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Complications
By Mayo Clinic staffHaving a phobia may cause other problems, including:
- Social isolation. If you have a phobia, you may find that you avoid social situations and public places. Financial, professional and interpersonal problems often result from social phobia and agoraphobia.
- Depression. The avoidance of many activities that other people find enjoyable in their personal and professional lives may lead you to become depressed.
- Substance abuse. Some people with phobias turn to alcohol or other drugs to deal with stress. This unwise and unhealthy choice can lead to abuse of alcohol or other drugs.
References
- Let's talk facts about phobias. American Psychiatric Association. http://healthyminds.org/multimedia/phobias.pdf. Accessed Oct. 31, 2008.
- Kendler KS, et al. A longitudinal twin study of fears from middle childhood to early adulthood: Evidence for a developmentally dynamic genome. Archives of General Psychiatry. 2008;65(4):421-429.
- Ciechanowski P, et al. Overview of phobic disorders in adults. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Oct. 31, 2008.
- Social phobia (Social anxiety disorder). National Institute of Mental Health. http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/social-phobia/index.shtml. Accessed Oct. 31, 2008.
- Anxiety disorders. National Institute of Mental Health. http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/anxiety-disorders/complete-publication.shtml. Accessed Oct. 31, 2008.
- Fava GA, et al. Long-term outcome of social phobia treated by exposure. Psychological Medicine. 2001;31:899-905.
- Agoraphobia. In: Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders DSM-IV-TR. 4th ed. Washington, D.C.: American Psychiatric Association, 1994. http://www.psychiatryonline.com. Accessed Oct. 31, 2008.
- Specific phobias. In: Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders DSM-IV-TR. 4th ed. Washington, D.C.: American Psychiatric Association, 1994. http://www.psychiatryonline.com. Accessed Oct. 31, 2008.
- Social phobia. In: Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders DSM-IV-TR. 4th ed. Washington, D.C.: American Psychiatric Association, 1994. http://www.psychiatryonline.com. Accessed Oct. 31, 2008.
- Mancini C. Social phobia in children and adolescents. Canadian Psychiatric Association. http://ww1.cpa-apc.org:8080/Publications/Archives/Bulletin/2001/May/Social.asp. Accessed Oct. 31, 2008.
- Bruce TJ, et al. Social anxiety disorder: A common unrecognized social disorder. American Family Physician. 1999;60(8):2311-2322.
