What is the fear of swings called? What are phobias - a complete list

TO phobias often include any manifestations anxiety, fear, fear, fright . This understanding is dictated by the characteristics of anxiety-phobic disorders - their symptoms are so wide that it is possible to find some form of obsessive fear in almost everyone.

But how exactly to distinguish the presence of a phobia from the ordinary form of apprehension and fear?

What it is?

The existence of humanity has always been associated with the need to protect against possible danger, therefore nature itself has created a safety mechanism in us that allows us to warn in time about a threat to life or health.

We are talking about the emotion of anxiety and the feeling of fear, which characterize the emotional sphere of a person at a time of real danger.

Emphatically irrational, fear in anxiety-phobic disorder, as a rule, has no basis - it is not required either for survival or for preventing risks and threats. At the same time, the danger in the human mind multiplies many times over; even harmless phenomena (objects, events) can be elevated to the rank of a threat to life.

Adequacy, rationality and logic, like other cognitive characteristics of the thought process, are simply absent. Experiences so captivate the mind that a person becomes capable of committing the most stupid and inexplicable acts.

This is what explains the most strange phobias that arise in people: fear of bald people - peladophobia, or fear of bearded people - pogonophobia, mirrors - eisoptrophobia, aquariums - ichthyolaccophobia, antiques - anticophobia, etc.

Moreover, people cannot specify what directly causes such strong fear.

How the body reacts to a phobia

The physiological reaction of the body when experiencing a phobia is associated with the preparation of all systems to resist a potential threat, and the following occurs:

the heart beats faster, blood pressure rises, oxygen supply to tissues becomes more intense, which can cause complications in the cardiovascular system (infarction, heart attacks);
the pupils of the eyes dilate, which indicates a stressful state;
the intensity of inhalation-exhalation cycles increases, oxygen saturation of the lungs increases, which can initiate hyperventilation and, as a result, panic;
the adrenal glands begin to intensively produce the stress hormone (cortisol), which has a detrimental effect on the state of the immune system, muscle and bone tissue;
body cooling mechanisms are activated - sweating occurs more intensely;
the functioning of the digestive organs is disrupted.

Types of human phobias

Analyzing the types of phobias, experts develop their own and very diverse classifications. Although there is a unified international classification of phobias, including at least 3 large groups:

agoraphobia;
social;
specific.

Space is dangerous

Agoraphobia was originally associated with “fear of the marketplace” - the meaning of the word in literal translation.

The modern understanding of this type of uncontrollable fear includes a fairly wide range of phenomena associated with: open or, conversely, closed space, large crowds of people, any public place, travel, the inability to instantly get to a safe place (home, for example).

Hostile surroundings

Excessive anxiety and fear as a reaction to a possible negative assessment of the social environment, to ridicule, criticism, condemnation of people - all this is a possible basis for the manifestation social phobias.

Social phobes experience difficulties in adapting to life in society, when building interactions with people: when making acquaintances, communicating on the phone and in person with visitors, with superiors, if necessary, performing actions in the presence of others (eating, writing, etc.), speak publicly.

This type also includes fear of work. Not everyone will remember what the phobia is called in this case, but many have experienced ergophobia if necessary, get a new job, perform too complex and time-consuming tasks, after injuries in the workplace, in case of unfavorable relations with the team.

Isolated and so many-faced fears

Specific or isolated phobias describe fears associated with specific situations, phenomena or objects. A panic attack of fear can be caused by animals and insects, natural phenomena and physical objects (thunderstorm, strong wind, water, loud sound, height).

Human phobias: list with explanations

The American Medical Terminology Dictionary defines 400 types of phobias.

The list of the most common includes about 50 items. Here are some of them:

Fear of illness ( nosophobia). A person is persistently and inevitably terribly afraid of getting sick - with one, or less often, with several diseases. Sometimes this leads to complete inaction - in order not to expose oneself to danger, all attempts to interact with the outside world are suppressed.
Fear of death ( thanatophobia).
Slightly related to the previous phobia, but specific from the point of view of the specific object of fear. Everyone is afraid of death, but for a thanatophobe this fear is constant and is not associated with a real risk of “departing for another world.” An individual experiences severe panic attacks at the mere thought of the possibility of death.
Fear of germs ( spermophobia). People suffering from this phobia try in every way to avoid environments containing microorganisms - dirt, dust. They wash everything, clean it, fight it almost “to the holes.”
Fear of heights ( acrophobia). Inadequate perception of everything associated with being at altitude. Even at low altitudes, the individual becomes numb and overly tense, covering his face with his hands. Nausea sets in and I feel very dizzy.
Fear of holes ( trypophobia). Any hole, or rather a cluster of them (even in natural objects) is associated with a threat: you can get sucked into holes, you can fall there, poisonous creatures can lurk there. The discomfort caused by the fear of holes is accompanied by the whole spectrum of negative emotions - disgust, extreme hostility.
Fear of the dark ( achluophobia, nyctophobia).
Darkness, associated with surprise and the unknown, evokes animal horror. Although it is more associated with childhood fears, nyctophobia is inherent in any age. People with imagination are more inclined - it always tries to complete the terrible plot of what may be hidden in the dark.
Fear of people ( anthropophobia). This form of phobia can be called an extreme manifestation of social fears, when even the presence of one person is painfully experienced. A neurotic state occurs with any violation of personal space, especially with direct contact with a person, especially an unfamiliar one.
Fear of dogs ( caninophobia, cynophobia). Knowing that a dog is a human-friendly animal, cinephobes deeply do not support this opinion. For them, these animals serve as a source of fear, increased heartbeat, panic and the desire to run away without looking back. Regardless of size, appearance and distance from the individual, the dog inspires maximum fear.
Fear of snakes ( ophidiophobia).
A snake is not the most pleasant creature, which is why many people understand ophidiophobia. Irrational fear and pathological anxiety in relation to snakes is reflected in the reluctance to even think about the places where snakes may live, let alone visit them. Such people deliberately limit their stay in nature, spending the night in tents. The search for snakes is carried out even in one’s own home or workplace - this is in case of particularly severe phobias.
Fear of insects ( entomophobia, insectophobia). This phobia is similar to the previous one - here horror is caused by any species of insects or their individual representatives. The very sight of crawling creatures, the sounds they make when moving and flying, is perceived as painful, with emotional intolerance.

Phobia test

Diagnosis of fears is carried out using at least 2 varieties test methods:

personal questionnaires or questionnaires to determine psycho-emotional state;
projective tests.

TO first This group includes all tests of the classic version, which involve a general “question-answer” scheme (or “a statement - its assessment” by the test taker). A phobia can be judged by a significant level of personal and situational anxiety. In this case, the Spielberger-Khanin questionnaire is used, which gives an objective assessment of a person’s perception of a range of circumstances that are objectively not dangerous, but in the presence of a phobia are associated with an undoubted threat.

Information about the severity of the phobia is also provided by the Zang scale (ZARS test), which allows self-assessment to identify an anxiety disorder, a panic attack, or the phobia itself.

Projective test techniques are designed to work with the subconscious. For the subject, there is stimulus material (in the form, for example, pictures, drawings, abstract images) that stimulates a number of associations, from which it becomes possible for the psychologist to draw a conclusion about the existence of fear and its characteristics.

The most famous projective techniques:

Rorschach stains, where the stimulus material is a set of inkblots - they become an indicator that “raises” repressed fears and concerns from the subconscious into the conscious sphere (a person is shown inkblots, and he “recognizes” something vaguely familiar in them);

non-existent animal: the technique is based on the close relationship between a person’s psychomotor skills and his internal psychological sensations (emotions); By drawing an animal, the appearance of which is suggested only by his own imagination, the individual, through muscle tone and fine motor skills of the hands, demonstrates his own fear on a piece of paper.

Treatment

Along with medicinal influence, psychocorrectional work is one of the methods of overcoming anxiety-phobic disorders.

The main focus of psychotherapy for phobias is to strengthen the body’s adaptive functions to traumatic experiences.

Something's going on designing a new approach to respond to frightening reality:

An effective way to gradually master your own phobia and curb it is desensitization . Painful fear creates great tension in a person’s body and psyche; if one manages to master the technique of voluntary relaxation during the experience of a phobia, the individual can achieve a state where fear gradually recedes instead of, as before, allowing it to unconditionally take over the consciousness and emotional state.

The emergence and spread of phobia is a phenomenon that has not yet been fully studied, although it is clear that this process is facilitated by mental And psychophysiological features person.

Fatigue, tension (of the psyche), irrational and negative thinking, on the one hand, contribute to the development of anxiety and fear, but on the other hand, they are a hint and an important resource for finding a way out of a situation of uncontrollable fear and defeating it.

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website collected 25 of the strangest human phobias, many of which can actually be a serious disorder and cause big problems for a person.

Acribophobia- obsessive fear of not understanding the meaning of what you read.

Sometimes it can become a sign of schizophrenia (when patients complain that the phrase breaks up into words and individual syllables).

Hexakosioyhexekontahexaphobia- fear of the number 666.

An attack of this disease was shown in the episode "The Honking" of the animated series Futurama. Then Bender was afraid of the reflection in the mirror of the reflected symbols “0101100101” (666 in the binary number system).

There are several known cases where transport route numbers were changed to a different number to avoid it.

Hippopotomonstrosesquipedalophobia- speaks for itself - fear of long words.

Gnosiophobia (epistemophobia) - fear of gaining knowledge.

It is logical that 70% of people suffering from this phobia are residents of megalopolises and large cities. This phobia was also found in “Mowgli children” who grew up outside of human society.

Hydrosophobia- fear of sweating and catching a cold or fear of becoming a source of unpleasant odor.

Those suffering from this phobia may envy birds - they do not have sweat glands, just as rabbits and pigs do not secrete sweat.

Dextrophobia- fear of objects located to the right of the patient.

The roots of the disease apparently go back to childhood - when a person was accustomed to expecting danger on the right.

Dorophobia- fear of receiving or giving gifts.

Kumpunophobia- fear of buttons.

1 person out of 75,000 suffers from this phobia, we do not recommend watching for such people cartoon“Coraline in the Land of Nightmares” - for them it will be a real nightmare.

Lacanophobia- fear of vegetables.

A person suffering from this disorder may experience nausea, dizziness and rapid breathing at the sight of vegetables. The smell is also unbearable. Some will not eat a product that has a vegetable next to it.

Nephophobia- fear of clouds.

Over time, it can take other forms, and develop into a fear of fog or air.

Omphalophobia- fear of belly buttons.

People suffering from this phobia are afraid of someone touching their belly button and are afraid of touching or looking at other people's belly buttons. This fear is often caused by the association of navels with the umbilical cord and the mother's womb. Sometimes omphalophobes are afraid to even think about belly buttons.

Ombrophobia- fear of rain.

Fear can lead to a serious panic attack. It is believed that a fear of rain can develop for several reasons, including because children are often told not to go outside in the rain, adding that they may get sick. Additionally, rain is often associated with depression.

Penteraphobia- fear of mother-in-law.

This may have been the reason for many jokes, but in reality it is a type of disorder when a person is simply unable to communicate with his mother-in-law (or mother-in-law).

Pogonophobia- fear of beards.

Presenter Jeremy Paxman has accused the BBC of pogonophobia after he was criticized for appearing on Newsnight with a beard.

Papaphobia- fear of the Pope.

Quite a rare occurrence. It is closely related to hierophobia (fear of clergy or religious objects). This fear usually arises as a result of trauma associated with the Pope.

Trypophobia- fear of accumulation of holes.

People suffering from trypophobia are afraid of objects with many small holes - they are associated with danger. So far, this type of fear has not been included in the official list of phobias, although, according to some reports, thousands of people suffer from it.

Trypophobes are afraid of objects such as honeycombs, sponges, or plants that have many small holes. Symptoms of trypophobia can include nausea, itching and even panic attacks.

Chairophobia- fear of laughing in an inappropriate environment (for example, at a funeral).

The mechanism of this fear is associated with a defensive reaction of the body, which can react strangely to a shocking situation and defend itself with a manifestation of joy.

Chronophobia- fear of time.

A person is haunted by thoughts about time, anxious anticipation - “when will hour X come”, “it seems to me that this will never end”, and fear of the future, of the speed of the passage of time, thoughts in the style of “I didn’t have time (I won’t have time)” , “how much time do I still have” and so on.

Phobic disorders (fears, common phobias) are mostly the result of the development of an anxious-hypochondriac personality.

They are expressed in excessive fear in relation to certain objects, animals, phenomena or situations:

– fear of sharp things;
– fear of spiders;
– fear of serpentine creatures (not only snakes, but also lizards that move like snakes);
– fear of dolls, namely their gaze,

and also in fear of certain situations:

And it’s worth highlighting pantophobia – an unreasonable, constant and all-encompassing fear.

Some phobias (like agoraphobia) are classified in psychiatry as a separate category, while other fears are grouped together as simple fears.

A simple phobia is diagnosed after excluding agoraphobia and.

As a rule, simple (isolated) phobias do not affect a person’s physical state, but an unexpected collision with an object of fear can cause an uncontrollable panic attack.

General forecast

Phobias can be an independent disease, or be included in various nosological groups - be it phobias based on neuroses or schizophrenia. The prognosis for each individual case is determined individually and depends on the picture of the disease in which the phobia is included.

Over time, phobias can disappear or be successfully compensated by the person, but in some cases they can progress. The development of phobias is observed, as a rule, in various forms of schizophrenia.

Treatment information

Groups of drugs used for phobias are tranquilizers (triazoles, mainly) and beta-adrenergic receptor blockers. In some cases, antidepressants are used, namely reversible MAO inhibitors.

The place of phobias in classifications of diseases

Today, phobias are diagnosed using disease criteria outlined in two major disease classifications: the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV-TR) and the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems (ICD-10).

The first rubricator is built exclusively on mental disorders, but ICD-10 includes all known diseases, including mental ones. The ICD-10 mental health categories draw heavily on the DSM-IV-TR categories.

Please note that to date, the fifth edition of the DSM has been published, but not yet translated into Russian.

So, before giving a list of phobias and their meaning, let's look at the main categories by which these disorders are diagnosed.

ICD-10

F40.0 Agoraphobia

Here, agoraphobia is a whole group of different diseases, the common thing of which is the fear of crowds, people and open spaces. This can include a variety of fears, such as fear of traveling, leaving the house, or shopping. Often these disorders are associated with depressive symptoms, obsessions or social phobias. Often, people with agoraphobia have well-developed mechanisms for “avoiding” their fears, so they do not cause much distress.

F40.1 Social phobias

Basically it all comes down to the fear of attention to one’s person. This fear leads to active avoidance of social situations. The deeper reasons for the development of social phobias are chronically low self-esteem, as well as fear of criticism. Phobias are detected through somatic symptoms, such as facial flushing, tremors, nausea, and the urge to urinate. Often these secondary manifestations seem to the patient to be the basis of his problems. Social phobias can progress to panic states.

F40.2 Specific (isolated) phobias

fear of thunder;
fear of defecating in public toilets;
fear of blood;
fear of any type of food.

And also all other isolated and known fears. Directly non-acting objects of fear do not cause discomfort, but getting into a traumatic situation can be accompanied by an attack of severe panic, as with social phobias and agoraphobia.

DSM-V

Now let's look at the DSM-IV-TR/-V diagnostic criteria. According to this guide, specific (isolated) phobias are divided into five main classes, which are based on the focus of the phobic reaction and ways of avoiding dangerous situations. Let's list them:

Now let’s look at the exact diagnostic criteria for isolated phobia:

there is a pronounced, stable, unjustifiably excessive fear that arises in a situation of collision with the object of fear, or when anticipating such a collision;
meeting an object of fear almost always causes reactive anxiety, expressed through panic attacks, which manifest themselves either before or during being in a frightening situation;
a person understands the groundlessness and excessiveness of his fear;
a person tries to avoid a frightening situation, and when confronted with it, experiences severe anxiety or other suffering.

Comment: point B for children is expressed in crying and whims, stupors, or attempts to find protection from adults. Point C may not be available for children.

It is also important to note that in order to make a diagnosis, a necessary condition is a period during which fear objectively prevented the person from functioning normally. The diagnosis is made if this period is equal to or greater than 6 months.

145 phobias

So, we have figured out in general terms what a phobia is and now we will give a list of phobic disorders (phobias) of a person in alphabetical order.

basophobia – fear of walking;
bacteriophobia – fear of infection by bacteria (may be a form of fear of dirt);
Ballistophobia – fear of being hit by a bullet or bomb;
barophobia – fear of lifting heavy things;
blaptophobia – fear of accidentally injuring someone;
bromhydrophobia - fear that others can smell the patient;
brontophobia – fear of thunder;

Vaccinophobia – fear of vaccination and neurological complications;
Venerophobia – fear of contracting sexually transmitted diseases;
verbophobia – fear of certain words;
verminophobia – fear of worms, bacteria and germs, as well as fear of becoming infected due to them (may be nosophobia);
vertigophobia – fear of dizziness;
winephobia – fear of drinking wine and wine drinks;

dextrophobia - fear of everything that is on the right;
Demenophobia - fear of demons, evil spirits, Satan (can manifest itself during religious delirium, but in this case it is no longer a phobia);
– fear of crowds;
– fear of dental intervention (unnaturally strong fear);
dermatopathophobia – fear of skin diseases;
decidophobia – fear of making decisions (not to be confused with indecisiveness);
– fear and rejection of one’s own physical shortcomings, even imaginary ones (often a delusional belief, not a phobia);
doromophobia – fear of any gifts;

– a collective name for phobias associated with the fear of animals;
zemmiphobia – fear of moles;

insectophobia – fear of any insects (a form of zoophobia);
hierophobia - fear of religious cults, sects;
iophobia – fear of poisoning, poisons;

lalophobia – fear of speech due to the likelihood of stuttering or getting confused;
laterophobia is a fear that often accompanies cardiophobia. Expressed in fear of lying on one's side;
leprophobia – fear of contracting leprosy;
lysophobia – fear of rabies;
logophobia – a general fear of speaking;

maniophobia – fear of going crazy;
Megalophobia – fear of large structures;
mysophobia – fear of dirt, as well as infection with infectious diseases;

– fear of the dead;
nomophobia – fear of being left without communication or a mobile device;
– fear of illness;
nosocomephobia – fear of visiting hospitals;

ombrophobia – fear of getting wet in the rain;
Onanophobia – fear of the consequences of masturbation;
osmophobia – fear of any body odors;

radiophobia – fear of exposure to radiation, radiation sickness;
Ripophobia – fear of uncleanness, dirt;

siderodromophobia – fear of eating on trains;
scopophobia – fear of stares;
somniphobia – fear of sleep;
social phobia is a collective name. In general – fear of society and any social phenomena;
– fear of spirits, ghosts;
spermophobia – fear of germs (namely germs!);
stazobasophobia – fear of walking and standing;

thalassophobia – fear of the sea and any activity associated with it;
thanatophobia – fear of death;
Terrorophobia – fear of terrorism, terrorist acts;
theophobia - fear of divine manifestations (punishment, interference in fate, etc.);
tokophobia – fear of childbirth;
toxicophobia – fear of poisoning;
topophobia – fear of being alone in a room;
transphobia – fear, often associated with aggression towards transgender people;
tremophobia – fear of trembling;
eichophobia – fear of compliments (both receiving and giving);
emetophobia – fear of vomiting;
epistakophobia – fear of nosebleeds;
ergasiophobia – a local phobia in young surgeons before surgery;
ergophobia – fear of work and purposeful actions;
erythrophobia – fear of blushing;
erotophobia – fear of being asked questions about sex and sexuality;
ephebiphobia – fear of people aged 12 to 18 years;

Iatrophobia – fear of doctors.

About diagnostic problems

Despite the fact that our list of fears is represented by 145 items, this is just a drop in the bucket compared to the various phobias not mentioned. Experience shows that compiling a single data bank for phobias is impossible, since there are often isolated cases when the object of fear is an absolutely strange thing.

Moreover, phobias are often included in the picture of other diseases, in particular schizophrenia. By the way, it is within the framework of a schizophrenic defect that the most unusual and strange phobias develop, the list of which can be continued indefinitely.

It is precisely because phobias are included in other disorders that the question of distinguishing between “pure” phobias and fears as symptoms often arises.

Also, you should not classify various controlled and adequate fears under the category of phobias. For example, we mentioned fear of dentists. It would seem that almost everyone experiences discomfort and anxiety when visiting dentists; is it possible to speak of such a phobia in this case? It is possible, because one of the diagnostic criteria is subjective inadequacy, lack of control and strength of fear.

So, there is no single list of phobic disorders (phobias), just as there are no identical causes for various fears and no universal treatment methods.

Therefore, we do not recommend self-diagnosis and self-medication, and if necessary, contact specialists who will help establish an accurate diagnosis - if any - and select an individual course of treatment.

Every healthy person is capable of experiencing natural fear, inherent in him by nature as a protective mechanism of the self-preservation instinct. Normal fear warns a person of possible danger. Fear that has no connection with the instinct of self-preservation is far-fetched and often pathological. Phobias are pathological fears with an inadequate reaction.

In psychiatry, they are classified as obsessive-compulsive disorders, characterized by thinking disorders. Obsessive states arise against a person’s will and, despite the fact that the person himself is critical of them, he is not able to get rid of them on his own.

A phobia is an obsessive fear that is distinguished by a clear plot, persistent course, and a person maintaining a critical attitude towards his condition. Preserved consciousness and the absence of delusions are signs that differentiate phobias from serious mental disorders (schizophrenia, manic-depressive syndrome).

Classification

To date, experts have recorded and described more than 300 types of phobias. There are several ways to classify phobic disorders based on specific characteristics. For example, the classification of psychiatrist Karvasarsky, compiled according to the plot of fear, contains eight groups of main plots.

The first group includes fear of space in its various manifestations. The most well-known phobias of this type are claustrophobia (fear of enclosed spaces) and its opposite type, agoraphobia (fear of open spaces). Claustrophobia often develops in miners who survived a collapse, submariners after an accident, and in ordinary people after similar situations.
The second group is social phobia. These types of panic fear are associated with social life: fear of public speaking, any actions in public (for example, leaving the table to relieve yourself), fear of blushing in the presence of others. This also includes the fear of “losing” a loved one.
The third group includes nosophobia or fear of the possibility of getting sick, which is especially aggravated during epidemics.
The fourth group is thanatophobia or obsessive fear of death.
The fifth group includes fear of various kinds of sexual manifestations, for example, coitophobia or panic fear of sexual intercourse, which is characteristic mainly of women and is accompanied by vaginismus syndrome.
The sixth group includes the fear of harming yourself or your loved ones.
The seventh is “contrasting” phobias (for example, a well-bred person’s fear of doing something “indecent” in public).
Finally, the eighth group is phobophobia, fear of the very feeling of fear.

A more simplified classification includes several main types:

children, which include social phobias,
teenage, including fear of space, thanatophobia, nosophobia, intimophobia (a man’s fear of having a close relationship with a woman, and not only intimate ones),
parental – the obsessive fear of parents that something bad will happen to their child.

There are special tests to identify phobias. If the test result indicates phobic symptoms, you should consult a psychologist.

List of phobias

abannumophobia - fear of abandonment
ablutophobia (ablutophobia) - fear of washing, bathing, washing or cleaning
abortivophobia - fear of abortion, miscarriage
aviophobia - fear of flying in air vehicles
Avidsophobia - fear of being turned into a bird
Auroraphobia - fear of the polar lights
Australophobia - fear of Australia, Australians, everything Australian
autokinetophobia (amaxophobia, motorophobia, ochophobia) - fear of cars, motorcycles, etc.
hagiophobia - fear of sacred objects
agyrophobia (dromophobia) - fear of streets, crossing the street
Agnosophobia - fear of the unknown
agonophobia - fear of rape
agoraphobia - fear of space, open places, squares, crowds of people, markets
agraphobia (contreltophobia) - fear of sexual harassment, sex
agrizoophobia - fear of wild animals
addicerophobia - fear of a bad habit
Asiaphobia - fear of everything Asian
aibophobia - fear of palindromes
ailurophobia (galeophobia, gatophobia) - fear of cats
Aichmophobia - fear of sharp objects
acarophobia - fear of ticks
aquaphobia - fear of water, drowning, see hydrophobia
acculturaphobia - fear of assimilation
acliophobia - fear of deafness
aconsciusiophobia - fear of falling into unconsciousness
acrotomophobia - fear of amputation
acrophobia - fear of heights
Akusapungerephobia - fear of acupuncture
acousticophobia (lygrophobia, phonophobia) - fear of loud sounds
algophobia - fear of pain
alektorophobia - fear of roosters
alkephobia - fear of deer
Alliumophobia - fear of garlic
allodoxophobia - fear of opposing opinions
albuminurophobia - fear of kidney disease
altocalciphobia - fear of shoes, high heels
amaxophobia - fear of carriages
Amaruphobia - fear of bitterness
amatophobia - fear of dust
amaurophobia - fear of blindness
Ambulaphobia - fear of body movement
Ameriphobia - fear of everything American
Amychophobia - fear of scratching
amnesiophobia - fear of amnesia
Anablepophobia - fear of looking up
Anasteemophobia - fear of height difference
Anglophobia - fear of everything English
angrophobia - fear of becoming angry oneself, anger
andromimetophobia - fear of women imitating men
androphobia - fear of men
androticolobomassophobia - fear of men's ears
anecophobia - fear of homelessness
anemophobia - fear of wind
animatophobia - fear of cartoon characters
Ankylophobia - fear of joint immobility
anticophobia - fear of antiques
anthlophobia - fear of floods
antophobia - fear of flowers
anthropophobia - fear of people or the company of people, a form of social phobia
Anuptaphobia - fear of being single
apeirophobia - fear of infinity
apiphobia - fear of bees, wasps; a special case of zoophobia
apocalypsophobia - fear of the end of the world
apotemnophobia - fear of amputation
approbarephobia - fear of approval
arachibutyrophobia - fear of peanut butter (including that it will stick to the roof of the mouth)
arachnophobia - fear of spiders; a special case of zoophobia
Argentophobia - fear of silver
Aripophobia - fear of cleanliness
arcanophobia - fear of magic
arctophobia - fear of plush toys
arcusophobia - fear of arches
Arsonophobia - fear of arson
asymmetriophobia - fear of asymmetry
asthenophobia - fear of weakness
astraphobia - fear of the starry sky
astrologiophobia - fear of astrology, astrologers
asphyxiophobia - fear of self-suffocation
Ascendarophobia - fear of hills
atazagoraphobia - fear of being forgotten by others
ataxiaphobia - fear of ataxia
ataxiophobia - fear of disorder
atanphobia - fear of oats
atelophobia - fear of imperfection
atephobia - fear of destruction
atychiphobia - fear of making a mistake, failing
atomosophobia - fear of nuclear energy and nuclear war
Autoritophobia - fear of government officials
aulophobia - fear of wind instruments
aurophobia - fear of gold
autismphobia - fear of autism (as well as Asperger's and Tourette's syndromes)
autoassassinophobia - fear of suicide
autogonistophobia - fear of being filmed on camera
autodisomophobia - fear of one's own body odor
automysophobia - fear of contaminating one's body
autophobia - fear of oneself
Aurangephobia - fear of the color orange
aphephobia - see haptophobia
afronemophobia - fear of irrational thinking
Afrophobia - fear of everything African
achluophobia - fear of the dark, see nyctophobia
acerophobia - fear of acid
acidusrigarephobia - fear of acid rain
aeroacrophobia - fear of open spaces at heights
Aeronausiphobia - fear of air sickness
aeropoluerephobia - fear of air pollution
aerophobia - fear of flying, as well as the air
aeroemphysemophobia - fear of decompression sickness
aesophobia - fear of copper
aetatemophobia - fear of aging

bateophobia - see acrophobia
Belonophobia - see Aichmophobia
brontophobia - fear of thunder, see astraphobia

verminophobia - fear of bacteria, germs, infection
Vespertiliophobia - fear of bats
vomitophobia - see emetophobia

galeophobia, gatophobia - see ailurophobia
halitophobia (English) - fear of bad breath
haptophobia (aphephobia, haphephobia, haphophobia, hapnophobia, haptephobia, thixophobia) - fear of being touched by others
hexakosioyhexekontahexaphobia - fear of the number 666
heliophobia (English) (heleophobia) - fear of the sun, sunlight
gelotophobia - fear of being the object of humor or ridicule
hemophobia (hematophobia, hemaphobia) - fear of blood
genophobia (English), coitophobia - fear of sex, sexual contacts
gerontophobia (gerascophobia) - fear or hatred of older people or one's own aging
germophobia - see mysophobia
herpetophobia - fear of reptiles, reptiles, snakes; a special case of zoophobia
heterophobia - fear of the opposite sex
Gephyrophobia - fear of bridges
hydrosophobia - fear of sweating
hydrophobia (aquaphobia) - fear of water, dampness, liquids
hylophobia (xylophobia, nygohylophobia, hilophobia) - fear of the forest, getting lost in the forest
Gymnophobia (English) - fear of nudity
gynecophobia (English) (gynephobia, gynophobia) - fear of women
Hypengiophobia - fear of taking responsibility
hippophobia - fear of horses; a special case of zoophobia
glossophobia (peiraphobia) - fear of public speaking
Gnosiophobia (epistemophobia) - fear of knowledge/cognition
homophobia - fear and, as a result, rejection and negative reaction to manifestations of homosexuality
hoplophobia (hoplophobia) - fear of weapons
gravidophobia - fear of meeting a pregnant woman, pregnancy

demophobia (ochlophobia) - fear of crowds, crowds
dentophobia (odontophobia) - fear of dentists, dental treatment
decidophobia - fear of making decisions
dysmorphophobia - fear of physical defects in one's own appearance
dromophobia - see agyrophobia

zoophobia - fear of animals

iatrophobia - see iatrophobia
insectophobia - fear of insects; a special case of zoophobia

caninophobia - fear of dogs
carcinophobia (carcinophobia, kacerophobia) - fear of getting cancer, a malignant tumor
catagelophobia - fear of ridicule
keraunophobia - fear of lightning, see astraphobia
cynophobia - fear of dogs
claustrophobia - fear of enclosed spaces
kleptophobia - fear of stealing or being robbed
Climacophobia (climactophobia) - fear of walking up stairs, stairs
coitophobia - see genophobia
contraltophobia - see agraphobia
coprophobia - fear of feces
coulrophobia (English) - fear of clowns
xenophobia - fear or hatred of someone or something foreign, unfamiliar, unusual
xylophobia - see hylophobia

ligyrophobia - see acousticophobia
logophobia (verbophobia) - fear of speaking in public or with strangers

megalophobia - fear of large (huge, gigantic) objects/objects
mysophobia (germophobia) - fear of contracting an infectious disease, dirt, touching surrounding objects
myrmecophobia - fear of ants; a special case of zoophobia
monitorophobia - fear of observation, surveillance

necrophobia - fear of corpses and funeral items
neophobia (English) - fear of new things, changes
nobodyhylophobia - see hylophobia
nomophobia - fear of being left without a mobile phone, without communication
nosophobia (English) - fear of getting sick
nosocomephobia (English) - fear of hospitals
nyctophobia (English) (achluophobia, scotophobia, eluophobia) - fear of the dark, night

odontophobia - see dentophobia
oikophobia (English) - fear of home, returning home
Omnibusophobia - fear of buses
osmophobia (English) - fear of body odors
ornithophobia - fear of birds and their feathers; a special case of zoophobia
ophidiophobia (English), or ophiophobia - fear of snakes; a special case of herpetophobia
ochlophobia - fear of crowds, see demophobia

panphobia (English) (panaphobia, panophobia, pantophobia) - fear of everything or constant fear for an unknown reason
paruresis - fear of urinating in public
pediophobia (English) - fear of dolls
pedophobia - any obsessive fear of children or products imitating them
peiraphobia - see glossophobia
pyrophobia - fear of fire, fires, death from fire
Poliophobia - fear of police officers
pnigophobia - fear of suffocation

radiophobia - fear of radiation
Ranidophobia - fear of frogs
rectophobia - fear of being rejected
Ripophobia - fear of dirt
rodentophobia - fear of rats

selachophobia - fear of sharks
scelerophobia - fear of bad people
scoleciphobia - fear of worms, infectious insects; a special case of zoophobia
scopophobia (English) (scopophobia) - fear of being closely looked at by others
scotophobia - see nyctophobia
somniphobia - fear of sleeping
social phobia - fear of society, contacts, awkward behavior in society, evaluation by others
spectrophobia (English) - 1) fear of ghosts
spectrophobia - 2) the same as eisoptrophobia

Thanatophobia (English) - fear of death
taphophobia - fear of being buried alive, of funerals
telephone phobia (English) - fear of the telephone, waiting for a telephone call
terrorophobia - fear of terrorism
tetraphobia - fear of the number 4
thixophobia - see haptophobia
tokophobia (maleusiophobia) - fear of childbirth
tonitrophobia - see astraphobia
traumaticphobia (English) - fear of injury
transphobia - fear and, as a result, rejection and negative reaction to manifestations of transgenderism
trypanophobia (English) - fear of needles and pricks
trypophobia - fear of cluster holes (not recognized by the Diagnostic American Psychiatric Association).
triskaidekaphobia (terdekaphobia) - fear of the number 13
trichophobia (English) - fear of hair getting into food, clothing, or body surfaces

phagophobia (English) - fear of swallowing, choking on food
pharmacophobia - fear of treatment, taking medications
Felinophobia - fear of cats
philophobia (English) - fear of falling in love
phobophobia (phobiophobia) - fear of phobias (fears), the appearance of symptoms of fear, fear of experiencing fright
phonophobia - see acousticophobia
friggatriskaidekaphobia - see paraskavedekatriaphobia

hilophobia - see hylophobia
Chemophobia - fear of chemistry
hoplophobia (hoplophobia) - fear of weapons
chronophobia - fear of time

Eisoptrophobia (spectrophobia) - fear of one's own reflection in the mirror
eluophobia - see nyctophobia
emetophobia (English) (vomitophobia) - fear of vomiting
entomophobia - fear of insects
ergasiophobia (English) - fear of operating (among surgeons)
ergophobia (English) - fear of working, performing any actions
eremophobia - fear of loneliness
erythrophobia (English) - fear of facial redness (fear of blushing in public)
erotophobia - fear of sex or questions about sex
ephebiphobia - fear of teenagers

Iatrophobia - fear of doctors

The mechanisms of the appearance of phobias have not been fully studied, but the categories of people predisposed to their development are known. A significant role is played by the genetic factor. In more than 80% of cases, phobic disorders occur in children whose parents themselves are anxious and, in the process of upbringing, involuntarily form in the child the perception of the world as a dangerous environment. That is, phobias are predominantly generated by the family and are steadily supported by it.

As a rule, emotionally sensitive types of people with a rich imagination are prone to phobias. It has been established that for the most part, panic fears are provoked by one single case when a dangerous (or imaginary dangerous) situation has arisen.

Having once experienced such a “terrible” situation, having experienced a panic attack, people try in every possible way to prevent this from happening again. As a result of such cultivation of negative memories and images, a disease develops.

It often turns out that it is not the object of fear itself that frightens a person, but the actual experience of fear and the terrible and painful sensations that he experiences during an attack. People can sometimes suffer for years and not know that the way out of the situation is quite simple.

It is interesting that in old age fears are extremely rare; by this period people, as a rule, get rid of them. Originating in childhood or adolescence, panic phenomena continue (if left untreated) until the age of 45-50. Women are more susceptible to them - in 65% of cases, which can be explained by the influence of a hormonal factor. After 50 years, phobic disorders weaken and disappear altogether.

Signs

The main symptom of phobias is the obsessive avoidance of situations that provoke feelings of fear and the onset of an attack or panic attack. Such an attack is easily recognized by the following symptoms:

spasms in the throat and choking,
cardiopalmus,
weakness and numbness throughout the body,
premonition of fainting,
profuse cold sweat,
feeling of horror
trembling in the body,
upset stomach, possible vomiting,
a feeling of loss of control over the body, it becomes “not mine”,
feeling like you're going crazy.

The presence of four symptoms from this list may indicate a developed phobia.

A phobic situation is characterized by an uncontrolled growth of fear as the danger grows in the person’s imagination. He focuses more and more deeply on the unpleasant sensations caused by the phobic reaction, without trying to reorient himself to what can calm him down. The panic state is so painful that it forces the patient to avoid any stimuli (words, memories, images) that can provoke a phobic reaction. It is not uncommon to find that symptoms diminish or disappear completely in the presence of a trusted loved one.

Treatment

The main treatment for phobias is psychotherapy. There are several methods of psychotherapy: cognitive behavioral therapy, behavioral therapy, hypnosis, systematic desensitization, Gestalt psychology, relaxation and auto-training techniques. The choice of technique is selected individually during a conversation between the doctor and the patient. Moreover, identifying the cause of the disease is considered half the success in treatment. The main goal of therapy is to develop in a person the ability to face a phobic situation face to face and exist in it without losing self-control, to convince him through experience (not through mental conclusions) that in reality this situation is not at all dangerous for him.

The method of immersing the patient in a real phobic situation - the method of cognitive behavioral therapy - is recognized as the most effective. It allows you to restore more realistic and natural ways of responding to the source of the phobia, increasing your sense of reality and reducing your level of fear.

The doctor equips a person suffering from a phobia with a set of psychological tools that will help him work on himself.

The use of drug therapy for mild forms of phobias is neither justified nor effective. In addition, there is a risk of the patient developing drug dependence on psychotropic drugs. Therefore, drug treatment is used only in cases of panic attacks or acute attacks of phobias, when it is difficult to manage without their help.

How to help yourself

The overwhelming majority of cases prove that with the right approach to the problem, fears disappear forever. Constant attempts to avoid meeting the source of phobias only aggravate the disease and contribute to its progression. The solution is to show courage, meet fear halfway and let it “cover” you. And nothing bad will happen. Then the brain will begin, relatively speaking, to understand that there is no need to activate the fear mechanism in this situation, since it is really not dangerous. Indeed, in the entire history of the study of phobias, there has not been a recorded case of a panic attack causing obvious harm to a person’s health.

Below is a video blog about the psychology of fears:

Probably every person has had to deal with phobias in one way or another. Some have learned to get along with their inner demons, while others strive with all their might to get rid of the worries that poison their lives. Experts pay great attention to the study of all kinds of phobias, trying to alleviate the plight of those suffering.

Some fears are quite common. We will definitely look at the list of the 10 most common phobias in this article. And there are also those whose names are unknown even to those who are susceptible to them. Therefore, we will mention rare phobias for your information.

What to do if a phobia interferes with your life, is it possible to get rid of it, is this always necessary? Let's find answers to all questions.

and mental disorder: what's the difference?

First of all, let's define the terms. Phobia is inextricably linked with fear. It represents an insurmountable fear of certain phenomena, objects, situations. But are these concepts identical?

Experts answer this question in the negative. According to scientists, the feeling of fear is a necessity with the help of which any living creature avoids danger. This mechanism that helps to survive is laid down by nature itself. But in most cases, the feeling of fear is justified.

A phobia may not only have no apparent cause, but also have a number of signs that are uncharacteristic of a natural feeling of fear. They are clearly visible even to those who do not have a medical degree. These include the following:

breathing failure (fast or slow);
the appearance of perspiration, increased sweating;
tremor, hand trembling;
disorientation in space, dizziness, nausea;
increased heart rate, unbalanced blood pressure.

Some of these signs also appear at a time of danger, when fear is justified. This is due to the release of adrenaline. By the way, this hormone only works for the good: it helps you make the right decision and get yourself together. The main thing is not to panic and pull yourself together in time.

In cases where we are talking about a phobia, a provoking stimulus is not needed. It is enough to mention or even just remember it. At the moment of exacerbation, fear is impossible to curb. A person cannot control himself, and the condition may worsen. At rest, a person is well aware that he has a phobia, but prefers not to talk about it.

This is the main difference from a mental disorder. Phobias do not affect the individual, do not violate the integrity of the perception of the world, and do not destroy the psyche. When fears become an obsession and a person begins to behave inappropriately, consulting a doctor is vital. Alarming symptoms should be considered regular mention of the cause of fear, arrangement of shelters, unreasonable spending on protective equipment, attempts to escape from a non-existent pursuit, the desire to find out as much information as possible related to the object of apparent danger, aggression towards those who are trying to dissuade. If someone you love is behaving this way, they may need help. None of the most common phobias, nor any of the rare ones, cause inappropriate behavior. Phobias are not a mental disorder.

Where do phobias come from?

Analyzing some common phobias, it can be assumed that their origins are similar. Experts believe that stress is often the cause. After a frightening situation, a person may forever lose the desire to be in it again.

Some phobias grow out of childhood shocks and fears. Often those situations, objects, people, circumstances that caused the phobia to form do not even remain in memory. But the subconscious mind stores information in its depths, “carefully” inspiring a person to avoid repetition in every possible way.

However, there is a lot that is inexplicable. For example, the fear of flying on an airplane can haunt those who have never flown. In this case, the phobia probably developed from a fear of heights. Some types of phobias are even more difficult to explain.

Mystical version of the origin of phobias

There is an alternative view. People who believe in the transmigration of souls put forward the theory that the phobia is associated with deep memories of a past life. More precisely, about a past death. According to esotericists, a person who drowned in a past life will be afraid of water in subsequent reincarnations.

Of course, although this version is quite entertaining, it cannot be considered scientific. In any case, she currently has no confirmation.

Groups of phobias

Specialists who study phobias and the characteristics of behavior associated with them use the following classification.

It is convenient to present a list of the most common phobias with explanations in the form of a table.

Fear factor	Description
Space	Fear of open areas or closed spaces
Society	Phobias associated with people, crowds, professions, communication
Health	Fear of diseases, specific or in general; fear of experiencing pain
	Fear of death, funerals, dead, cemeteries, coffins
	Many fears associated with the intimate sphere
	Fear of wrong action, judgment, inappropriate expression of feelings
	Phobias caused by fear of experiencing fear

Note that not all existing phobias are clearly classified. The table shows only the most common groups. To better understand the topic, it makes sense to familiarize yourself with each group in detail and consider examples.

Phobias related to space

Scientists call the most common phobia the fear of enclosed spaces, from which it is difficult to get out. There is a version that the reason for this may even be tight swaddling in infancy, but this is just a version that requires further analysis. Fear of small spaces is called claustrophobia.

The opposite phenomenon is agoraphobia. A person feels extremely uncomfortable in the middle of wide fields and squares.

Social phobias

The list is headed by anthropophobia - the fear of people in a broad sense. Aphenphosmophobia is the fear of being touched. The painful fear of people of the opposite sex is called heterophobia.

Many people are also susceptible to glossophobia, and this feature usually manifests itself in childhood. It is characterized by a fear of public speaking. Lemophobia, the fear of crowds, also belongs to this group.

Fear of diseases

Not least on the list of common phobias is (nosophobia). It can manifest itself both in persistent denial of real diagnoses and in obsessive searching for all sorts of symptoms. Monopathophobia is the fear of a specific illness.

Doctors also identify acnephobia, which is expressed in a terrible fear of acne.

There are also less common types in this group: amychophobia (fear of skin damage), venerophobia (fear of contracting STDs), vermiphobia (fear of pathogenic microorganisms), dermatophobia (when the risk of skin diseases is frightening).

Algophobia - the fear of experiencing pain - is common to many people. It can be difficult to diagnose, but to a reasonable extent this is common to everyone.

Mortal fear

Topping the list of the most common phobias associated with death is thanatophobia - the fear of death as such.

Taphephobia also belongs to the group - an indescribable fear of being buried alive. Surely many remember that such fear haunted Nikolai Vasilyevich Gogol all his life. Perhaps this was not just fear, but a premonition of trouble, because after the exhumation it was established that the great writer was most likely buried when he was in deep sleep or coma. Modern medicine has advanced significantly, experts pronounce death after an autopsy and careful examination, but many of our contemporaries also suffer from this phobia.

The names “cardiophobia” and “heart attack phobia” speak for themselves. These fears are associated with death from heart disease.

Sexual sphere

A very common phobia is panic fear of intimacy (coitophobia). This group also includes special cases: fear of the first sexual experience (intimophobia), fear of harassment (contreltophobia), fear of nudity and touching (mixeophobia).

The list of phobias included in this group is quite long. Scientists identify many areas, each of which is associated with certain parts of the body, situations, and other factors. Some people even have such an unusual fear as the fear of kissing (philemaphobia).

Contrast phobias

The next group unites fears associated with wrong actions, erroneous actions, and inappropriate feelings.

The most common are hamartophobia (fear of an unworthy act), paralipophobia (fear of a false choice), chairophobia (fear of inappropriate manifestations of joy), enosiophobia (fear of the Fall).

Phobiophobia

This sounds surprising, but the list of the most common phobias also includes phobia. Some people, especially those familiar with the topic, are terribly afraid that they will develop a phobia. These thoughts can be very intrusive.

Scary environment

Having examined the 7 main groups, we will pay attention to some equally common phobias that are not included in any of them.

Experts combine many varieties into the group of zoophobias. It should be noted that this is a collective name; as such, fear of all animals does not exist.

The factor is always a certain type of animal (for example, in ailurophobia - fear of cats), class (in ostraconophobia - fear of shellfish) or a group of animals.

List of the most common phobias

The top 10 will help you get a more complete understanding of the spread of certain fears.

According to experts, at least 20% of the world's population is susceptible to nyctophobia. The meaning of fear is related to It is the most common phobia in the world. Nyctophobia is most common among children. It may go away with age, but this does not always happen. Some people need a night light all their lives.
Acrophobia is a panicky fear of heights. 7-8% of people suffer from this. Airplanes, rooftops, balconies of high-rise buildings, mountain peaks, attractions like the Ferris Wheel - all this seems hateful and dangerous. According to experts, this phobia is not only one of the most common, but also extremely dangerous. Many people note that once at the top, they feel the urge to throw themselves down.
Aerophobia - fear of air travel. Common sense is powerless when a panic attack begins. Many aerophobes are well aware that an airplane is one of the safest vehicles, but they cannot help themselves.
Claustrophobia is the fear of closed or cramped spaces. Elevators, closed doors, secluded corners are frightening and make you want to break out.
Aquaphobia is the fear of choking or drowning.
Ophidiophobia is a panicky fear of snakes.
Hematophobia is an uncontrollable panic fear of blood, which is accompanied by loss of consciousness much more often than other phobias.
Thanatophobia is fear for one's own life.
Autophobia is caused by an obsessive fear of loneliness.
Glossophobia is the fear of speaking in public.

The most unusual phobias

All sorts of anxieties overcome a person... The most common phobias seem more or less understandable, but there are also those that are even more difficult to explain. Let's consider the names and factors of the most unusual human fears.

Acribophobia is a panicky fear of not understanding the essence of what is heard.
Gnosiophobia - fear of learning.
Lacanophobia - fear of vegetables.
Dorophobia is an inexplicable fear of gifts.
Hydrosophobia is an excessive fear of sweating.
Ombrophobia is associated with rain, snow, and hail.
Penteraphobia occurs only in men. The object of fear is the mother-in-law.
Chronophobia is the fear of time.
Philophobia is characterized
Ratterophobia is the fear of mispronouncing a word or phrase.

Is treatment necessary?

Experts do not give a clear answer to this question. Each case requires an individual approach. Some phobias can become causes of neuroses (by the way, Freud believed that nyctophobia always leads to neuroses).

It happens that a phobia can negatively affect your health, for example, cause heart problems. In such cases, consultation with a psychologist, and possibly a psychotherapist, is necessary.

It should be remembered that a person with a phobia should under no circumstances be “broken”: the fear of water will not disappear if you throw the unfortunate person out of a boat in the middle of the lake; Fear of snakes will not go away by itself from contact with reptiles. The consequences can be irreversible and tragic. Correction of the condition can only be determined by an experienced doctor.