The A to Z of Phobias, Fears, and Anxieties (Concise Encyclopedia) (Library of Health and Living)

More than 2,000 entries on all aspects of phobias, fears, and anxieties.

An estimated 19.2 million adults in the United States have experienced some form of phobia, ranging from the common fear of large dogs to the unusual fear of gravity, fear of developing a fever, or fear of strange people. Anxiety disorders are the most common form of mental illness in the U.S., afflicting approximately 13.3 percent of all adults. Although phobias and anxiety disorders can be devastating, there are many effective treatments and therapies that can lead to successful outcomes.

The A to Z of Phobias, Fears, and Anxieties covers all aspects of these mental disorders, from the mildest to the severest. More than 2,000 up-to-date entries explain all aspects of this topic, from defining anxieties, fears, and phobias to specific types of phobias, and from causes and symptoms to treatments. An introduction provides a historical overview of the subject, and an appendix includes a helpful directory of resources.

Entries include:

• Affective disorders
• Basic anxiety
• Childhood anxieties, fears, and phobias
• Encounter group therapy
• General adaptation syndrome
• Implosion/implosive therapy
• Light therapy
• Multimodal behavior therapy
• Panic, panic attacks, and panic disorder
• Trauma
• and more.

Ronald M. Doctor, Ph.D., is a professor in the Department of Psychology at California State University in Northridge. Ada P. Kahn holds a Ph.D. in public health and is the author of The Encyclopedia of Mental Health, Third Edition and The Encyclopedia of Stress and Stress-Related Diseases, Second Edition. She lives in Illinois. Christine Adamec is a medical writer with more than two dozen books and numerous medical articles to her credit. She has written The A to Z of Addictions and Addictive Behaviors for Facts On File and Checkmark Books. She lives in Florida.