Read the passage and answer the following question:
Raunak always used to dislike and be afraid of reptiles. Once he was trying to wear his shoes when a lizard jumped out of it. Since then he started getting scared of lizards all the more. He could not control his fear when he saw a snake in his garden. His heart started pounding, he was sweating badly, he even fainted once when someone told him that there is a lizard under his chair. The very thought of any of these reptiles generates in him an extreme level of fear. His mother took him to a doctor, who suggested that Raunak should meet a psychotherapist.
On the basis of above case study, identify the disorder Raunak might be suffering from
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 3
The correct answer is Option (3) → Phobia
Option (1) Generalised anxiety disorder — Incorrect. GAD consists of prolonged, vague, unexplained and intense fears that are not attached to any particular object, with constant worry and motor tension. Raunak’s fear is tied to one clear object, reptiles.
Option (2) Separation anxiety disorder — Incorrect. SAD is fear and anxiety about separation from attachment figures, such as a child who cannot bear to be away from the parents. Raunak’s fear has nothing to do with being separated from anyone.
Option (3) Phobia — Correct. People who have phobias have irrational fears related to specific objects, people, or situations; an intense fear of a certain type of animal is a specific phobia, the most common type. Raunak’s fear of lizards and snakes is out of proportion to any danger, and even the thought of them brings on an extreme level of fear.
Option (4) Obsessive compulsive disorder — Incorrect. OCD means being unable to stop a particular thought or a repeated act, such as counting, checking or washing. Raunak shows no such thought or ritual; he shows fear.
NCERT (2025-26): “Anxiety Disorders … They include generalised anxiety disorder, which consists of prolonged, vague, unexplained and intense fears that are not attached to any particular object.…” “Anxiety Disorders … You might have met or heard of someone who was afraid to travel in a lift or climb to the tenth floor of a building, or refused to enter a room if s/he saw a lizard. You may have also felt it yourself or seen a friend unable to speak a word of a well-memorised and rehearsed speech before an audience. These kinds of fears are termed as phobias. People who have phobias have irrational fears related to specific objects, people, or situations. Phobias often develop gradually or begin with a generalised anxiety disorder. Phobias can be grouped into three main types, i.e. specific phobias, social phobias, and agoraphobia. Specific phobias are the most commonly occurring type of phobia. This group includes irrational fears such as intense fear of a certain type of animal, or of being in an enclosed space.…” |