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Common and Unique Phobias Explained

Phobias are an intense fear of something, like heights or certain animals, that causes significant distress. They're typically treated with therapy, medication, or a combination of both. A phobia is an irrational fear of something that's unlikely to cause harm. The word itself comes from the Greek word'phobos,' which means 'fear' or 'horror.' Hydrophobia, for example, literally translates to fear of water. When someone has a phobia, they experience intense fear of a certain object or situation. Phobias are different from regular fears because they cause significant distress, possibly interfering with life at home, work, or school. People with phobias actively avoid the phobic object or situation, or they endure it with intense fear or anxiety. In the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th edition (DSM-5), the American Psychiatric Association outlines several of the most common phobias. Agoraphobia, a fear of places or situations that trigger fear or helplessness, is singled out as a particularly common fear with its own unique diagnosis. Social phobias, which are fears related to social situations, are also singled out with a unique diagnosis. Phobias come in all shapes and sizes. Because there are an infinite number of objects and situations, the list of specific phobias is quite long. Types of phobias According to the DSM-5, specific phobias typically fall within five general categories: fears related to animals (spiders, dogs, insects) fears related to the natural environment (heights, thunder, darkness) fears related to blood, injury, or medical issues (injections, broken bones, falls) fears related to specific situations (flying, riding an elevator, driving) other (fear of choking, loud noises, drowning) These categories encompass an infinite number of specific objects and situations. There's no official list of phobias beyond what's outlined in the DSM-5, so clinicians and researchers create names for them as the need arises. This is typically done by combining a Greek (or sometimes Latin) prefix that describes the phobia with the – phobia suffix. For example, a fear of water would be named by combining 'hydro' (water) and 'phobia' (fear). There's also such a thing as a fear of fears (phobophobia). This is actually more common than you might imagine. People with anxiety disorders sometimes experience panic attacks when they're in certain situations. These panic attacks can be so uncomfortable that people do everything they can to avoid them in the future. For example, if you have a panic attack while sailing, you may fear sailing in the future, but you may also fear panic attacks or fear developing hydrophobia. List of phobias Studying specific phobias is a complicated process. Most people don't seek treatment for these conditions, so cases largely go unreported. These phobias also vary based on cultural experiences, gender, and age. Here's a look at some phobias that have been identified. A achluophobia fear of darkness acrophobia fear of heights aerophobia fear of flying agoraphobia fear of public spaces or crowds aichmophobia fear of needles or pointed objects ailurophobia fear of cats alektorophobia fear of chickens algophobia fear of pain amaxophobia fear of riding in a car androphobia fear of men anginophobia fear of angina or choking anthophobia fear of flowers anthropophobia fear of people or society aphenphosmphobia fear of being touched arachnophobia fear of spiders arithmophobia fear of numbers astraphobia fear of thunder and lightning ataxophobia fear of disorder or untidiness atelophobia fear of imperfection atychiphobia fear of failure autophobia fear of being alone B bacteriophobia fear of bacteria barophobia fear of gravity bathmophobia fear of stairs or steep slopes batrachophobia fear of amphibians belonephobia fear of pins and needles bibliophobia fear of books botanophobia fear of plants C cacophobia fear of ugliness catagelophobia fear of being ridiculed catoptrophobia fear of mirrors chionophobia fear of snow chromophobia fear of colors chronomentrophobia fear of clocks cibophobia fear of food claustrophobia fear of confined spaces coulrophobia fear of clowns cyberphobia fear of computers cynophobia fear of dogs D dendrophobia fear of trees dentophobia fear of dentists domatophobia fear of houses dystychiphobia fear of accidents E emetophobia fear of vomiting entomophobia fear of insects ephebiphobia fear of teenagers equinophobia fear of horses G gamophobia fear of marriage or commitment genuphobia fear of knees glossophobia fear of speaking in public gynophobia fear of women H heliophobia fear of the sun hemophobia fear of blood herpetophobia fear of reptiles hydrophobia fear of water hypochondria fear of illness I–K iatrophobia fear of doctors insectophobia fear of insects koinoniphobia fear of rooms full of people L leukophobia fear of the color white lilapsophobia fear of tornadoes and hurricanes lockiophobia fear of childbirth M mageirocophobia fear of cooking megalophobia fear of large things melanophobia fear of the color black microphobia fear of small things mysophobia fear of dirt and germs N necrophobia fear of death or dead things noctiphobia fear of the night nosocomephobia fear of hospitals nyctophobia fear of the dark O obesophobia fear of gaining weight octophobia fear of the number 8 ombrophobia fear of rain ophidiophobia fear of snakes ornithophobia fear of birds P papyrophobia fear of paper pathophobia fear of disease pedophobia fear of children philophobia fear of love phobophobia fear of phobias podophobia fear of feet pogonophobia fear of beards porphyrophobia fear of the color purple pteridophobia fear of ferns pteromerhanophobia fear of flying pyrophobia fear of fire Q–S samhainophobia fear of Halloween scolionophobia fear of school selenophobia fear of the moon sociophobia fear of social evaluation somniphobia fear of sleep T tachophobia fear of speed technophobia fear of technology thalassophobia fear of deep water tonitrophobia fear of thunder trypanophobia fear of needles or injections trypophobia fear of clustered patterns of holes U–Z venustraphobia fear of beautiful women verminophobia fear of germs wiccaphobia fear of witches and witchcraft zoophobia fear of animals Treating a phobia Phobias are typically treated with therapy, medication, or a combination of both: Exposure therapy. During exposure therapy, which is a type of cognitive behavioral therapy, you work with a psychologist to learn how to desensitize yourself to the object or situation that you fear. The goal is to improve your quality of life so that you're no longer hindered or distressed by your fear. Anti-anxiety medication. A doctor may recommend certain anxiety-reducing medications that can help you through exposure therapy. While these medications aren't exactly a treatment for phobias, they can help make exposure therapy less distressing. Other medications. A doctor might also prescribe beta-blockers and benzodiazepines to manage feelings of anxiety or panic. Takeaway Phobias are persistent, intense, and unrealistic fears of a certain object or situation. Specific phobias are related to certain objects and situations. They typically involve fears related to animals, natural environments, medical issues, or specific situations. While phobias can be extremely uncomfortable and challenging, therapy and medication can help. If you think you may have a phobia that's causing a disruption in your life, speak with a doctor for an evaluation and treatment options.