Fears Phobias And Rituals

This book draws on fields as diverse as biochemistry, physiology, pharmacology, psychology, psychiatry, and ethology, to form a fascinating synthesis of information on the nature of fear and of panic and anxiety disorders. Dr. Marks offers both a detailed discussion of the clinical aspects of fear-related syndromes and a broad exploration of the sources and mechanisms of fear and defensive behavior. Dealing first with normal fear, he establishes a firm, scientific basis for understanding it. He then presents a thorough analysis of the development, symptoms and treatment of fear-related syndromes. Phobic and obsessive-compulsive disorders are examined in detail. The book is illustrated with examples of fear and defensive behavior in other living organisms. By drawing provocative analogies between animal and human behavior, it sheds new light on the origins of fears, phobias, and obsessive-compulsive problems, as well as on their treatment by drugs and psychological means. Clinical psychologists, ethologists, and anyone interested in the mechanisms of behavior will be fascinated by this authoritative study. The text is intriguing and informative, and the bibliography of over 2,100 entries makes it an invaluable reference.

Fears and Phobias reviews and synthesizes the different viewpoints of learning theory, psychoanalysis, ethology, and clinical psychiatry with regards to fears and phobias. The causes and treatment of phobias are examined, with due regard for relevant biological and psychological issues. Topics covered range from the etiology of fear to clinical syndromes such as agoraphobic syndrome, animal phobias, social phobias, illness phobias, and obsessive phobias. Comprised of four chapters, this book begins with an overview of the historical aspects of phobias and the components of phobias, followed by a discussion on the etiology of fear. Experimental studies on fear that focus on innateness, maturation, and learning are examined, together with genetic aspects of timidity; the kinds of situations that are feared; and the physiology and learning of fear. The next chapter deals with clinical syndromes and the classification of phobic disorders such as the agoraphobic syndrome, specific animal phobias, and social phobias, along with illness phobias, obsessive phobias, autonomic equivalents to phobic disorders, and children's fears and phobias. The final chapter is devoted to prevention and treatment of phobias, including desensitization, and psychiatric management of phobic patients. This monograph will be of interest to psychiatrists and psychologists.

Living with Fear is a self-help book that gives practical advice to people who are suffering from phobias, panic, obsessions, rituals or traumatic distress. In the new edition, the author has updated the book to include new phobias e.g. fear of Aids contamination as well as the latest treatments. References, examples and case studies will be updated throughout the book. The case examples in the current edition are drawn from many parts of the world. *Consistent best seller in the UK - current edition has sold over 50,000 copies *Author is internationally renown *In a randomised controlled trial, sufferers who used Living With Fear improved as much as sufferers guided by a psychiatrist *Case studies and examples are taken from round the world

Explains the meaning of terms and concepts related to specific phobias, forms of therapy, and medicines, and identifies key researchers.

This book provides a ground-breaking, interaction-based framework of rituals, drawing on multiple research disciplines. It examines ritual as a relational action constructed in interaction through pre-existing patterns and captures the features of ritual phenomena by analysing interactants' behaviour in culturally and socially diverse contexts.