Every person has something they’re scared of, but when this fear is chronic, lifelong, can be diagnosed, and might need professional attention, it is called a phobia. There are varied types of phobias, and the degree of phobia may differ from person to person. Some individuals may have a fear of heights, while others may be afraid of spiders or being in confined places. Listed below are some common phobias across the world.
10 most common types of phobias
Acrophobia
Acrophobia, also known as fear of heights, is one of the most common phobias among people. This fear can result in anxiety when at a height. Acrophobics try to avoid places with enormous heights, such as skyscraper terraces or roller coasters, and avoid going to the edges of cliffs or any peaks during hikes. Such people may even avoid driving up to places at high altitudes. Some people may naturally be acrophobic, and some may become acrophic following a traumatic experience involving high places.
Arachnophobia
People with this phobia are scared of spiders, and even the thought of it can give them anxiety. While it can be overwhelming for people with this phobia to deal with the species, it’s a known fact that out of 35,000 varied spider species, only a dozen pose a threat to humans.
Aerophobia
This is a common phobia characterized by the fear of flying. People with this condition may avoid destinations that can be reached only via flights, and may always be on the lookout to get out of flying opportunities.
Trypanophobia
Humans with this phobia have the fear of injections and may avoid medical treatments, vaccines, or avoid going to doctors altogether. This phobia often goes neglected and untreated as individuals may dodge situations that require intravenous administration. Trypanophobia can even lead to accelerated heartbeat and fainting spells.
Social phobia
As the name suggests, this phobia is related to people being afraid of social situations. People with this type of phobia may avoid interacting with new people, going to events, or attending parties. They would want to keep themselves from attending any event that involves interaction with crowds or even unknown individuals. The symptoms of this phobia are similar to that of social anxiety disorder.
Cynophobia
Cynophobia, also known as the fear of dogs, usually stems from the patient’s traumatic past experience involving a dog. One may be surprised to know how common this phobia is. From patients who seek medical help for phobias, approximately 36% of patients seek assistance for cynophobia.
Astraphobia
This phobia is related to the fear of thunder and lightning, and people dealing with it may experience the feeling of restlessness during a thunderstorm. People with this phobia also get overwhelmed by the sound of thunder and lightning even when indoors, and may look for shelter under the covers to feel safe. Due to the reaction to this specific weather condition, astraphobics tend to keep a close eye on the weather forecast, and may be compelled to check it every time before stepping out.
Agoraphobia
This is another phobia that triggers the symptoms of anxiety disorder. People who are agoraphobic fear being in spaces that are confined, crowded, and where they may find it difficult to get out. For instance, on an airplane, people with agoraphobia may find it difficult to adjust to the confined space and may possibly feel restless throughout the journey. They may also avoid lifts or getting into underground modes of transport during rush hour.
Mysophobia
This one is associated with the excessive fear of germs and dirt. Mysophobic people feel a compulsive need to wash their hands, may like to indulge in excessive cleaning, and may wash their bedsheets and covers more often than others. It is believed that the condition may be linked with obsessive compulsive disorder. Individuals may also avoid using public toilets, avoid touching doors at restaurants or restrooms, and may even like to keep their distance from people, especially if they are unwell.
Entomophobia
Do you hate looking at creeps crawlies even on TV? If yes, then you’re quite possibly entomophobic. This phobia is associated with the fear of insects, and is also known as insectophobia. Some people may have significant anxiety due to it and may not be able to handle the sight of an insect. The commonly feared insects include spiders, ants, roaches, flies, butterflies, and moths.
