Most Common Phobias

Are you petrified at the thought of webbed feet or creepy creatures? Are you frightened of being in solitude? Do you wonder if you are the only person who has such fears? Well, if you think so, here is some consolation. It is a scientifically proven fact that almost 10% of the adult population in the world is affected by an irrational fear of something or the other, which means a fear that you have no actual reason to be afraid of. Phobias are fears that seize people which in turn make them crazy at times. They can happen to anyone at anytime. The main symptom of this mental condition is the unwarranted desire to avoid the actual feared stimulus. These fears can easily be got rid of and people can overcome them without any medication or treatment. However, if the person affected feels distressed greatly, then he  or she would require treatment or counseling by a psychologist who would use various treatment methods like  cognitive behavioral therapy and at times by prescribing certain anti-depressants. This article deals with some of the most common phobias. Read on to learn more.

Most Common Fears

The fear for noises is known as acousticophobia. People suffering from ‘acousticophobia’ develop symptoms like sweating, extreme nervousness, etc. Acousticophobia can cause even lead to the disruption of life if the fear intensifies.

Acrophobia is the fear of heights. People suffering from this disorder avoid going to higher places and they tend to develop symptoms like nausea, dizziness, sweating, etc.

It is an anxiety disorder which is nothing but fear of public and open spaces. The sufferer actually becomes anxious in unfamiliar environments and he or she may have symptoms like nausea, excessive sweating,  palpitations, shaking, and inability to speak or even think clearly.

This is fear for books. Many people suffering from bibliophobia don’t even know that they have a fear of books. This phobia can cause disruption at school, work and in social relationships.

Claustrophobia is a fear of being confined in closed spaces. People suffering from this disorder are anxious about being closed inside and they may first search for exits when they enter any room. They have symptoms like extensive sweating, nausea, hyperventilation, shaking, etc and they also panic if a door is closed behind them.

Dentophobia is fear of dental care and dentists. This is also called as ‘odontophobia’. People suffering from disorder should undergo treatment, as untreated dental problems may lead to additional medical complications.

Felinophobia is fear for cats, and people suffering from this disorder have symptoms like extensive sweating, dizziness, shaking, etc. This phobia is pretty common and many people don’t even know that they suffer from this phobia.

Mysophobia is fear for germs and dirt. People affected by mysophobia keep washing their hands repeatedly. It is also associated with ‘obsessive compulsive disorder’ (OCD).
 

Taphephobia is fear of being buried alive. People affected by this disorder feel that they see ghosts, dead people, spirits, etc. They avoid covering themselves completely with a bed sheet or in the sand at the beach. They also fear being pushed to the ground in a crowd. These people may additionally suffer from ‘thanatophobia’ which is the fear of dying and ‘spectrophobia’, the fear of ghosts.

Trypanophobia is fear of injections or hypodermic needles. This fear goes untreated because, like many other phobias, people avoid being in a situation that might trigger the phobia. These patients also suffer from ‘iatrophobia’ which is the fear of doctors.