Index
These disorders can produce a feeling of anxiety simply when thinking about the object or situation that causes them.
In younger children, parents may observe them crying, or trying to hide behind a parent’s legs or an object.
Classification of phobias
Phobias are generally classified into the following types:
According to the causes
Specific phobias
These generally develop in infancy before 4 to 8 years of age.
In many cases, it is the result of a traumatic experience at a young age.
For example, claustrophobia develops after a child experiences an unpleasant episode within a confined space.
These phobias are generally associated with animals, the environment, the body, and certain situations.
Complex phobias
These phobias manifest themselves especially during adulthood. Complex phobias are believed to be caused by a combination of life experiences, genetics, and brain chemistry .
They can also be an echo of the habits of early humans, remnants of a time when some unknown factors generally posed a much greater threat to personal safety than in today’s world.
They are complex phobias and some examples include agoraphobia and social phobia.
According to the feared circumstances
Among the main phobias in the world, the most common types of phobias can be described:
- Arachnophobia: it is the fear of spiders, it affects women four times more than men.
- Ophidiophobia: it is a phobia of reptiles such as snakes or vipers.
- Acrophobia: it is the terror of being in high places. Five percent of the general population suffers from this phobia.
- Agoraphobia: it is the fear of open or crowded spaces. People with this fear often do not leave the house.
- Cinophobia: it is an exaggerated fear of dogs. This includes everything from small poodles to a Great Dane.
- Astraphobia: it is an extreme fear of storms, thunder, lightning and the noise they produce.
- Claustrophobia: is the fear of small spaces such as elevators, small rooms and other closed spaces.
- Misophobia: it is the fear of becoming infected or being in contact with germs such as viruses, fungi and bacteria. It is also called as Germophobia or Bacterophobia.
- Aerophobia: it is the fear of rising or flying.
- Trypophobia: the fear of a group of small holes, it is a strange, but quite common phobia.
- Carcinophobia: it is the fear of contracting a disease such as cancer. People who suffer from this phobia develop extreme diets.
- Thanatophobia: it is a fear of death and everything that is linked to it. Even talking about death can be difficult for these individuals.
- Glossophobia: the fear of speaking in front of a group of people.
- Monophobia: it is the fear of loneliness or being alone. Even while eating or sleeping.
- Atichiphobia: it is the fear of failing or failing. It is the biggest barrier to success.
- Ornithophobia: it is the fear of flying birds like birds.
- Alektorophobia: it is the fear of poultry such as chickens.
- Enochlophobia: it is the fear of crowds, it is closely related to demophobia.
- Aphenphosphobia: is the fear of intimacy or physical contact. Fear of being touched.
- Trypanophobia: it is the fear of medical procedures and especially of needles.
- Anthropophobia: it is the fear of people in all situations.
- Aquaphobia: is the fear of water or being near water.
- Autophobia: it is the fear of abandonment and being abandoned by someone.
- Hemophobia : it is the fear of blood, seeing it can cause fainting.
- Gamophobia: it is the fear of commitment or committing to someone until the end.
- Hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia: it is suspicion or apprehension of very long words.
- Xenophobia: it is the fear of the unknown, anything that is strange.
- Vehophobia: it is the fear of driving. This phobia affects personal and work life.
- Basiphobia: it is the fear of walking or standing upright.
- Achievemephobia: it is the fear of success.
- Theophobia: it is the fear of gods or religions, it causes an irrational fear of God.
- Ailurophobia: it is the terror or apprehension that cats cause. This phobia is also known as Catphobia.
- Metatesiophobia: it is the panic of changes.
- Globophobia: is the apprehension of balloons.
- Nyctophobia: it is the panic that some people have in the dark or at night.
- Androphobia: it is the fear of male subjects. It is usually seen in younger women, but it can affect adults as well.
- Phobophobia: it is the fear of fear. The idea of being afraid of objects and situations.
- Philosophobia: it is the fear of love, fear of falling in love or having emotions.
- Triscaidecaphobia: it is the fear of the number 13 or the bad luck that follows.
- Emetophobia: is the fear of regurgitation or vomiting.
- Gephyrophobia: it is the fear of bridges and crossing even the smallest bridge.
- Entomophobia: it is the fear of insects, it is related to Acarphobia.
- Lepidopterophobia: is the fear of butterflies and often most winged insects.
- Panophobia: it is the fear of everything or fear of terrible things happening.
- Podophobia: it is a fear of the feet. Some people fear touching or looking at their feet, even their own.
- Paraskevidekatriaphobia: it is the fear of everything associated with Friday the 13th.
- Somniphobia: it is the fear of sleep. Being terrified of what might happen right after you fall asleep.
- Gynophobia: it is the fear of people of the female sex. It can happen if you have unresolved problems with the mother.
- Apiphobia: it is the fear that one feels towards bees.
- Koumpounofobia: it is a phobia of buttons and buttoning. Clothing with buttons is avoided.
- Anatidaephobia: it is a fear of swans, ducks or any water bird.
- Pyrophobia: it is a fear of fire. A natural and primal fear that can be debilitating.
- Ranidaphobia: it is a terror of toads.
- Athazagoraphobia: it is the fear of being forgotten or not remembering things.
- Catsaridaphobia: it is the fear of cockroaches. This can easily lead to excessive cleaning mess.
- Latrophobia: it is an apprehension to doctors.
- Pediophobia: it is the terror of dolls.
- Ichthyophobia: it is a fear of fish.
- Achondroplasiaphobia: it is the fear of dwarfs.
- Mottephobia: it is a fear of moths.
- Zoophobia: it is the fear of animals, both dangerous and harmless.
- Bananaphobia: it is an apprehension to bananas or plantains.
- Sidonglobophobia: it is the fear of cotton balls or plastic foams.
- Scelerophobia: it is the fear of crime, it implies being afraid of thieves, attackers or crime in general.
- Cybophobia: it is a fear of the food that is going to be eaten. The phobia can come from a bad episode while eating, such as choking.
- Fasmophobia: it is the fear of specters, visions and ghosts.
- Echinophobia: it is a fear of equines like horses.
- Musophobia: it is the fear of rodents such as rats and mice.
- Catoptrophobia: it is the fear of mirror reflection.
- Agliophobia: it is a fear of pain.
- Tokofobia: it is the fear of pregnancy and everything that implies giving birth or having children.
- Telephonephobia : it is a fear of talking on the phone. Phobics prefer to send text messages.
- Pogonophobia : it is the fear of beards or fear of men with beards.
- Omphalophobia : it is a fear of the navels.
- Pseudodysphagia or anginophobia : it is the fear of suffocation often after a bad eating experience.
- Bathophobia: the fear of the depths can be anything related to depth (lakes, tunnels, caves).
- Cacomorphobia: it is a fear of being overweight or fat people. It affects some anorexics and bulimics.
- Gerascophobia: it is a fear of getting old.
- Caetaphobia: it is an aversion to hair.
- Nosocomephobia: it is the fear of hospitals, health centers.
- Ligirophobia: it is the fear of shrill noises.
- Didaskaleinophobia: it is the fear of schools, university etc.
- Technophobia: it is the fear of technology, it is often induced by culture or religion.
- Chronophobia: it is a fear of future events, the passage of time.
- Sphegsophobia: it is a fear of wasps.
- Ergophobia: it is a fear of work. This is sometimes caused by social or job performance anxiety.
- Coulrophobia: it is a fear of clowns, buffoons.
- Allodoxaphobia: it is the fear of the opinions or criticisms of other people.
- Samhainophobia: it is a fear of the Halloween festivities.
- Photophobia: it is an aversion to light.
- Dysposophobia: it is the fear of getting rid of things, which triggers extreme hoarding.
- Numerofobia: it is the fear of numbers and the mere thought of calculations.
- Ombrophobia: it is a fear of rain.
- Coasterphobia: it is a dread of mechanical amusements such as roller coasters.
- Thalassofobia: it is the fear of the ocean, water, waves and unknown spaces.
- Escolecifobia: it is a fear of worms. Often due to unsanitary conditions.
- Kinemophobia: it is a fear of zombies.
- Myrmecophobia: it is a fear of ants.
- Taphophobia: it is a phobia that produces panic of being buried alive and waking up underground in a coffin.
- Erythrophobia: fear of blushing.
- Hypochondria: fear of getting sick.
- Escalaphobia: fear of escalators.
These are far from the only phobias. As society changes, the list of possible phobias changes. For example, nomophobia is the fear of being without a cell phone or computer.
