"The oldest and strongest emotion of mankind is
fear."
H.P.
Lovecraft
The word phobia comes from the Greek word phobos which means fear,
terror, panic, and flight. In Greek mythology, Phobos was a god who
caused fear and panic in his enemies in a time of war. Although
phobias and phobic reactions have been recorded for thousands of
years, scientific understanding of them began in the twentieth
century.
Phobias are persistent, irrational fears of certain objects or
situations. People who have phobias are often so overwhelmed by their
anxiety that they avoid the feared objects or situations. The stange
thing about phobias is that people are usually able to realize that
the phobia is not sensible when they are in a safe place, but it
doesn't stop the fear when the object or situation that they fear is
near.
Panic, anxiety and phobias are very related problems experienced
by many individuals. Phobias ruin lives. Many people are crippled by
their intense irrational terrors - whether focused on snakes,
spiders, social situations or just going out of the front door.
How Many People Suffer from Phobias? Approximately 4 to 5% of the
U.S. population has one or more clinically significant phobias in a
given year.
The exact cause of phobias is not known, although one common
theory is that phobias are learned fears. This premise advances that
phobias arise in the' teenage years, out of childhood fears, or
around the time one is becoming more independent. However, that is
not to suggest that a singular event triggers a phobia; in reality,
that is rarely the case.
There are two types of phobias---Social Phobias and Simple or
Specific Phobias. Some would add a third kind: 'Agoraphobiba' often
called claustrophobia; this includes things like a fear of enclosed
spaces, using buses and trains, even just leaving the house.
Agoraphobics often think that if they are put into their feared
situation that they will collapse or lose control.
A Social Phobia is the fear of embarrassment or humiliation that
may occur when eating, drinking, speaking or engaging in any other
activity in front of others or in a public place - a fear that
results in avoidance behavior. Social Phobias have national health
consequences. Many social phobics turn to alcohol or illegal drugs
for temporary relief from their fears.
Simple Phobias are fears of dogs, snakes, driving, heights, etc.
This type of phobia can greatly effect how one goes about their daily
life and may guide them in making decisions.
Believe it or not, all the phobias listed here are real.
Each phobia listed is followed by what the "fear of" is, e.g.
"Acrophobia: heights" means 'Acrophobia is the fear of heights'.
There is also a page with a reverse index listing the
"fear" first alphabetically.
If you can't find a phobia listed, it probably doesn't exist.
However, we're not infallible. One may have slipped through the
cracks. So, if you do know of one not shown, email it to me.
Also, from the ADAA, Anxiety Disorders Association of America,
"if you suspect that you might suffer from a phobia...", learn more at their website |
Alphabetical Index of
Phobias
A
Ablutophobia: washing or bathing Acarophobia: itching Acerophobia: sourness
Achluophobia: darkness Achondroplasiaphobia: little people Acousticophobia: noise Acrophobia:
heights Aerophobia: flying, drafts, air swallowing, or airborne
noxious substances Aeroacrophobia: open high places
Aeronausiphobia: vomiting secondary to airsickness Agliophobia:
pain Agoraphobia: open spaces, being in crowded, public places or
leaving a safe place Agraphobia: sexual abuse Agrizoophobia:
wild animals Agyrophobia: streets or crossing the street
Aichmophobia: needles or pointed objects Ailurophobia: cats
Albuminurophobia: kidney disease Alektorophobia: chickens
Algophobia: pain Alliumphobia: garlic Allodoxaphobia:
opinions Altophobia: heights Amathophobia: dust
Amaxophobia: riding in a car Ambulophobia: walking
Amnesiphobia: amnesia Amychophobia: scratches or being
scratched Anablephobia: looking up Ancraophobia or
Anemophobia: wind Androphobia: men Anemophobia: air drafts or
wind Anginophobia: angina, choking or narrowness
Anglophobia: England, English culture, etc Angrophobia: becoming
angry Ankylophobia: immobility of a joint Anthrophobia or
Anthophobia: flowers Anthropophobia: people or society
Antlophobia: floods Anuptaphobia: staying single
Apeirophobia: infinity Aphenphosmphobia: being touched
(Haphephobia) Apiphobia: bees Apotemnophobia: persons with
amputations Arachibutyrophobia: peanut butter sticking to the
roof of the mouth Arachnephobia or Arachnophobia: spiders
Arithmophobia: numbers Arrhenphobia: men Arsonphobia:
fire Asthenophobia: fainting or weakness Astraphobia or
Astrapophobia: thunder and lightning Astrophobia: stars and
celestial space Asymmetriphobia: asymmetrical things
Ataxiophobia: ataxia (muscular incoordination) Ataxophobia:
disorder or untidiness Atelophobia: imperfection Atephobia:
ruin or ruins Athazagoraphobia: being forgotten or ignored or
forgetting Atomosophobia : atomic explosions Atychiphobia:
failure Aulophobia: flutes Aurophobia: gold Auroraphobia:
Northern lights Autodysomophobia: one that has a vile odor
Automatonophobia: ventriloquist's dummies, animatronic creatures, wax
statues - anything that falsely represents a sentient being
Automysophobia: being dirty Autophobia: being alone or of
oneself Aviophobia or Aviatophobia: flying
B
Bacillophobia: microbes Bacteriophobia: bacteria
Ballistophobia: missiles or bullets Bolshephobia: Bolsheviks
Barophobia: gravity Basophobia or Basiphobia: inability to stand
or of walking or falling Bathophobia: depth Batonophobia:
plants Batophobia: heights or being close to high buildings
Batrachophobia: amphibians, such as frogs, newts, salamanders,
etc Belonephobia: pins and needles (Aichmophobia)
Bibliophobia: books Blennophobia: slime Bogyphobia: bogies or
the bogeyman Bromidrosiphobia or Bromidrophobia: body smells
Brontophobia: thunder and lightning Bufonophobia: toads
C
Cacophobia: ugliness Cainophobia or Cainotophobia- of newness,
novelty Caligynephobia: beautiful women Cancerophobia:
cancer Carcinophobia: cancer Cardiophobia: the heart
Carnophobia: meat Catagelophobia: being ridiculed
Catapedaphobia: jumping from high and low places Cathisophobia:
sitting Catoptrophobia: mirrors Cenophobia or Centophobia:
new things or ideas Ceraunophobia: thunder Chaetophobia:
hair Cheimaphobia or Cheimatophobia: cold Chemophobia:
chemicals or working with chemicals Cherophobia: gaiety
Chionophobia: snow Chiraptophobia: being touched
Cholerophobia: anger or the of cholera Chorophobia: dancing
Chrometophobia or Chrematophobia: money Chromophobia or
Chromatophobia: colors Chronophobia: time Chronomentrophobia:
clocks Cibophobia or Sitophobia or Sitiophobia: food
Claustrophobia: confined spaces Cleithrophobia or Cleisiophobia:
being locked in an enclosed place Cleptophobia: stealing
Climacophobia: stairs, climbing or of falling downstairs
Clinophobia: going to bed Clithrophobia or Cleithrophobia: being
enclosed Cnidophobia: strings Cometophobia: comets
Coimetrophobia: cemeteries Coitophobia: coitus
Contreltophobia: sexual abuse Coprastasophobia: constipation
Coprophobia: feces Coulrophobia: clowns Counterphobia: the
preference by a phobic for ful situations Cremnophobia:
precipices Cryophobia: extreme cold, ice or frost
Crystallophobia: crystals or glass Cyberphobia: computers or
working on a computer Cyclophobia: bicycles Cymophobia: waves
or wave like motions Cynophobia: dogs or rabies
Cypridophobia, Cypriphobia, Cyprianophobia or Cyprinophobia:
prostitutes or venereal disease
D
Decidophobia: making decisions Defecaloesiophobia: painful bowels
movements Deipnophobia: dining and dinner conversations
Dementophobia: insanity Demonophobia or Daemonophobia: demons
Demophobia: crowds (Agoraphobia) Dendrophobia: trees
Dentophobia: dentists Dermatophobia: skin lesions
Dermatosiophobia or Dermatophobia or Dermatopathophobia: skin
disease Dextrophobia: objects at the right side of the body
Diabetophobia: diabetes Didaskaleinophobia: going to school
Dikephobia: justice Dinophobia: dizziness or whirlpools
Diplophobia: double vision Dipsophobia: drinking
Dishabiliophobia: undressing in front of someone Domatophobia or
Oikophobia: houses or being in a house Doraphobia: fur or skins
of animals Dromophobia: crossing streets Dutchphobia: the
Dutch Dysmorphophobia: deformity Dystychiphobia: accidents
E
Ecclesiophobia: church Ecophobia: home Eicophobia or
Oikophobia: home surroundings Eisoptrophobia: mirrors or of
seeing oneself in a mirror Electrophobia: electricity
Eleutherophobia: freedom Elurophobia: cats (Ailurophobia)
Emetophobia: vomiting Enetophobia: pins Enochlophobia:
crowds Enosiophobia or Enissophobia: having committed an
unpardonable sin or of criticism Entomophobia: insects
Eosophobia: dawn or daylight Epistaxiophobia: nosebleeds
Epistemophobia: knowledge Equinophobia: horses Eremophobia:
being oneself or of loneliness Ereuthrophobia: blushing
Ergasiophobia: work or functioning; for a surgeon: operating
Ergophobia: work Erotophobia: sexual love or sexual questions
Euphobia: hearing good news Eurotophobia: female genitalia
Erythrophobia, Erytophobia or Ereuthophobia: red lights, blushing,
red
F
Febriphobia, Fibriphobia or Fibriophobia: fever Felinophobia:
cats (Ailurophobia, Elurophobia, Galeophobia, Gatophobia)
Francophobia: France, French culture (Gallophobia, Galiophobia)
Frigophobia: cold, cold things
G
Galeophobia or Gatophobia: cats Gallophobia or Galiophobia:
France, French culture (Francophobia) Gamophobia: marriage
Geliophobia: laughter Geniophobia: chins Genophobia: sex
Genuphobia: knees Gephyrophobia, Gephydrophobia, or
Gephysrophobia: crossing bridges Germanophobia: Germany, German
culture, etc Gerascophobia: growing old Gerontophobia: old
people or of growing old Geumaphobia or Geumophobia: taste
Glossophobia: speaking in public or of trying to speak
Gnosiophobia: knowledge Graphophobia: writing or handwriting
Gymnophobia: nudity Gynephobia or Gynophobia: women
H
Hadephobia: hell Hagiophobia: saints or holy things
Hamartophobia: sinning Haphephobia or Haptephobia: being
touched Harpaxophobia: being robbed Hedonophobia: feeling
pleasure Heliophobia: the sun Hellenologophobia: Greek terms
or complex scientific terminology Helminthophobia: being infested
with worms Hemophobia or Hemaphobia or Hematophobia: blood
Heresyphobia or Hereiophobia: challenges to official doctrine or of
radical deviation Herpetophobia: reptiles or creepy, crawly
things Heterophobia: the opposite sex (Sexophobia)
Hierophobia: priests or sacred things Hippophobia: horses
Hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia: long words Hobophobia: bums
or beggars Hodophobia: road travel Hormephobia: shock
Homichlophobia: fog Homilophobia: sermons Hominophobia:
men Homophobia: sameness, monotony or of homosexuality or of
becoming homosexual Hoplophobia: firearms Hydrargyophobia:
mercurial medicines Hydrophobia: water or of rabies
Hydrophobophobia: rabies Hyelophobia or Hyalophobia: glass
Hygrophobia: liquids, dampness, or moisture Hylephobia:
materialism OR the of epilepsy Hylophobia: forests
Hypengyophobia or Hypegiaphobia: responsibility Hypnophobia:
sleep or of being hypnotized Hypsiphobia: height
I
Iatrophobia: going to the doctor or of doctors Ichthyophobia:
fish Ideophobia: ideas Illyngophobia: vertigo or feeling
dizzy when looking down Iophobia: poison Insectophobia :
insects Isolophobia: solitude, being alone Isopterophobia:
termites, insects that eat wood Ithyphallophobia: seeing,
thinking about or having an erect penis
J
Japanophobia: Japanese Judeophobia: Jews
K
Kainolophobia novelty Kainophobia: anything new, novelty
Kakorrhaphiophobia: failure or defeat Katagelophobia:
ridicule Kathisophobia: sitting down Kenophobia: voids or
empty spaces Keraunophobia: thunder and lightning
Kinetophobia or Kinesophobia: movement or motion Kleptophobia:
stealing Koinoniphobia: rooms Kolpophobia: genitals,
particularly female Kopophobia: fatigue Koniophobia: dust
(Amathophobia) Kosmikophobia: cosmic phenomenon Kymophobia:
waves Kynophobia: rabies Kyphophobia: stooping
L
Lachanophobia vegetables Laliophobia or Lalophobia: speaking
Leprophobia or Lepraphobia: leprosy Leukophobia: the color
white Levophobia: things to the left side of the body
Ligyrophobia: loud noises Lilapsophobia: tornadoes and
hurricanes Limnophobia: lakes Linonophobia: string
Liticaphobia: lawsuits Lockiophobia: childbirth
Logizomechanophobia: computers Logophobia: words Luiphobia:
lues, syphilis Lutraphobia: otters Lygophobia: darkness
Lyssophobia: rabies or of becoming mad
M
Macrophobia long waits Mageirocophobia:
cooking Maieusiophobia: childbirth Malaxophobia: love play
(Sarmassophobia) Maniaphobia: insanity Mastigophobia:
punishment Mastrophobia: breasts Mechanophobia: machines Medomalacuphobia: losing
an erection Medorthophobia: an erect penis Megalophobia:
large things Melissophobia: bees Melanophobia: the color
black Melophobia: hatred of music Meningitophobia: brain
disease Menophobia: menstruation Merinthophobia: being bound
or tied up Metallophobia: metal Metathesiophobia: changes
Meteorophobia: meteors Methyphobia: alcohol Metrophobia:
hatred of poetry Microbiophobia: microbes (Bacillophobia)
Microphobia: small things Misophobia: being contaminated with
dirt of germs Mnemophobia: memories Molysmophobia or
Molysomophobia: dirt or contamination Monophobia: solitude or
being alone Monopathophobia: definite disease Motorphobia:
automobiles Mottephobia: moths Musophobia or Murophobia:
mice Mycophobia: aversion to mushrooms Mycrophobia: small
things Myctophobia: darkness Myrmecophobia: ants
Mysophobia: germs or contamination or dirt Mythophobia: myths or
stories or false statements Myxophobia: slime (Blennophobia)
N
Nebulaphobia: fog (Homichlophobia) Necrophobia: death or dead
things Negrophobia: blacks or Negroes Nelophobia: glass
Neopharmaphobia: new drugs Neophobia: anything new
Nephophobia: clouds Noctiphobia: the night Nomatophobia:
names Nosocomephobia: hospitals Nosophobia or Nosemaphobia:
becoming ill Nostophobia: returning home Novercaphobia: your
step-mother Nucleomituphobia: nuclear weapons Nudophobia:
nudity Numerophobia: numbers Nyctohylophobia: dark wooded
areas, or forests at night Nyctophobia: the dark or of night
O
Obesophobia: gaining weight(Pocrescophobia) Ochlophobia: crowds
or mobs Ochophobia: vehicles Octophobia : the figure 8
Odontophobia: teeth or dental surgery Odynephobia:
pain Oenophob ia: wines Oikophobia: home
surroundings, house Olfactophobia: smells Ombrophobia: rain
or of being rained on Ommetaphobia: eyes
Oneirophobia: dreams Oneirogmophobia: wet dreams
Onomatophobia: hearing a certain word or of names Ophidiophobia:
snakes (Snakephobia) Ophthalmophobia: being stared at
Optophobia: opening one's eyes Ornithophobia: birds
Orthophobia: property Osmophobia or Osphresiophobia: smells or
odors Ostraconophobia: shellfish Ouranophobia: heaven
P
Pagophobia: ice or frost Panthophobia: suffering and disease
Panophobia or Pantophobia: everything Papaphobia: the Pope
Papyrophobia: paper Paralipophobia: neglecting duty or
responsibility Paraphobia: sexual perversion Parasitophobia:
parasites Paraskavedekatriaphobia: Friday the 13th
Parthenophobia: virgins or young girls Pathophobia: disease
Patroiophobia: heredity Parturiphobia: childbirth
Peccatophobia: sinning (imaginary crime) Pediculophobia: lice
Pediophobia: dolls Pedophobia: children Peladophobia: bald
people Pellagrophobia: pellagra Peniaphobia: poverty
Pentheraphobia: mother-in-law (Novercaphobia) Peniaphobia:
poverty Phagophobia: swallowing or of eating or of being
eaten Phalacrophobia: becoming bald Phallophobia: a penis,
esp erect Pharmacophobia: taking medicine Phasmophobia:
ghosts Phengophobia: daylight or sunshine Philemaphobia or
Philematophobia: kissing Philophobia: falling in love or being in
love Philosophobia: philosophy Phobophobia: phobias
Photoaugliaphobia: glaring lights Photophobia: light
Phonophobia: noises or voices or one's own voice; of telephones
Phronemophobia: thinking Phthiriophobia: lice
(Pediculophobia) Phthisiophobia: tuberculosis Placophobia:
tombstones Plutophobia: wealth Pluviophobia: rain or being
rained on Pneumatiphobia: spirits Pnigophobia or
Pnigerophobia: choking of being smothered Pocrescophobia: gaining
weight (Obesophobia) Pogonophobia: beards Poliosophobia:
contracting poliomyelitis Politicophobia: abnormal dislike of
politicians Polyphobia: many things Poinephobia:
punishment Ponophobia: overworking or of pain Porphyrophobia:
the color purple Potamophobia: rivers or running water
Potophobia: alcohol Pharmacophobia: drugs Proctophobia:
rectum Prosophobia: progress Psellismophobia: stuttering
Psychophobia: mind Psychrophobia: cold Pteromerhanophobia:
flying Pteronophobia: being tickled by feathers Pupaphobia :
puppets Pyrexiophobia: Fever Pyrophobia: fire
R
Radiophobia radiation, x-rays Ranidaphobia: frogs
Rectophobia: rectum or rectal diseases Rhabdophobia: being
severely punished or beaten by a rod, or of being severely criticized
Also of magic(wand) Rhypophobia: defecation Rhytiphobia:
getting wrinkles Rupophobia: dirt Russophobia: Russians
S
Samhainophobia: Halloween Sarmassophobia: love
play (Malaxophobia) Satanophobia: Satan
Scabiophobia: scabies Scatophobia: fecal
matter Scelerophibia: bad men, burglars Sciophobia
Scoleciphobia: worms
Scolionophobia: school Scopophobia or Scoptophobia: Fear
of being seen or stared at Scotomaphobia: blindness in
visual field Scotophobia: darkness (Achluophobia)
Scriptophobia: writing in public Selaphobia:
light flashes Selenophobia: the moon Seplophobia:
decaying matter Sesquipedalophobia: long
words Sexophobia: the opposite sex (Heterophobia)
Sicophobia: shadows
Siderodromophobia: trains, railroads or train travel
Siderophobia: stars Sinistrophobia: things to
the left, left:handed Sinophobia: Chinese, Chinese
culture Sitophobia or Sitiophobia: food or eating
(Cibophobia) Snakephobia: snakes (Ophidiophobia)
Soceraphobia: parents:in:law Social Phobia:
being evaluated negatively in social situations Sociophobia:
society or people in general Somniphobia:
sleep Sophophobia: learning Soteriophobia :
dependence on others Spacephobia: outer space
Spectrophobia: specters or ghosts Spermatophobia or
Spermophobia: germs Spheksophobia: wasps
Stasibasiphobia or Stasiphobia: standing or walking
(Ambulophobia) Staurophobia: crosses or the crucifix
Stenophobia: narrow things or places Stygiophobia or
Stigiophobia: hell Suriphobia: mice
Symbolophobia: symbolism Symmetrophobia:
symmetry Syngenesophobia: relatives Syphilophobia:
syphilis
T
Tachophobia: speed Taeniophobia or Teniophobia:
tapeworms Taphephobia or Taphophobia: being buried alive or
of cemeteries Tapinophobia: being contagious
Taurophobia: bulls Technophobia: technology
Teleophobia: definite plans; religious ceremony
Telephonophobia: telephones Teratophobia:
bearing a deformed child; or monsters; or deformed people
Testophobia: taking tests Tetanophobia: lockjaw,
tetanus Teutophobia: German or German things
Textophobia: certain fabrics Thaasophobia:
sitting Thalassophobia: the sea Thanatophobia or
Thantophobia: death or dying Theatrophobia:
theatres Theologicophobia: theology Theophobia:
gods or religion Thermophobia: heat
Tocophobia: pregnancy or childbirth Tomophobia:
surgical operations Tonitrophobia: thunder
Topophobia: certain places or situations, such as stage
fright Toxiphobia or Toxophobia: poison or of being
accidently poisoned Traumatophobia: injury
Tremophobia: trembling Trichinophobia:
trichinosis Trichopathophobia or Trichophobia or
Hypertrichophobia: hair Triskadekaphobia:
the number 13 Tropophobia: moving or making
changes Trypanophobia: injections Tuberculophobia:
tuberculosis Tyrannophobia: tyrants
U
Uranophobia: heaven Urophobia: urine or
urinating
V
Vaccinophobia: vaccination Venustraphobia:
beautiful women Verbophobia: words Verminophobia:
germs Vestiphobia: clothing
Virginitiphobia: rape Vitricophobia:
step-father
W
Walloonphobia- the Walloons. Wiccaphobia: witches
and witchcraft.
X
Xanthophobia: the color yellow or the word yellow
Xenophobia: strangers or foreigners Xerophobia:
dryness Xylophobia: wooden objects or forests
Z
Zelophobia: jealousy Zeusophobia: God or
gods Zemmiphobia: the great mole rat Zoophobia:
animals
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