“Types of Phobias” plus 1 more nursing article(s): NursingCrib.com Updates
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| Types of Phobias Posted: 07 Mar 2011 06:32 PM PST 
- A phobia is an anxiety disorder characterized by obsessive, irrational, and intense fear of a specific object an activity, or a physical situation.
- The fear, which is out of proportion to reality, usually results from early painful or unpleasant experiences involving a particular object or situation.
- A phobia may arise from displacing an unconscious conflict on an object that is symbolically related.
Types of Phobias - Agoraphobia
- Fear of being in places or situations from which escape may be difficult or help may not be readily available.
- Social Phobia
- Also called Social Anxiety Disorder
- Characterized by persistent fear of appearing shameful, stupid or inept in the presence of others.
- Specific Phobia
- Also called Simple Phobia
- A persistent fear of a specific object or situation, other than of two phobias mentioned above.
- Sub-categories:
- Injury-blood-injection
- Situational
- Natural environment
- Animals
- Other (fear of costumed character, space, etc)
Risk Factors - Learning theory
- The belief that phobias are learned and become conditioned responses when the client needs to escape an uncomfortable situation.
- Cognitive theory
- Phobias are produced by anxiety-inducing self-instructions of faulty cognitions.
- Life experiences
- Certain life experiences, such as traumatic events, may set the sage for phobias later in life.
Signs and Symptoms - Withdrawal
- High levels of anxiety
- Inability to function and meet self-care needs
- Inappropriate behavior used to avoid the feared situation, object or activity
- Dysfunctional social interactions and relationships
Nursing Diagnoses - Anxiety
- Powerless
- Ineffective individual coping
- Impaired verbal communication
- Altered thought processes
- Self-esteem disturbance
- Impaired social interaction
- Risk for injury
Therapeutic Nursing Management - Systematic desensitization
- This process of gradual exposure to phobic object or situation aimed at decreasing the fear and increasing the ability to function in the presence of phobic stimulus.
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| Gestalt Therapy Posted: 07 Mar 2011 06:17 PM PST 
Definition Gestalt therapy is a form of psychotherapy, based on the experiential ideal of “here and now,” and relationships with others and the world. It is an existential or experiential form of psychotherapy that emphasizes personal responsibility. Gestalt therapy is used often to increase a client's self-awareness by putting the past to rest and focus on the present. History Gestalt therapy was originally developed by Frederick "Fritz" Perls, Laura Perls, and Paul Goodman in the 1940s. Perls believed that self-awareness leads to self-acceptance and responsibility for one's thoughts and feelings. Gestalt therapy rose from its beginnings in the middle of the 20th century to rapid and widespread popularity during the decade of the 1960s and early 1970s. During the 70s and 80s Gestalt therapy training centers spread globally, but they were, for the most part, not aligned with formal academic settings. Focus of the therapy The therapy focuses upon the individual’s experience in the present moment, the therapist-client relationship, the environmental and social contexts of a person’s life, and the self-regulating adjustments people make as a result of their overall situation. Goals that are encouraged to achieved by the patient during Gestalt Therapy - Identifying the person's action or becoming aware of what they are doing.
- Becoming aware of how they are doing a certain behavior.
- Learning how to change the behaviors that keeps him or her from achieving life goals.
- Accepting and valuing him or herself as a person.
- Emphasizes of what is being done, thought and felt at the present time rather than what might have been, should have been, was or might be. It FOCUSES on what is happening instead of on the subject being discussed.
Gestalt Techniques - Increasing the awareness of body language and of negative internal messages.
- Making a client speak continually in the present tense and in the first person to emphasize self-awareness.
- Creation of episodes by the therapist and diversions that clearly demonstrate a point rather that explaining in words.
- Asking the client to concentrate on a part of his or her personality or one emotion. The therapist would then ask the client to address it as if it were sitting by itself in the client's chair.
- To increase self-awareness the therapist often use this therapy by having then write and read letters, keep journals and perform other activities designed to put the past tp rest and focus on the present.
image courtesy of moondragon.org  |
