Here is a List of Common and Rare Phobias!
While a list of all phobias would be almost impossible to construct, there are many fears that large numbers of people have in common. Phobia, the Greek word for fear, is a term used to refer a state of great apprehension caused by a specific things or situation.
Symptoms.
People who suffer from phobias experience symptoms like: racing heart, tightness in the chest, difficulty breathing, and other symptoms of intense anxiety.
Causes Of Phobias
While it may be difficult to determine exactly what causes phobias, most psychologists believe they are related to negative past experiences associated with the situation or thing that becomes feared.
In effect, anything that causes the symptoms mentioned above could be considered a phobia, so list of all phobias would be quite extensive.
List of Phobias.
For example, a person who fears water suffers from Aquaphobia.
Those who fear being touched suffer from Aphenphosmphobia.
The fear of crossing bridges is called Gephyrophobia.
Hemophobic people are afraid of blood, while homophobic people are afraid of homosexuals.
A well-known superstitious fear is Triskaidekaphobia, the fear of the number thirteen. People who fear Friday the 13th suffer from Paraskavedekatriaphobia, and Hexakosioihexekontahexaphobia is fear of the number 666, believed to be the “devil’s number”.
The fear of speaking in public is known as Glossophobia, and the fear of speaking in general is called Lalophobia.
A fear of strangers or foreigners is known as Xenophobia.
A list of all phobias would contain many other fears such as…
Bacillophobia, the fear of bacteria, and Radiophobia, the fear of xrays. Coulrophobia is a fear of clowns (usually “evil” clowns).
A person with Nyctophobia is afraid of the dark, and a person with Pyrophobia is afraid of fire.
Phobias Involving Animals.
A number of the phobias are specifically related to animals. For example, a person who fears mice or rats suffers from Musophobia.
A fear of bees is known as Apiphobia, and fear of insects is Entomophobia.
Myrmecophobia is a fear of ants. People who fear snakes have Ophidiophobia, while those who are afraid of birds suffer from Ornithophobia.
A fear of cats is known by several names, including Felinophobia and Gatophobia, while a fear of dogs or of rabies is known as Cynophobia.
A person who fears reptiles is said to have Herpetophobia, and a fear of animals in general is known as Zoophobia.
It is not uncommon for people to suffer from a number of phobias, especially if the phobias are related.
Overcoming Phobias.
Almost all phobias are treatable, and effective treatment often involves a combination of psychological counseling and medication to manage physical symptoms until the person learns to face his or her fear.
Treatment.
People with phobias often undergo a type of therapy known as systematic desensitization in order to face and overcome their fears.
Since it is fairly well accepted that negative past experiences are what causes phobias, the therapy involves creating positive experiences with the feared stimulus to replace negative associations.
A person undergoing systematic desensitization is exposed to the feared situation or thing in small, manageable steps until the phobia is overcome. For example, a person with a fear of snakes might start by talking about snakes, proceed to looking at a picture of snakes, and then go to a pet store to see a live snake or several snakes.
Finally, if the person does well with systematic desensitization, he or she may eventually be able to touch or even hold a snake without feeling the symptoms of anxiety formerly associated with the phobia.
Wishing you balance and peace!
more on phobias on our anxiety information page
