The clip begins with a psychologist explaining the difference between specific phobias (irrational and excessive fear of a single thing or experience)...
The clip begins with a psychologist explaining the difference between specific phobias (irrational and excessive fear of a single thing or experience) and social phobias (fear of humiliation or negative feedback in a social situation). It is explained that we used to think phobias resulted from a single negative experience such as being bitten by a dog or trapped in an elevator. Psychologists now know that a combination of heredity, environmental experience and cognition come together to produce phobias. The clip also defines Generalized Anxiety Disorder, which is characterized by almost continual high arousal levels. The clip ends with a discussion on Panic Disorder. Panic Disorder can be triggered by 'overvigilance' to one's physiology, which then leads to catastrophic thinking. This, in turn, increases the originally distressing physiological systems.