Chapter 15 : Some Common Phobias

Hypochondria

This is a type of Somatoform Disorder, as discussed in a previous chapter. Hypochondriacs imagine themselves developing serious diseases like cancer, diabetes, or some other serious problems. They refuse to believe people, even doctors, who tell them they are healthy. People who were once overwhelmed by the sight of a serious disease condition or by death can develop this disorder.

Claustrophobia

This is the fear of being in closed or too narrow spaces. People suffering from claustrophobia may feel like suffocating or drowning once they find themselves in these places.

Arachnophobia

People who dread spiders, even small ones, probably have this phobia. They may have acquired this fear when they read about the dangers of poisonous spiders, or if they were actually bitten by one and seriously hospitalized as a result.

Hydrophobia

Some people fear drowning so much that the mere sight of water gives them the creeps. They are the victims of hydrophobia. Hydrophobia is often associated with those inflicted with rabies. This is a deadly type of hydrophobia.

Acarophobia

People who are afraid of itchy insects have this phobia. They have acquired this type of phobia when they have actually experienced the itchy sensation brought about by the insect bite, or if they have seen such bites from other people in extreme proportions.

Acerophobia

People who fear things that are sour or cause sourness are suffering from acerophobia. In severe cases, they imagine that the sourness can kill them.

Agliophobia

Individuals who fear pain so much - that even a slight sensation, sight, or thought of pain is unbearable – are victims of agliophobia.

Agraphobia

People suffering from agraphobia have the irrationally weird notion that many people are out to sexually assault or rape them.

Agyrophobia

Streets make agyrophobic people cower in fear. They feel like crossing the street is equivalent to the death march.

Ailurophobia

Just hearing a cat’s meow can send chills up the spine of people suffering from ailurophobia. Some of them may imagine the cat’s claws scratching them.

Bogyphobia

Mr. Bogeyman is death itself to victims of bogyphobia. They fear the Bogeyman so much that they see him lurking in the dark recesses of their room or house. When darkness strikes, they want to be locked up at home with all the lights on.

Bromidrophobia

Bromidrophobic people panic when they think they have a body odor. They dread catching the odor from others. In this case, they take a bath probably 5 times a day and put on lots of anti-body odor fragrance.

Botanophobia

Botanophobic people fear plants because they probably think plants can eat them alive, or something to that effect.

Carnophobia

Eating meat gives carnophobic people the creeps. They imagine meat to be human flesh; or perhaps they think it can turn them into the animal it was taken from.

Catoptrophobia

People who suffer from this disorder are afraid of the mirror, especially big ones. They avoid passing in front of them or having themselves seen in them. But experts cannot yet say if the fear is of mirrors or of the image of the phobic individual reflected on them.

Chrematophobia

This is probably the most stupid type of fear ever. Chrematophobic people fear money. Perhaps they think it causes bad luck or even death. Some of them fear the microbes and germs existent in the money.

Chronophobia

Chronophobic people feel as if every tick of the clock spells doom for them. The tiny sound of the tick tock re-echoes in their heart and seems to pursue them to the grave.

Cleisiophobia

Cleisiophobic people are afraid of being locked in an enclosed place. It gives them the eerie feeling of being buried alive.

Clinophobia

Clinophobic people feel that going to bed is like lying inside a coffin.

Coimetrophobia

Cleisiophobia and Clinophobia conspire to give their victims the fear of cemeteries. They may imagine the dead in cemeteries rising up anytime to give them a bad night.

Coulrophobia

Clowns are supposed to be funny, but somehow victims of coulrophobia see them as vampires or monsters out to kidnap them or suck their blood.

Cyberphobia

Victims of cyberphobia fear computers. They think computers might control them, suck them up to Wonderland, or suddenly explode in their face.

Cyprianophobia

For a cyprianophobic person, almost every woman looks like a prostitute. They fear the sexual diseases they might catch when meeting them.

Dendrophobia

Victims of dendrophobia believe that trees can turn into flesh-craving monsters when they are not looking at them. They can also imagine elfin creatures taking residence in every tree.

Dentophobia

Many people are suffering from dentophobia. They think that dentists are always up to something bloody. They are afraid of the pain the dental machines will inflict on them. The drilling sound of dental equipment is agony to their ears.

Didaskaleinophobia

Kids are apt to catch this silly fear. When they think schools are really monsters in disguise, they will be afraid to go to them everyday.

Doxophobia

People who are suffering from this irrational disorder feel that the praise they receive produces equivalent danger. Thus, they also fear giving praise to others.

Dysmorphophobia

To people victimized by this phobia, deformity is the pits. They believe that people with deformities have “something” living within them.

Epistemophobia

Ever wondered why your son fears school and studies? He might be having a case of fear of knowledge. Epistemophobic persons see knowledge as a curse. To them, it is against the gods to know something and be intelligent.

Eremophobia

People with this fear beg to be with people. Being alone is agonizing for them. They strongly believe that no man can live alone.

Ergophobia

People who fear knowledge, schools, and studies are likely end up fearing work. Work to these people is like digging their own graves.

Euphobia

This fear of good news seems to attack news reporters because many of them want to report negative things.

Gephydrophobia

Crossing bridges is never fun to victims of this disorder. They assume that bridges will fall any minute once they’re on them.

Gerascophobia

People with this fear are desperate to stay young. They quiver at the thought of old age. People with this fear visualize old people somewhat like the living dead.

Globophobia

Nope, this is not the fear of the globe — though it is something close to that. If you fear clowns, you might as well fear balloons. For whatever reason, people with this fear run like mad hens when they see balloons.

Glossophobia

This is the fear of speaking in public. The terrifying feeling is not brought about by addressing the public, but in being watched by the public.

Graphophobia

Nope, this is not the fear of graphs. It is the fear of writing or seeing handwriting. Somehow, people with this fear see ghosts in any writing.

Gymnophobia

Nope, it’s not the fear of gyms. It’s the fear of nudity. It’s healthy to have this at certain times, especially when going to the mall or office, but not when you are married.

Gynephobia

People who have this fear of women have probably been punched in the nose by a female martial artist before.

Hypegiaphobia

If you fear studies, schools, knowledge, and work, guess what? Chances are, you also have this fear of responsibility.

Hypnophobia

People victimized by hypnophobia fear sleep or being hypnotized. They are addicted to caffeine in coffee. They might also fear looking straight into a person’s eyes, or watching a tennis ball go back and forth, back and forth…

Illyngophobia

This is the fear of dizziness or looking down. Thus, people with this ailment always look up, whatever they do, wherever they are.

Iophobia

This is the fear of poison. Ionophobic individuals feel as if every food and drink has poison in them. This is good when you want to keep a tight budget. 

Isoterophobia

Isoterophobic people wonder in fear at the ability of termites to eat wood. They’re thinking that if termites could eat wood, these creatures could easily eat them. Thank heavens they don’t grow any bigger.

Linonophobia

For some reason, people who exhibit this disorder fear strings. They see strings as deadly and horrifying. These strings probably remind them of worms and snakes.

Logophobia

Words seem mysteriously evil to people with this disorder. Words drive them crazy. They imagine evil schemes in even the most innocent statements people make to them.

Lockiophobia

Women who fear childbirth exhibit lockiophobia. They magnify it as a cause of death. They have also seen how it has produced deformed babies. Most probably, they also fear having sex.

Medomalacuphobia

Men who fear losing an erection have medomalacuphobia. Erection to them is the essence of manhood and life. To lose it is the worst disgrace for them.

Medorthophobia

This is the opposite of medomalacuphobia. Extreme erection is the worst disgrace for men who have this disorder.

Microphobia

This is the fear of small things. People who have this ailment want everything to be extra large or biggie-size.

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