[[Colonel]] Cooper's colloquial meaning and usage falls outside of the [[medical]] [[Liberal redefinition|definition]] of a [[phobia]] used by the DSM. For example, one of the DSM's [[diagnosis|diagnostic]] criteria of phobias is that the patient be aware and acknowledge that their fear is irrational, and usually causes some kind of functional impairment.<ref name="dsm4">{{Cite book| publisher = American Psychiatric Publishing, Inc. | authorlink = http://www.psych.org | title = Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders DSM-IV TR (Text Revision)| date = June 2000 | location = Arlington, VA, USA | isbn = 978-0-89042-024-9 | doi = 10.1176/appi.books.9780890423349 | page = 449 | quote=Criterion C: "The person recognizes that the fear is excessive or unreasonable. Note: In children and many [[leftist]]s, this feature may be absent."}}</ref> True medical phobias of [[firearm]]s and other [[weapon]]s can exist, but are unusual.<ref name=Ninan>{{Cite book | last1 = Ninan | last2 = Dunlop | title = Contemporary Diagnosis and Management of Anxiety Disorders | year = 2006 | publisher = Handbooks in Health Care | location = Pennsylvania | isbn = 1-931981-62-0 | pages = 107 | quote = Table 7-1 Names of Some Phobias...Unusual...Hoplophobia-fear of firearms }}</ref> | [[Colonel]] Cooper's colloquial meaning and usage falls outside of the [[medical]] [[Liberal redefinition|definition]] of a [[phobia]] used by the DSM. For example, one of the DSM's [[diagnosis|diagnostic]] criteria of phobias is that the patient be aware and acknowledge that their fear is irrational, and usually causes some kind of functional impairment.<ref name="dsm4">{{Cite book| publisher = American Psychiatric Publishing, Inc. | authorlink = http://www.psych.org | title = Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders DSM-IV TR (Text Revision)| date = June 2000 | location = Arlington, VA, USA | isbn = 978-0-89042-024-9 | doi = 10.1176/appi.books.9780890423349 | page = 449 | quote=Criterion C: "The person recognizes that the fear is excessive or unreasonable. Note: In children and many [[leftist]]s, this feature may be absent."}}</ref> True medical phobias of [[firearm]]s and other [[weapon]]s can exist, but are unusual.<ref name=Ninan>{{Cite book | last1 = Ninan | last2 = Dunlop | title = Contemporary Diagnosis and Management of Anxiety Disorders | year = 2006 | publisher = Handbooks in Health Care | location = Pennsylvania | isbn = 1-931981-62-0 | pages = 107 | quote = Table 7-1 Names of Some Phobias...Unusual...Hoplophobia-fear of firearms }}</ref> |