A phobia is a type of anxiety disorder defined by a persistent and excessive fear of an object or situation. Phobias typically result in a rapid onset of fear and are present for more than six months. Those affected will go to great lengths to avoid the situation or object, to a degree greater than the actual danger posed. If the object or situation cannot be avoided, they experience significant distress. Other symptoms can include fainting, which may occur in blood or injury phobia, and panic attacks, which are often found in agoraphobia. Around 75% of those with phobias have multiple phobias. Some people have rare phobias, and others have phobias that are far more common. These are the 13 most common phobias.
The 13 Most Common Phobias
1. Agoraphobia
Agoraphobia is a phobia related to fear of having fear or fear of having panic attacks. It is a mental and behavioral disorder, specifically an anxiety disorder. This fear is characterized by symptoms of anxiety in situations where the person perceives their environment to be unsafe with no easy way to escape. These situations can include open spaces, public transit, shopping centers, or simply being outside their home. Being in these situations may result in a panic attack, which is a core fear of this phobia. Those affected will go to great lengths to avoid these situations. In severe cases people may become completely unable to leave their homes. The fear of having a panic attack will also inadvertently cause a panic attack. This phobia affects nearly 1 percent of people.
2. Arachnophobia
Arachnophobia is an anxiety disorder brought about by the fear of spiders and other arachnids such as scorpions. People with arachnophobia tend to feel uneasy in any area they believe could harbor spiders or that has visible signs of their presence, such as webs. If an arachnophobe sees a spider, they may not enter the general vicinity until they have overcome the panic attack that is often associated with their phobia. Some people scream, cry, have emotional outbursts, experience trouble breathing, sweat and feel increased heart rates when they come in contact with an area near spiders or their webs. In some extreme cases, even a picture or a realistic drawing of a spider can trigger intense fear. This particular fear affects nearly 3 percent of people.
The 13 Most Common Phobias
3. Claustrophobia
Claustrophobia is the fear of confined spaces. It can be triggered by many situations or stimuli, including elevators, especially when crowded to capacity. Other places include windowless rooms, and hotel rooms with closed doors and sealed windows. This fear is particularly bad in plane cabins, especially if they fear flying as well, as escape is impossible. Even bedrooms with a lock on the outside, small cars, and tight-necked clothing can induce a response in those with claustrophobia. It is typically classified as an anxiety disorder, which often results in panic attacks. The onset of claustrophobia has been attributed to many factors, including a reduction in the size of the amygdala & classical conditioning. Anywhere from 5-10% of the world population is affected by severe claustrophobia. Only a small percentage of these people receive some kind of treatment for the disorder.
4. Acrophobia
Acrophobia is an extreme or irrational fear or phobia of heights, especially when one is not particularly high up. It belongs to a category of specific phobias, called space and motion discomfort, that share both similar causes and options for treatment. Most people experience a degree of natural fear when exposed to heights, known as the fear of falling. On the other hand, those who have little fear of such exposure are said to have a head for heights. A head for heights is advantageous for those hiking or climbing in mountainous terrain and also in certain jobs such as steeplejacks or wind turbine mechanics. People with acrophobia can experience a panic attack in high places and become too agitated to get themselves down safely. Approximately 2–5% of the general population has acrophobia, with twice as many women affected as men.
The 13 Most Common Phobias
5. Ophidiophobia
Ophidiophobia is a particular type of specific phobia, the irrational fear of snakes. It is sometimes called by a more general term, herpetophobia, which is a fear of reptiles. The way a snake moves and constricts is often associated with this fear. The fear is just as common as a fear of spiders, as snakes slither, and this has a tendency to give many people the creeps. Since snakes can bite, the same as arachnids, a fear of being infected with venom is prevalent. This phobia serves to some as a survival mechanism, but it’s typically taken too far. The reason for this is because people fear the thought of snakes. The prevalence of this phobia is about 2 percent of the population.
6. Hemophobia
Blood phobia (also known as hemophobia or hematophobia) is an extreme irrational fear of blood, a type of specific phobia. Severe cases of this fear can cause physical reactions that are uncommon in most other fears, specifically vasovagal syncope (fainting). Similar reactions can also occur with trypanophobia and traumatophobia. For this reason, these phobias are categorized as blood-injection-injury phobia by the DSM-IV. Some early texts refer to this category as “blood-injury-illness phobia.” It is often caused by traumatic events in childhood, especially ones including some kind of physical injury. The injury typically included a lot of blood, and the extremes of the anxiety can include panic attacks. This phobia affects nearly 4 percent of people.
The 13 Most Common Phobias
7. Aerophobia
Aerophobia is a fear of being on an airplane, or other flying vehicle, such as a helicopter, while in flight. People with fear of flying experience intense, persistent fear or anxiety. This happens when they consider flying, as well as during the process of flying. They will avoid flying if they can, and the fear, anxiety, and avoidance cause significant distress and impair their ability to function. Take-off, bad weather, and turbulence appear to be the most anxiety provoking aspects of flying. The condition can be treated with exposure therapy, which works better when combined with cognitive behavioral therapy. Nearly 2 percent of people deal with this phobia.
8. Trypanophobia
Trypanophobia known in medical literature as needle phobia, is the extreme fear of medical procedures involving injections or hypodermic needles. This can lead to avoidance of medical care, including vaccine hesitancy. This is associated withy a more broad fear of sharp objects. It is estimated that at least 10% of American adults have a fear of needles, and it is likely that the actual number is larger, as the most severe cases are never documented due to the tendency of the sufferer to avoid all medical treatment. The diagnosis criteria for BII phobias are stricter, with an estimated 3-4% prevalence in the general population, and this also includes blood-related phobias.
The 13 Most Common Phobias
9. Hydrophobia
Aquaphobia (also known as hydrophobia) is an irrational fear of water. A fear of water is a core symptom of rabies, but it’s a common fear among others as well. This phobia coincides with a fear of drowning and an inability to breathe or being suffocated. A fear of water can be seen in those afraid of things like air sharks or the ocean. It can come from a traumatizing experience like an inability to escape. A person may have experienced a hurricane or tsunami, causing them to fear large bodies of water. The effect it has on somebody, like any phobia, can lead to panic attacks and generalized anxiety. The overall prevalence of this phobia is about 2 percent in the general population.
10. Astraphobia
Astraphobia is an abnormal fear of thunder and lightning or an unwarranted fear of scattered and/or isolated thunderstorms. A person with astraphobia will often feel anxious during a thunderstorm even when they understand that the threat to them is minimal. Some symptoms are those accompanied with many phobias, such as trembling, crying, sweating, panicked reactions, the sudden feeling of using the bathroom, nausea, the feeling of dread, insertion of the fingers in the ears, and rapid heartbeat.
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However, there are some reactions that are unique to astraphobia. For instance, reassurance from other people is usually sought, and symptoms worsen when alone. Many people who have astraphobia will look for extra shelter from the storm. They might hide underneath a bed, under the covers, in a closet, in a basement, or any other space where they feel safer. Efforts are usually made to smother the sound of the thunder; the person may cover their ears or curtain the windows. This phobia affects about 3-5 percent of people.
The 13 Most Common Phobias
11. Autophobia
Autophobia, also called isolophobia, is the specific phobia of isolation; a morbid fear of being egotistical, or a dread of being alone or isolated. Sufferers need not be physically alone, but just to believe that they are ignored or unloved. Autophobia can be associated with or accompanied by other phobias, such as agoraphobia, and is generally considered part of the agoraphobic cluster, meaning that it has many of the same characteristics as certain anxiety disorders and hyperventilation disorders. The main concern of people with phobias in the agoraphobic cluster is their ability to get help in case of emergency. This often makes them afraid of going out in public, being caught in crowds, being alone, or being stranded.
12. Social Phobia
Social anxiety disorder (SAD), also known as social phobia, is an anxiety disorder. It is characterized by sentiments of fear and anxiety in social situations. This causes considerable distress and impaired ability to function in at least some aspects of daily life. These fears can be triggered by perceived or actual scrutiny from others. Individuals with social anxiety disorder fear negative evaluations from other people. Fearing any kind of social interaction triggers a fear of making a mistake or feeing awkward and stupid. the problem with any phobia is that it affects people inwardly and causes the problem itself. This phobia affects nearly 5 percent of people in the general population.
The 13 Most Common Phobias
13. Cynophobia
Cynophobia is the fear of dogs and canines in general. This can include wolves, coyotes, wild dogs, and even domesticated dogs. The fear is typically caused by a trauma from a dog or the thought that dogs can cause you great bodily harm. This goes hand in hand with a fear of injuries and even rabies. Thinking that dogs are dirty or disease causing is a major contributing factor in the fear of canines. If a fear of dogs is present, like most other phobias, it occurs first before the age of twenty. The prevalence of this phobia in the general population is less than 10 percent.
Other mentions — Coulrophobia, which is a fear of clowns – Ailurophobia, which is a fear of cats
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