Unit 3. Fears and Phobias

Discussion point.

I. How afraid are you of the following:

Score 1 to 10 for each one, 1 being total calm and 10 being absolutely panic.

-Being stuck in the lift

-Standing on top of a tall building

-Being all alone in the middle of the countryside

-Flying in planes

-The dark

-Crowds

-Snakes

-Spiders

-Mice

-Violence

-Thunderstorms

-Public speaking

II. Conduct a group survey to find out what the most common fears and phobias are amongst your groupmates.

III. – What is a phobia?

- Can they be explained?

- Are they born out of bad experience or ignorance?

Vocabulary Development

IV. Highlight the following words and match these definitions to the words you highlighted:

phobia; airphobia; nosophobia; necrophobia; kleptophobia; hydrophobia; maniaphobia; phobophobia; claustrophobia; arachnophobia ;

1. fear of death or funerals ;

2. a strong and usually unreasonable fear and dislike;

3. fear of flying by plane;

4. fear of having mental disease;

5. fear of water;

6. fear of having any kind of phobia;

7. fear of thieves;

8. fear of spiders;

9. fear of confined space;

10) fear of catching any disease;

V. Which of the phobias mentioned in ex. IV have you experienced if you:

1. have to fly by plane?

2. see a big spider?

3. are stuck in a lift?

4. see a dead man?

5. have fallen overboard far from the seacoast and nearly drowned?

6. have been robbed several times?

Reading

VI. Read the following text and answer the questions given below: Fear is Necessary

Not only is fear a very normal emotion, but it is also an

essential emotion. To be totally without fear is to be in serious danger. Fear is an essential defence mechanism.

Fear is made up of an emotional feeling and a number of bodily changes. If we come face to face with a man wildly waving a hatchet we are likely to experience the emotion we describe as fear, and at the same time our hearts will start to race, our breathing will accelerate, and we may turn pale and sweat. We may experience an unpleasant sinking sensation in the stomach, weakness of the muscles, and trembling of the limbs. We may have a desire to micturate or vomit, and may in fact carry out some of these functions. These physical changes have been described as the ‘fight or flight phenomenon’, and they are the body’s preparation for either of these actions. An increased heart rate pumps more blood to the muscles, so they are ready for action. An increase in breathing ensures that more oxygen is available for the same use. Sweating makes it more difficult for us to be grabbed, while making our hair stand up would be protective if we were still well covered with hair. For human beings getting our hair erect is rather a waste of time, as unfortunately are other body changes that have been described. Weakness of the muscles and shaking is not much use for either fight or flight and neither are vomiting or micturating. It appears that for one reason or another the body’s mechanism to deal with emergencies sometimes goes wrong; and this is not confined to human beings. Other animals also become paralysed with fear and actually die from it.

(from ‘Fears and Phobias’ by Dr Tony Whitehead)

1. Why is fear a very normal emotion?

2. What does a frightened man experience?

3. What physical changes are described as the ‘fight or flight phenomenon’?

4. Can fear be so great that animals and people become paralysed with fear and actually can die from it? Provide some evidence.