Editing Specific phobia (section)

=== Pharmacotherapeutics ===
As of late 2020, there is limited evidence for the use of pharmacotherapy in the treatment of specific phobia. Pharmacological treatments are typically used in combination with behaviorally-focused psychotherapy, as introducing pharmacological interventions independently may result in relapsing of symptoms.<ref name=":4">{{cite book | vauthors = Reus VI | chapter = Anxiety Disorders |date=2018 |url= http://accessmedicine.mhmedical.com/content.aspx?aid=1177607751| title = Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine| veditors = Jameson JL, Fauci AS, Kasper GL, Hauser SL |edition=20|place=New York, NY|publisher=McGraw-Hill Education|access-date=2021-11-29}}</ref>
The [[Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor|selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors]] (SSRIs), [[paroxetine]] and [[escitalopram]], have shown preliminary efficacy in small randomized controlled clinical trials.<ref name="Katzman_2014">{{cite journal | vauthors = Katzman MA, Bleau P, Blier P, Chokka P, Kjernisted K, Van Ameringen M, Antony MM, Bouchard S, Brunet A, Flament M, Grigoriadis S, Mendlowitz S, O'Connor K, Rabheru K, Richter PM, Robichaud M, Walker JR | display-authors = 6 | title = Canadian clinical practice guidelines for the management of anxiety, posttraumatic stress and obsessive-compulsive disorders | journal = BMC Psychiatry | volume = 14 | issue = Suppl 1 | pages = S1 | date = 2014 | pmid = 25081580 | pmc = 4120194 | doi = 10.1186/1471-244X-14-S1-S1 | doi-access = free }}</ref> However, these trials were too small to show any definitive benefits of [[anxiolytic]] medication alone in treating phobia.<ref name=":0">{{cite journal | vauthors = Baldwin DS, Anderson IM, Nutt DJ, Allgulander C, Bandelow B, den Boer JA, Christmas DM, Davies S, Fineberg N, Lidbetter N, Malizia A, McCrone P, Nabarro D, O'Neill C, Scott J, van der Wee N, Wittchen HU | display-authors = 6 | title = Evidence-based pharmacological treatment of anxiety disorders, post-traumatic stress disorder and obsessive-compulsive disorder: a revision of the 2005 guidelines from the British Association for Psychopharmacology | journal = Journal of Psychopharmacology | volume = 28 | issue = 5 | pages = 403–439 | date = May 2014 | pmid = 24713617 | doi = 10.1177/0269881114525674 | s2cid = 28893331 | url = https://tud.qucosa.de/api/qucosa%3A35384/attachment/ATT-0/ }}</ref> [[Benzodiazepine]]s are occasionally used for acute symptom relief, but have not been shown to be effective for long-term treatment.<ref name=":0" /> There are some findings suggesting that adjuvant use of the NMDA receptor partial agonist, [[d-cycloserine]], with virtual reality exposure therapy may improve specific phobia symptoms more than virtual reality exposure therapy alone. As of 2020, studies on the use of adjunct d-cycloserine are inconclusive.<ref name=":0" />