Phobias
Phobias are considered an anxiety disorder and can have a major impact on the lives of those affected. Although many phobias can be treated specifically, they often require courage to overcome.
Some phobias are directly related to a doctor phobia (fear of the doctor), while others are perceived as shameful and therefore often remain untreated . The most well-known phobias are listed alphabetically below. If a phobia is linked, one click takes you to the relevant article about the respective phobia.
- Author: John Miller | Updated: February 21, 2023 by John
- Medical reviewed by Benjamin Preston
The word comes from the Greek term phobos, which means terror or fear. Phobias are strong fears that are triggered by certain people, objects, rooms or situations.
When the feared situation occurs, there is a range of symptoms that can occur. These include sweating, blushing, tremors, vomiting, urinary urgency, nausea or comparable physical reactions. Most of the time, the symptoms increase the person’s anxiety and discomfort, leading to what is known as an anxiety cycle. In many cases, an attempt is made to avoid the fear-triggering situations as best as possible – this leads to a fear of fear.
List of Phobias:
There are approximately 650 recognized phobias worldwide, which can be broadly divided into four categories: specific phobias , in which the fear is elicited by a specific object, situation, or person; panic disorder (e.g. fear of crowds or elevators); social phobias and generalized anxiety disorder.
| Phobias (A) | Topic |
|---|---|
| Ablutophobia | Fear of washing and bathing |
| Abortophobia | Fear of Miscarriage |
| Acarophobia | Fear of Insects |
| Achluophobia | Fear of the Dark |
| Agaraphobia | Fear of being touched |
| Agraphobia | Fear of sexual abuse |
| Agateophobia | Fear of going insane |
| Agateophobia | Fear of Pain |
| Agoraphobia | Fear of wide open spaces |
| Agrizoophobia | Fear of wild animals |
| Aichmophobia | Fear of sharp objects |
| Ailurophobia | Fear of Cats |
| Alliumphobia | Fear of Garlic |
| Allodoxaphobia | Afraid of an opinion |
| Acrophobia | Fear of Heights |
| Amaxophobia | Fear of Driving |
| Amathophobia | Fear of Dust |
| Ambulophobia | Fear of Standing or Walking |
| Amelophobia | Fear of people with missing limbs |
| Amnesiphobia | Fear of memory loss |
| Amychophobia | Fear of scratching / being scratched |
| Anablephobia | Fear to look up |
| Anatidaephobia | Fear of being watched by ducks |
| Androphobia | Fear of Men |
| Anemophobia | Fear of Storms / Wind |
| Angrophobia | Fear of anger or getting angry |
| Anthophobia | Fear of of Flowers |
| Anthlophobia | Fear of floods |
| Anthropophobia | Fear of people and society |
| Apiphobia | Fear of bees & wasps |
| Aphephosmophobia | Fear of being touched |
| Arachnophobia | Fear of Spiders |
| Arithmophobia | Fear of Numbers |
| Arsonphobia | Fear of Fire |
| Atelophobia | Fear of Imperfection |
| Atephobia | Fear of Ruins |
| Athlemophobia | Fear of Sports |
| Autophobia | Fear of yourself or being on your own |
| Automanophobia | Fear of humanoid figures |
| Aviophobia | Fear of Flying |
| Phobias (B) | Topic |
|---|---|
| Bacteriophobia | Fear of Bacterias |
| Bathmophobia | Fear of Stairs |
| Bathonophobia | Fear of Plants |
| Batophobia | Fear of depths |
| Bibliophobia | Fear of Books |
| Buffonophobia | Fear of Toads |
| Phobias (C) | Topic |
|---|---|
| Chemophobia | Fear of Chemicals |
| Chionophobia | Fear of Snow |
| Chronophobia | Fear of Time |
| Coitophobia | Fear of sexual intercourse |
| Coulrophobia | Fear of Clowns |
| Cypridophobia | Fear of prostitutes |
| Cymophobia | Fear of Waves |
| Cynophobia | Fear of Dogs |
| Cryophobia | Fear of Cold |
| Phobias (D) | Topic |
|---|---|
| Daemonophobia | Fear of Demons |
| Dentophobia | Fear of Dentists |
| Demophobia | Fear of Crowds |
| Dipsophobia | Fear of Drinking |
| Dromophobia | Fear of crossing a busy street |
| Dysmorphophobia | Fear of Disfigurement |
| Dystychiphobia | Fear of Accidents |
| Phobias (E) | Topic |
|---|---|
| Ecclesiophobia | Fear of Churches |
| Electrophobia | Fear of Electricity |
| Eleuterophobia | Fear of Freedom |
| Emetophobia | Fear of Vomiting |
| Eosophobia | Fear of Daylight |
| Ephebiphobia | Fear of Teenagers |
| Erythrophobia | Fear of Blushing |
| Equinophobia | Fear of Horses |
| Ergophobia | Fear of Work |
| Euphobia | Fear of Good News |
| Phobias (F) | Topic |
|---|---|
| Febriphobia | Fear of Fever |
| Phobias (G) | Topic |
|---|---|
| Gamophobia | Fear of Marriage |
| Gelotophobia | Fear of being laughed at |
| Gephyrophobia | Fear of Bridges |
| Gerascophobia | Fear of Aging |
| Gerontophobia | Fear of old age/old people |
| Gravidophobia | Fear of Pregnancy |
| Graphophobia | Fear of Writing |
| Gymnophobia | Fear of Nudity |
| Gymnogasterophobia | Fear of bare bellies |
| Gynophobia | Fear of Women |
| Phobias (H) | Topic |
|---|---|
| Hadephobia | Fear of Hell |
| Hematophobia | Fear of Blood |
| Hamartophobia | Fear of Sin |
| Halitophobia | Fear of bad breath |
| Hedonophobia | Fear of feeling joy |
| Herpetophobia | Fear of crawling animals or snakes |
| Homichlophobia | Fear of Fog |
| Homilophobia | Fear of sermons |
| Hoplophobia | Fear of Firearms |
| Hydrophobia | Fear of water or drinking water |
| Hygrophobia | Fear of moisture or wetness |
| Hypertrichophobia | Fear of Hair |
| Hypnotopophobia | Fear of making the bed |
| Phobias (I) | Topic |
|---|---|
| Ikonophobia | Fear of Images |
| Iophobia | Fear of poison/being poisoned |
| Phobias (I) | Topic |
|---|---|
| Ikonophobia | Fear of Images |
| Iophobia | Fear of poison/being poisoned |
| Phobias (K) | Topic |
|---|---|
| Kathisophobia | Fear of sitting down |
| Phobias (L) | Topic |
|---|---|
| Lachanophobia | Fear of Fruits / Vegetables |
| Ligyrophobia | Fear of sudden, loud noises |
| Limnophobia | Fear of Lakes |
| Logophobia | Fear of Speaking |
| Lockiophobia | Fear of child birth |
| Lyssophobia | Fear of rabies |
| Phobias (M) | Topic |
|---|---|
| Mageirocophobia | Fear of cooking |
| Maniaphobia | Fear of Madness |
| Methatesiophobia | Fear of success/change |
| Methyphobia | Fear of Alcohol |
| Metallophobia | Fear of Metal |
| Mysophobia | Fear of Viruses, Dirt or Germ |
| Motorphobia | Fear of Cars |
| Mottephobia | Fear of Moths |
| Myrmecophobia | Fear of Ants |
| Myxophobia | Fear of Slime / Mucus |
| Phobias (N) | Topic |
|---|---|
| Necrophobia | Fear of Dead / Corpses |
| Nelophobia | Fear of Glass |
| Neophobia | Fear of new things and change |
| Nephophobia | Fear of Clouds |
| Nomophobia | Fear of being without a smartphone |
| Nosophobia | Fear of getting sick |
| Nosokomephobia | Fear of Hospitals |
| Novinophobia | Fear of running out of wine |
| Novercaphobia | Fear of the stepmother |
| Phobias (O) | Topic |
|---|---|
| Obesophobia | Fear of gaining Weight |
| Ombrophobia | Fear of Rain |
| Oikophobia | Fear of Houses |
| Optophobia | Fear to open eyes |
| Ornithophobia | Fear of Birds |
| Phobias (P) | Topic |
|---|---|
| Paedophobia | Fear of Children |
| Papaphobia | Fear of the Pope |
| Papyrophobia | Fear of Paper |
| Parasitophobia | Fear of Parasites |
| Pediophobia | Fear of Dolls |
| Phalacrophobia | Fear of Hair Loss |
| Pharmacophobia | Fear of Medication |
| Phasmophobia | Fear of Ghosts |
| Philemaphobia | Fear of Kisses |
| Philophobia | Fear of falling in love |
| Phobophobia | Fear of Fear |
| Phonophobia | Fear of (loud) noises |
| Photophobia | Fear of Light |
| Plutophobia | Fear of Wealth |
| Podophobia | Fear of Feet |
| Pogonophobia | Fear of Beards |
| Politicophobia | Fear/abnormal resentment of politicians |
| Postphobia | Fear of letters |
| Phobias (R) | Topic |
|---|---|
| Radiophobia | Fear of radiation/X-rays |
| Ruophobia | Fear of Dirt |
| Rhythiphobia | Fear of getting wrinkles |
| Phobias (S) | Topic |
|---|---|
| Schoolphobia | Fear of School |
| Selachophobia | Fear of Sharks |
| Sesquipedalophobia | Fear of long Words |
| Siderodromophobia | Fear of trains, train travel or rails |
| Sitiophobia | Fear of Food |
| Skelerophobia | Far of Burglars |
| Somnophobia | Fear of Sleep |
| Sophophobia | Fear of Learning |
| Social Phobia | Fear of Society or People |
| Spectrophobia | Fear of Mirrors |
| Phobias (T) | Topic |
|---|---|
| Thanatophobia | Fear of Death |
| Taphephobia | Fear of Cemeteries |
| Technophobia | Fear of Technology |
| Thalassophobia | Fear of the Sea |
| Thermophobia | Fear of Heat |
| Skelerophobia | Far of Burglars |
| Somnophobia | Fear of Sleep |
| Tokophobia | Fear of Pregnancy |
| Tomophobie | Fear of surgical operations |
| Triskaidekaphobia | Fear of the Number 13 |
| Trypanophobia | Fear of needles and injections |
| Trypophobia | Fear of holes/bubbles |
| Tyrannophobia | Fear of Tyrants |
| Phobias (V) | Topic |
|---|---|
| Vaccinophobia | Fear of Vaccinations |
| Venustraphobia | Fear of Beautiful Women |
| Phobias (W) | Topic |
|---|---|
| Wiccaphobia | Fear of witches/witchcraft |
| Phobias (X) | Topic |
|---|---|
| Xenophobia | Fear of Strangers |
| Xerophobia | Fear of drought, deserts, drought |
| Xylophobia | Fear of Wood / Forests |
| Phobias (Z) | Topic |
|---|---|
| Zelophobia | Fear of Jealousy |
| Zeusophobia | Fear of God |
What can you do?
Not every phobia needs to be treated . Some phobias hardly lead to problems in everyday life. In some cases, self-help measures to deal with the phobia can help.
However, if tips and advice are not enough and the phobia severely restricts everyday life and quality of life, therapy is recommended.
Depending on the phobia, there are different treatment options. The most proven is behavioral therapy, in which patients learn to understand their behavior and can break the cycle of fear by developing other action strategies as alternatives.
The word phobia is also used for rejection of certain social cultures (e.g. homophobia), nations (e.g. Francophobia) and religions (Islamophobia etc.).
Many people are afraid (usually out of shame) to see a doctor to treat a phobia. Still, the behaviors often get worse if left untreated.
If you too are afraid of therapy, it may help to remind yourself that you are not alone with your problems. In addition, the therapists have been trained on such topics and deal with the problems of their patients on a daily basis.
Also remember that successful therapy can reduce your fears in everyday life and thus improve your quality of life in the long term.
Therapy for Phobias
In principle, fear is something positive . It is an evolutionary reflex and protects us from risky actions and threatening situations.
Most phobias are unfounded and irrational. Although those affected are usually aware of this, they are unfortunately unable to control or even turn off their fear on their own.
If you feel the same way, it is best to consult a specialist who can treat your fears in a targeted manner. Although you may find talking about your fears embarrassing or afraid to confront your fear , remember that life without phobias is much more light-hearted. Your everyday life would be much less stressful, which will certainly improve your quality of life.
If you are unsure of the best way to find a therapist, you can also contact your family doctor first. This can then help to refer you to a specialist .
Find Online Help
- Many people are afraid of doctors or avoid personal contact out of shame.
Unfortunately, many patients’ conditions worsen if left untreated. Anyone who is afraid of a personal visit to the doctor’s office can take part in online coaching or online consultation hours with psychologists .
Freelance Medical Writer.
Sources:
- Phobia From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia – en.wikipedia.org