In simple words: A phobia is a strong, unreasonable fear of something that is unlikely to cause harm.This fear can be so intense that it interferes with work, social life, and relationships. Physical symptoms like a racing heart, sweating, and trouble breathing are common when faced with the feared object or situation.

Phobic anxiety disorders are characterized by persistent, intense fear of specific objects, activities, or situations.These fears are excessive and unreasonable, and individuals often recognize their irrationality.Exposure to the feared stimulus provokes immediate anxiety, potentially including panic attacks.Individuals actively avoid the phobic stimulus, which can significantly disrupt daily life.

Example 1: A patient experiences intense fear and panic attacks in enclosed spaces, like elevators, leading to avoidance behaviors and impacting their ability to work in a multi-story building. This is indicative of claustrophobia, coded as F40.0., A child exhibits extreme fear and crying when encountering dogs, refusing to go to parks or visit friends with pets, significantly limiting their social interactions. This suggests a specific animal phobia (dogs), coded as F40.2., An individual experiences overwhelming anxiety and physical symptoms when anticipating or attending social events, leading to social isolation and impacting their personal and professional life.This aligns with social anxiety disorder (social phobia), which would be coded as F40.10.

Documentation should include: detailed patient history including onset, duration, and severity of symptoms; triggers and specific phobic stimuli; impact on daily life and functioning; presence of avoidance behaviors; associated symptoms like panic attacks; mental status examination findings; and details of any prior treatment.