A modern conceptualization of phobia in al-Balkhi's 9th century treatise: Sustenance of the Body and Soul. (January 2016)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Awaad, Rania; Ali, Sara
• Is Part Of: Journal of anxiety disorders. Volume 37(2016:Jan.)
• Page Start: 89
• Page End: 93
• Publication Date: 2016-01
• Subjects: Anxiety -- Phobia -- Islamic history -- Islamic psychology -- Muslims -- DSM; Anxiety -- Periodicals; Anxiety Disorders -- Periodicals; Angoisse -- Périodiques; Electronic journals; 616.8522
• DOI: 10.1016/j.janxdis.2015.11.003
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0887-6185

Abstract

Highlights: Al-Balkhi was one of the earliest to conceptualize phobias as separate diagnostic entity. Al-Balkhi's description of phobias closely matches the DSM-5: a primary psychological disorder that sometimes manifests with physical symptoms. A behavior management therapy, similar to modern CBT, was suggested for treatment of phobias. The Islamic Golden Era (9th–12th centuries) contributed to the evolution of the field of mental health. Abstract: Morbid fears and phobias have been mentioned in religious, philosophical and medical manuscripts since ancient times. Despite early insights by the Greeks, phobias did not appear as a separate clinical phenomenon in Western medicine until the 17th century and has evolved substantially since. However, robust investigations attempting to decipher the clinical nature of phobias emerged in pre-modern times during the oft-overlooked Islamic Golden Era (9th–12th centuries); which overlapped with Europe's medieval period. An innovative attempt was made by the 9th century Muslim scholar, Abu Zayd al-Balkhi, in his medical manuscript "Sustenance of the Body and Soul, " to define phobias as a separate diagnostic entity. Al-Balkhi was one of the earliest to cluster psychological and physical symptoms of phobias under one category, "al-Fazaá", and outline a specific management plan. We analyze al-Balkhi's description of phobias, according to the modern understanding of psychiatric classifications and symptomatology as described in the DSM-5.