‘Phobia’ is an extreme or irrational fear of something. Scientists say that phobics realize their fear is irrational and not justified, but it cannot help. Mere sight or sound of an animal, object or any situation or event that is not all harmful can still trigger panic attacks and severe anxiety. It can be a spider in the wardrobe or a sight of blood in the hospital. Anxiety associated with such things starts as a conditioned reflex.
Do you know doctors have recognized more than 400 different phobias? So, now you will finally be able to know the reason behind seeing spiders meaning.
The source of phobia can be vast and unique. The exact cause of the phobia and the biological mechanism is unclear but psychologists and researchers have long assumed that phobias may be memories passed down through generations in DNA. So, if you fear water (hydrophobia), you may have inherited the experience of your ancestors.
Alexander the Great, Napoleon, Mussolini, and Hitler, all suffered from ailurophobia, the fear of cats.
What are the common and unique phobias?
According to the study published in the British Journal of Psychiatry, there are many fears that go unnoticed and unreported. Most people avoid them and don’t prefer treatment. Researchers revealed some common phobias that seem to affect a large number of people. However, there are some unique fears that are difficult to identify because they seem to affect only a handful of people and are very specific in nature.
The common phobias include fear of flying, fear of water, fear of snakes and spiders, fear of confined spaces, fear of heights, thunders, and flying. These unique fears include fear of beard, clouds, garlic, chickens, ice, and certain names.
There are hundreds of phobias but you will find that most of them fall into four major categories mentioned below. But, there are some unique and bizarre phobias that do not fit into one of these categories.
- Fears of a natural environment
Some people are found to fear certain places or situations that naturally occur. For example fear of forests (hylophobia), sea (thalassophobia), floods (antlophobia), thunder (astraphobia), lightning, etc.
- Fears of animals
One of the most common types of specific phobias is animal phobias which are fears related to chickens, dogs (cynophobia), bulls (taurophobia), insects, domestic and wild animals (agrizoophobia).
- Fears related to specific situations
People with situational phobias tend to avoid certain situations even if it hampers very important matters of life. For example, fear of flying (aerophobia), fear of being alone (autophobia) etc.
- Fears of certain medical issues or treatment
Phobics may experience fear of illnesses that require medical treatment or doctors who perform specific medical procedures. For example, fear of injections (trypanophobia), dental surgery (odontophobia), medicines (pharmacophobia) etc.
Related: 5 Powerful Ways To Help You Overcome Phobias And Irrational Fears
Here is the ultimate list of Phobias that will leave you surprised.
A
Ablutophobia –Fear of washing or bathing.
Acarophobia – Fear of itching or of the insects that cause itching.
Acerophobia – Fear of sourness.
Achievemephobia – The fear of success.
Achluophobia –Fear of darkness (common for kids).
Acousticophobia – Fear of noise.
Acrophobia – Fear of heights.
Aerophobia –Fear of drafts, air swallowing, or airbourne noxious substances.
Aerophobia – Fear of flying.
Aeronausiphobia – Fear of vomiting secondary to airsickness.
Agateophobia – Fear of insanity.
Agoraphobia – Fear of open spaces (small rooms, elevators) or crowds.
Related: Agoraphobia And The Ability To Conquer All
Agraphobia – Fear of sexual abuse.
Agrizoophobia – Fear of wild animals.
Agyrophobia – Fear of streets or crossing the street.
Aichmophobia – Fear of needles or pointed objects.
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Ailurophobia – Fear of cats.
Albuminurophobia – Fear of kidney disease.
Alektorophobia – Fear of chickens.
Algophobia – Fear of pain or something painful will happen.
Alliumphobia – Fear of garlic.
Allodoxaphobia – Fear of opinions, afraid of hearing what others are thinking of you.
Amathophobia – Fear of dust.
Amaxophobia – Fear of riding in a car.
Ambulophobia – Fear of walking.
Amnesiphobia – Fear of amnesia.
Amychophobia – Fear of scratches or being scratched.
Anatidaephobia – The fear of ducks. Somewhere, a duck is watching you.
Androphobia – Fear of men in young females and some adults.
Anemophobia – Fear of air drafts or wind.(Ancraophobia).
Anginophobia – Fear of angina, choking or narrowness.
Anglophobia – Fear of England or English culture, etc.
Anginophobia – Fear of angina or choking.
Angrophobia – Fear of anger or of becoming angry.
Ankylophobia – Fear of immobility of a joint.
Anthrophobia – Fear of flowers.
Anthropophobia – Fear of people or society
Antlophobia – Fear of floods.
Anuptaphobia – Fear of staying single.
Apeirophobia – Fear of infinity.
Apiphobia – Fear of bees.
Apotemnophobia – Fear of persons with amputations.
Aphenphosmphobia – Fear of being touched and loved.
Arachibutyrophobia – Fear of peanut butter.
Arachnophobia – Fear of spiders.
Arsonphobia – Fear of fire.
Arithmophobia – Fear of numbers and calculations.
Astraphobia – Fear of thunder and lightning.
Asthenophobia – Fear of fainting or weakness.
Astrophobia – Fear of stars or celestial space.
Asymmetriphobia – Fear of asymmetrical things.
Ataxiophobia – Fear of ataxia. (muscular incoordination).
Ataxophobia – Fear of untidiness.
Atelophobia – Fear of imperfection.
Atephobia – Fear of ruin or ruins.
Atomosophobia- Fear of atomic explosions.
Aulophobia – Fear of flutes.
Autodysomophobia – Fear of one that has a vile odor.
Automatonophobia – Fear of animatronic creatures and Human-Like Figures.
Automysophobia – Fear of being dirty.
Auroraphobia – Fear of Northern lights.
Aurophobia – Fear of gold.
Autophobia – Fear of solitude.
B
Ballistophobia – fear of missiles.
Bacteriophobia – Fear of bacteria.
Barophobia – Fear of gravity.
Bathmophobia – Fear of stairs or steep slopes.
Batrachophobia – Fear of amphibians.
Bananaphobia – The fear of bananas. If you have this phobia, they are scary.
Belonephobia – Fear of pins and needles.
Bibliophobia – Fear of books.
Botanophobia – Fear of plants.
Related: Your Guide To Overcoming Hyperhidrosis Or Nervous Sweating
C
Cacophobia – Fear of ugliness.
Cacomorphobia – Fear of fat people. Induced by the media. Affects some anorexics/bulimics.
Cancerophobia – Fear of cancer.
Catagelophobia – Fear of being ridiculed.
Cathisophobia – Fear of sitting.
Catoptrophobia – Fear of mirrors, Afraid of what you might see.
Cenophobia – Fear of empty spaces.
Chaetophobia – Fear of hair. Phobics tend to be afraid of other peoples hair.
Cherophobia – Fear of being too happy because “something tragic” will happen.
Chionophobia – Fear of snow.
Chrematophobia – Fear of money.
Chromophobia – Fear of colors.
Chronomentrophobia – Fear of clocks.
Chronophobia – Fear of time and future. A persistent fear of what is to come.
Cibophobia – Fear of or distaste for food.
Claustrophobia – Fear of confined spaces.
Climacophobia – Fear of falling downstairs. Some may refuse to walk or stand up.
Clinophobia – Fear of staying in bed.
Coulrophobia – Fear of clowns.
Daniel Radcliffe and Johnny Depp suffer from Coulrophobia
Coasterphobia – The fear of roller coasters.
Cremnophobia – Fear of cliffs and precipice.
Cyberphobia – Fear of computers.
Cynophobia – Fear of dogs ( small Poodles to large Great Danes ).
D
Dendrophobia – Fear of trees.
Dentophobia – Fear of dentists.
Didaskaleinophobia – Fear of going to school.
Disposophobia – Fear of getting rid of stuff triggers extreme hoarding.
Domatophobia – Fear of houses.
Dromophobia – Fear of crossing streets.
Dysmorphophobia – Fear of physical deformities.
Dystychiphobia – Fear of accidents.
Related : Do You Worry Too Much? Here’s What You Can Do
E
Ecophobia – Fear of the home.
Eleutherophobia – Fear of freedom.
Elurophobia – Fear of cats.
Entomophobia – Fear of insects.
Ephebiphobia – Fear of teenagers and young people.
Equinophobia – Fear of horses.
Eosophobia – Fear of dawn.
Ergasiophobia – Fear of work ( due to social or performance anxiety ).
Erotophobia – Fear of sex.
Erythrophobia – Fear of red lights or of blushing.
Euphobia – Fear of good news.
F
Francophobia – Fear of France or the French.
G
Gamophobia – Fear of marriage or being in a relationship.
Relationship: 8 Ways Your Fear and Insecurity Is Sabotaging Your Relationship
Genuphobia – Fear of knees.
Gerascophobia – Fear of growing old. Aging is the most natural thing, yet many of us fear it.
Gephyrophobia – The fear of bridges and crossing even the smallest bridge.
Globophobia – The fear of balloons. They should be fun, but not for phobics.
Glossophobia – Fear of speaking in public.
Related: The Fear of Public Speaking: Here’s How You Can Overcome It
Graphophobia – Fear of writing.
Gymnophobia – Fear of nudity.
Gynophobia – Fear of women.
H
Hamartophobia – Fear of sinning.
Haphephobia – Fear of touch.
Heliophobia – Fear of the sunlight.
Hemophobia – Fear of blood.
Herpetophobia – Fear of reptiles.
Hexakosioihexekontahexaphobia – Fear of the number 666 .
Hierophobia – Fear of sacred things.
Hippopotomonstrosesquipedaliophobia – Fear of Long Words ( Believe it or not, it’s real ).
Related: A Guide To Understanding The Fear Of Abandonment And Object Constancy
Hydrophobia – Fear of water or being near water ( Aquaphobia )
Hylophobia – Fear of trees often caused by exposure to films and fairy tales that involve scary woods in childhood.
Hypochondria – Fear of illness.
I
Iatrophobia – Fear of doctors.
Iconophobia – Fear or hatred of images.
Insectophobia – Fear of insects.
K
Kainotophobia – Fear of change.
Kenophobia – Fear of empty spaces.
Kinemortophobia – The fear of zombies. Being afraid that zombies attack and turn you into them
Koinoniphobia – Fear of rooms.
Koumpounophobia – Fear of clothes with buttons.
L
Leukophobia – Fear of the color white.
Lepidopterophobia – The fear of butterflies and often most winged insects.
Lilapsophobia – Fear of tornadoes and hurricanes.
Lockiophobia – Fear of childbirth.
Related: 5 Kinds Of Fear-Based Parenting Every Parent Should Steer Clear Of
M
Macrophobia – Fear of prolonged waiting.
Mageirocophobia – Fear of cooking.
Megalophobia – Fear of large things.
Melanophobia – Fear of the color black.
Metrophobia – Fear of poetry.
Microphobia – Fear of small things.
Myrmecophobia – The fear of ants. Phobics may feel just as intense.
Mysophobia – Fear of dirt and germs.
Myophobia – Fear of mice.
N
Necrophobia – Fear of death or dead things. Talking about death can be very hard for phobics.
Negrophobia – Fear of blacks.
Neophobia – Fear of novelty.
Noctiphobia – Fear of the night.
Nomophobia – Fear of being without your mobile phone or losing your signal.
Nosocomephobia – Fear of hospitals.
Novercaphobia – Fear of one’s stepmother.
Nyctophobia – Fear of the dark.
O
Obesophobia – Fear of gaining weight.
Octophobia – Fear of the figure 8.
Ommatophobia – Fear of eyes.
Ombrophobia – Fear of rain due to stormy weather causing severe anxiety attacks.
Omphalophobia – Fear of bellybutton. (Sufferers are afraid to touch their own or another person’s belly button. Because they associate belly button with umbilical cord and a mother’s womb).
Ophidiophobia – Fear of snakes and cities having more snakes.
Ornithophobia – Fear of birds (certain species).
P
Papaphobia – Fear of the pope and is very uncommon. closely related to fear of saints, holy individuals or sacred things.
Papyrophobia – Fear of paper.
Paraskevidekatriaphobia – The fear of Friday the 13th. About 8% of Americans have this phobia.
Pathophobia – Fear of disease.
Panophobia – Melancholia marked by groundless fears about everything.
Pedophobia – Fear of children or dolls.
Pistanthrophobia – Fear of trusting people due to bad past experiences.
Phasmophobia -The fear of ghosts. AKA Spectrophobia.
Philematophobia – Fear of Kissing.
Philophobia – Fear of falling in love.
Phobophobia – Fear of phobias.
Podophobia – Fear of feet. Some people fear touching or looking at feet, even their own.
Pogonophobia – Fear of beards (has been used since the 1850s).
Psychrophobia – Fear of the cold.
Porphyrophobia – Fear of the color purple.
Pteridophobia – Fear of ferns.
Pteromerhanophobia – Fear of flying.
Pyrophobia – Fear of fire.
S
Samhainophobia – Fear of Halloween ( affects children/superstitious people ).
Scelerophobia – The fear of crime involves being afraid of burglars, attackers or crime in general.
Scoleciphobia – The fear of worms. Often because of unhygienic conditions.
Scolionophobia – Fear of school.
Scoptophobia – Fear of being stared at.
Selenophobia – Fear of the moon.
Sociophobia – Fear of social evaluation.
Somniphobia – Fear of sleep (they associate going to bed with dying. It may also result from a feeling of lack of control or from suffering repeated nightmares).
Syngenesophobia – Fear of relatives.
T
Tachophobia – Fear of speed.
Taphophobia – The fear of being buried alive by mistake and waking up in a coffin underground.
Turophobia – Fear of cheese from cheddar to mozzarella.
Technophobia – Fear of technology (often induced by culture/religion).
Telephonophobia – The fear of talking on the phone. Phobics prefer texting.
Thalassophobia – The fear of the ocean. Water, waves and unknown spaces.
Tokophobia – The fear of pregnancy involves giving birth or having children.
Tonitrophobia – Fear of thunder.
Madonna suffers from brontophobia: a fear of thunders.
Triskaidekaphobia – The fear of the number 13 or the bad luck that follows.
Trypanophobia – Fear of needles/injections.
Trypophobia – Fear of Holes such as honeycombs (trypophobics associate holes with danger).
U
Uranophobia – Fear of heaven among people who fear the idea that they will be judged after life.
Urophobia – Fear of urine or urinating
V
Vaccinophobia – Fear of vaccination.
Venustraphobia – Fear of beautiful women due to unresolved mother issues.
Verminophobia – Fear of germs.
Virginitiphobia – Fear of rape.
Vitricophobia – Fear of stepfathers.
W
Walloonophobia – Fear of the Walloons (ethnic group native to Belgium).
Wiccaphobia – Fear of witches and witchcraft.
X
Xanthophobia – Fear of the colour yellow including the sun, daffodils, and yellow paint.
Xenophobia – Fear of strangers or foreigners.
Xenoglossophobia – Fear of foreign languages.
Y
Ymophobia – Fear of being contrary or contrariety in general.
Z
Zelophobia – Fear of jealousy.
Zemmiphobia – Fear of the great mole rat.
Zeusophobia – Fear of God or gods. Irrational fears of religion.
Zoophobia – Fear of animals.
References:
1. Torgersen, S., 1979. The nature and origin of common phobic fears. The British Journal of Psychiatry , 134 (4), pp.343-351. 2. Scholing, A. and Emmelkamp, P.M., 1990. Social phobia. In Handbook of social and evaluation anxiety (pp. 269-324). Springer, Boston, MA. 3. Merckelbach, H., de Jong, P.J., Muris, P. and van Den Hout, M.A., 1996. The etiology of specific phobias: A review. Clinical Psychology Review , 16 (4), pp.337-361. 4. Lindesay, J., 1991. Phobic disorders in the elderly. The British Journal of Psychiatry , 159 (4), pp.531-541. 5. Marks, I.M., 1986. Genetics of fear and anxiety disorders. The British Journal of Psychiatry , 149 (4), pp.406-418. 6. Tearnan, B.H. and Telch, M.J., 1984. Phobic disorders. In Comprehensive handbook of psychopathology (pp. 163-199). Springer, Boston, MA.
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