
5. Do you have any phobias? 
 
EXERCISE 1.  
Write the definition for the terminology given below.  
 
1.CACOMORPHOBIA _________________________________________________________________. 
2.GLOBOPHOBIA ____________________________________________________________________ 
3.BESIPHOBIA________________________________________________________________________ 
4.ANTROPOPHOBIA__________________________________________________________________ 
5.AUTOPHOBIA______________________________________________________________________ 
6.THANATOPHOBIA__________________________________________________________________ 
7.PANOPHOBIA_______________________________________________________________________ 
8.CYNOPHOBIA______________________________________________________________________ 
9.BANANAPHOBIA___________________________________________________________________ 
10.ACHIEVEMEPHOBIA______________________________________________________________ 
 
EXERCISE 2. 
Choose whether the sentence is True/False. 
 
1. People are self confident while facing the situations connected with their fears. 
2. Specialists consider phobias as the most common psychiatric disorder. 
3. Phobias affect 53% of population. 
4. People really often see phobia as something rational and extreme. 
5. In contrast to people suffering arachnophobia, people who do not enjoy spiders will avoid 
campings in forests. 
6. Phobias affect social contacts of people suffering from them, 
7. Agaraphobia is the fear of heights. 
 
 
Phobia List 
○ Ophidiophobia – The fear of snakes​.  
○ Acrophobia – The fear of heights​.  
○ Agoraphobia – The fear of open or crowded spaces​.  
○ Cynophobia – The fear of dogs​.  
○ Astraphobia – The fear of thunder/lightning  
○ Mysophobia – The fear of germs​or Bacterophobia. 
○ Aerophobia – The fear of flying​.  
○ Trypophobia – The fear of holes  
○ Carcinophobia – The fear of cancer​.  
○ Thanatophobia – The fear of death. 
○ Monophobia – The fear of being alone​.  
○ Atychiphobia – The fear of failure. 
○ Ornithophobia – The fear of birds. 
○ Aphenphosmphobia – The fear of intimacy​.  
○ Anthropophobia – The fear of people​.  
○ Autophobia – The fear of abandonment  
○ Gamophobia – The fear of commitment  
○ Hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia – The fear of long wor​ds 
○ Xenophobia – The fear of the unknown​. 
○ Vehophobia – The fear of driving​.  
○ Basiphobia – The fear of falling.  
○ Achievemephobia – The fear of success​.  
○ Theophobia – The fear of God  
○ Metathesiophobia – The fear of change​.  
○ Globophobia – The fear of balloons​.  
○ Androphobia – The fear of men​.  
○ Phobophobia – The fear of fear​.  
○ Philophobia – The fear of love​.  
○ Triskaidekaphobia – The fear of the number 13  
○ Emetophobia – The fear of vomiting  
○ Lepidopterophobia – The fear of butterflies  
○ Panophobia – The fear of everything 
○ Paraskevidekatriaphobia – The fear of Friday the 13th​.  
○ Somniphobia – The fear of sleep​.  
○ Koumpounophobia – The fear of buttons​.  
○ Bananaphobia – The fear of bananas 
○ Cacomorphobia – The fear of fat people​.  
○ Gerascophobia – The fear of getting old​. 
Social Anxiety Fact Sheet: What is Social Anxiety Disorder?
Symptoms, Treatment, Prevalence, Medications, Insight, Prognosis

Social Anxiety Disorder (social phobia) is the third largest mental health care problem in the world
today.

The latest government epidemiological data show social anxiety affects about 7% of the population at
any given time. The chances of developing social anxiety disorder at any time during the lifespan
stands slightly above 13%.

Definition
Social anxiety is the fear of social situations that involve interaction with other people. You could say
social anxiety is the fear and anxiety of being negatively judged and evaluated by other people. It is a
pervasive disorder and causes anxiety and fear in most all areas of a person's life.

Perceptions
People with social anxiety are many times seen by others as being shy, quiet, backward, withdrawn,
inhibited, unfriendly, nervous, aloof, and disinterested.
Paradoxically, people with social anxiety want to make friends, be included in groups, and be involved
and engaged in social interactions. But having social anxiety prevents people from being able to do
the things they want to do. Although people with social anxiety want to be friendly, open, and sociable,
it is fear that holds them back.

Triggering Symptoms
People with social anxiety usually experience significant distress in the following situations:

● Being introduced to other people

● Being teased or criticized
● Being the center of attention
● Being watched or observed while doing something
● Having to say something in a formal, public situation
● Meeting people in authority ("important people/authority figures")
● Feeling insecure and out of place in social situations ("I don’t know what to say.")
● Embarrassing easily (e.g., blushing, shaking)
● Meeting other peoples’ eyes
● Swallowing, writing, talking, making phone calls if in public

Insight
People with social anxiety typically know that their anxiety is irrational, is not based on fact, and does
not make rational sense. Nevertheless, thoughts and feelings of anxiety persist and are chronic (i.e.,
show no signs of going away). Appropriate active, structured, cognitive-behavioral therapy is the only
solution to this problem.
Seeking Help
Social anxiety, as well as the other anxiety disorders, can be successfully treated today. Social
anxiety treatment must include an ​active behavioral therapy group​, where members can work on their
"anxiety" hierarchies in the group, and later, in real-life situations with other group members. Social
anxiety is a ​
fully treatable condition​and can be overcome with effective therapy, work, and patience.

Therapy (Treatment)
Cognitive-behavioral therapy (=CBT) for social anxiety has been markedly successful. After the
completion of social anxiety-specific CBT, people with social anxiety disorder are changed. They now
live a life that is no longer controlled by fear and anxiety. The person with social anxiety disorder must
be compliant and do what is necessary to overcome this disorder.
National Institutes of Mental Health-funded studies report a very high success rate using cognitive
therapy with a behavioral therapy group.

Prognosis
Prognosis is markedly good. People completing CBT training report a high success rate, compared to
control groups. In the National Institute of Mental Health longitudinal studies, people continued to
report progress after CBT behavioral group therapy was over. Studies repeatedly indicate that
treatment compatibility is the key element in success. Using different terminology, the social anxiety
people who understand and follow the directions to be repetitive with the therapy report the most
positive changes in lessening anxious feelings and thoughts. Repetition and reinforcement of rational
concepts, strategies, and methods (and their implementation) is the key to alleviating social anxiety
disorder on a long-term basis.
People can and do overcome social anxiety if they stick with the cognitive strategies and pratically
apply them to their lives.

A Big Problem
Lack of professional and knowledgeable therapists is the biggest and most relevant problem to
overcoming social anxiety. While it can be done, and a vast amount of clinical and research evidence
supports this, overcoming social anxiety is difficult because of ​the scarcity of treatment facilities​for
people with this persistent anxiety disorder.

 
http://socialphobia.org/social-anxiety-disorder-definition-symptoms-treatment-therapy-medications-insight-prognosis 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Do You Have an Anxiety Disorder? Test Your Fear Level 

1. Question
Are you troubled by fear of objects/animals/situations where getting help or escaping may
seem difficult?
o Yes
​
o No
​
o Sometimes
​

2. Question
Do you feel queasy while climbing a tall ladder?
o Yes, the mere thought and I am shaking
​
o ​
Only if I look down
o ​
No
3. Question
Do you persistently worry about encountering specific objects, situations or animals, such as
spiders, snakes, lizards, heights, flying etc?
o ​
Not always, only when they are present
o ​
Yes
o ​
No
4. Question
Do you experience shortness of breath, sweaty palms and/or racing heart at a particular
situation/object for no apparent reason?
o No
​
o Yes
​
o Not always
​

5. Question
Do you avoid visiting neighbors or other people because you are afraid of seeing their dog?
o Sometimes, but I am okay if the dog is on a leash
​
o Yes
​
o No
​

6. Question
Do you refuse to attend a friend’s party because it is on the 25th floor of a building?
o ​
Only if I go near the ledge
o ​
Yes, what a horrible thought
o ​
No
7. Question
Have you been feeling disinterested in life or do you feel sad more often than not?
o Occasionally
​
o Yes
​
o No
​

8. Question
Are you unable to travel alone or sleep alone in the dark?
o Sometimes, mainly after watching a scary movie or reading a horror novel
​
o Yes, all the time
​
o No
​

9. Question
Does your fear cause problems with your loved ones in such a way that it affects your
relationship?
o Yes, all the time, they just do not understand
o No
o Sometimes my fears are laughed at and I dislike it

10. Question
Are any specific fears affecting your day to day life?
o Yes
​
o Sometimes
​
o No
​

11. Question
Are you so troubled at the thought of public speaking that you have turned down promotions
or jobs?
o ​
I am scared of it, but I manage to do an okay job
o ​
No
o ​
Yes
o
12. Question
Have you recently experienced changes in your sleeping or eating habits?
o ​
Yes, I am not sleeping and I worry all night
o ​
No
o ​
Sometimes when I have a stressful day ahead
13. Question
Have you been refusing invitations because you are afraid of embarrassing yourself?
o Yes, all the time
​
o No
​
o Sometimes
​

14. Question
Do you avoid promotions because they involve air travel?
o ​
I do fly, but I do not like it
o ​
Yes, I cannot bear the thought of flying
o ​
No

15. Question
Have these fears interfered with your performance at work or school?
o Yes
​
o No
​
o ​
On rare occasions

16. Question
Do you fear that your actions will embarrass you or that you will humiliate yourself in front
of others?
o Yes
​
o No
​
o Maybe
​
17. Question
Do you go to great lengths to avoid that feared situation?
o Sometimes
​
o Yes
​
o No
​
18. Question
Have you used alcohol, illegal substances or drugs recently, which caused problems at
work/school or with loved ones?
o Yes
​
o No
​
o Only on rare occasions
​
19. Question
Do you often feel sad, depressed or guilty?
o Yes
​
o It happens
​
o No
​

20. Question
Do you feel so anxious that your face turns red, your heart races and your voice cracks
because you feel people are staring at you?
o Yes​
​ , it is terrible
o No
​
o ​
Sometimes, but I do get by

“No”- 0 pkt
“Sometimes”- 1 pkt
“Yes”- 2 pkt

1-9 points​means that you could be suffering from a mild anxiety disorder. Anxiety is
very common and millions of people experience it daily, especially when it comes to
public speaking, presentations etc. There are many remedies and self-help
techniques for overcoming this and you will get better at overcoming your fear with
practice and gradual confrontation.

10+ points​indicate that you might have at least one phobia that greatly affects you
in certain situations. It could also be a fear towards an object. Your anxiety may lead
to a full blown panic attack that causes sweating, racing heart, dizziness and the
desire to flee or hide. If this is affecting your social relations or performance at work
or school, please seek help. Many therapies are available these days and you could
try self-help techniques like meditation and gradual desensitization to the situation or
object that triggers your fear.

https://www.fearof.net/anxiety-disorder-test-your-fear-level/ 
 
 
 
 
 
 
EXAM PRACTICE 
 
STUDENT A 
A phobia is a fear that is unreasonable in its degree or nature, yet is so powerful that the 
person with phobia tries to avoid the feared object or situation. They may also become 
extremely anxious, even panic-stricken, if forced to confront it. A person with phobia 
often becomes anxious simply at the thought of the feared object or situation. 
When a person fears one specific type of situation or object, it is called a specific phobia. 
A person may have more than one type of specific phobia. 
Fears include situations, such as small spaces and heights, natural phenomena such as 
storms and deep water, objects such as snakes and spiders, and things like blood or 
hypodermic syringes and needles. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
STUDENT B 
 

A winter's day  Don't talk of love, 

In a deep and dark December;  But I've heard the words before; 
I am alone,  It's sleeping in my memory. 
Gazing from my window to the streets  I won't disturb the slumber of feelings that 
below  have died. 
On a freshly fallen silent shroud of snow.  If I never loved I never would have cried. 
I am a rock,  I am a rock, 
I am an island.  I am an island. 
 
I've built walls, 
A fortress deep and mighty, 
That none may penetrate. 
I have no need of friendship; friendship 
causes pain. 
It's laughter and it's loving I disdain. 
I am a rock, 
I am an island.