What is Phobia?
Before we go through the phobia list, let us find out what phobia is! Phobia is an anxiety disorder in which a person suffers from a persistent fear of a situation or an object.
It is an extreme and irrational fear and the person suffering from phobia has an aversion to an object or a situation.
While we may sometimes laugh at someone reacting irrationally to a situation or an object, the person actually experiences a very deep sense of panic when he or she encounters the source of the fear.
The wide range of phobias that have been identified is quite perplexing and like it or not, you and I may have one of these phobias that we are going to list here.
But before that…
How does phobia differ from fear?
Phobia is a persistent fear.
But…
Fear is an emotional response that is induced by a certain perceived threat.
This emotional response is capable of changing the functioning of our organs and brain and even behavior. This emotional response is not persistent.
Fear has several reasons. For instance, it can arise out of a discovery, from avoiding a threat or from a confrontation.
People can react to a perceived threat in various ways. For instance, they may attempt to run away or they may try to hide or they may even freeze right in their shoes.
But…
Fear is an emotional response that is induced by a certain perceived threat.
This emotional response is capable of changing the functioning of our organs and brain and even behavior. This emotional response is not persistent.
Fear has several reasons. For instance, it can arise out of a discovery, from avoiding a threat or from a confrontation.
People can react to a perceived threat in various ways. For instance, they may attempt to run away or they may try to hide or they may even freeze right in their shoes.
What causes phobia?
There is no definitive answer to this question. There are many factors that can cause phobia. Some of the factors are:
Traumas or particular incidents:
We as humans go through various incidences in our lives that can shake us up. For instance, if we are flying on an airplane and it gets into a turbulence, we will be shaken up.
Now imagine a child who faces the same incidence in his or her childhood. It may so happen that when that child grows up, he or she develops a phobia of flying.
That can happen to anyone. There are many such incidences in our lives that can eventually lead to phobia. Care to talk about one such incidence in your life?
Genetics:
Like it or not, our genes can play a big role in this. Our genetic make up different for every single individual.
It is this genetic make that can make a person far more susceptible to phobia compared to others.
Learned responses:
What really is that? Well, it simply refers to what you learn during your young age. For instance, if you keep seeing your parents getting really worried about small issues or big and getting anxious very quickly when a situation doesn’t go as they expected, you may actually pick up the same behavior.
It may happen that if your parents have a certain phobia, you may also pick up the same. Learned responses can be picked up from just anyone.
Long-term stress:
Stress is a bad thing. It can lead to depression and anxiety. As a result of this, you can simply find a decline in your ability to cope with certain situations or anxiety.
You may just become more fearful into getting into situations that can possible be difficult for you to handle. This, over the long run, can eventually lead to phobia for such situations.
Fear or panic response:
Everyone of us have, at least once in our lifetime, faced a situation where we had a panic attack or a strong reaction to a particular object or a situation.
To top that, a thing that like can happen in front of others who can laugh at us for such reaction and make us feel embarrassed.
Over time, we will definitely develop a very strong anxiety about getting into a similar situation in front of others. This can also lead to phobia.
Traumas or particular incidents:
We as humans go through various incidences in our lives that can shake us up. For instance, if we are flying on an airplane and it gets into a turbulence, we will be shaken up.
Now imagine a child who faces the same incidence in his or her childhood. It may so happen that when that child grows up, he or she develops a phobia of flying.
That can happen to anyone. There are many such incidences in our lives that can eventually lead to phobia. Care to talk about one such incidence in your life?
Genetics:
Like it or not, our genes can play a big role in this. Our genetic make up different for every single individual.
It is this genetic make that can make a person far more susceptible to phobia compared to others.
Learned responses:
What really is that? Well, it simply refers to what you learn during your young age. For instance, if you keep seeing your parents getting really worried about small issues or big and getting anxious very quickly when a situation doesn’t go as they expected, you may actually pick up the same behavior.
It may happen that if your parents have a certain phobia, you may also pick up the same. Learned responses can be picked up from just anyone.
Long-term stress:
Stress is a bad thing. It can lead to depression and anxiety. As a result of this, you can simply find a decline in your ability to cope with certain situations or anxiety.
You may just become more fearful into getting into situations that can possible be difficult for you to handle. This, over the long run, can eventually lead to phobia for such situations.
Fear or panic response:
Everyone of us have, at least once in our lifetime, faced a situation where we had a panic attack or a strong reaction to a particular object or a situation.
To top that, a thing that like can happen in front of others who can laugh at us for such reaction and make us feel embarrassed.
Over time, we will definitely develop a very strong anxiety about getting into a similar situation in front of others. This can also lead to phobia.
What happens in the brains of those suffering from phobia?
Amygdala is culprit!
Oh yes! That cute little part of the brain that deals with emotions is the main culprit.
Our brain is capable of storing and then recalling events that are either dangerous or potentially deadly. At some point in life when a person faces one of those events, the brain successfully retrieves that dreadful memory.
This retrieval can take place once or more than once. As the memory gets retrieved, the body of the person experiences the same stress and reaction that he experienced for the first time which created the memory in the first place.
But what happens in the brain in case of a phobia? In such a case, the brain areas that deal with stress and fear keep on retrieving the dreadful event, albeit inappropriately.
In order to find out which part of the brain causes all the nuisance, scientists have used functional MRI.
They found that it is the amygdala (that part of the brain which sits right behind the pituitary gland located in our brain) that increases its activities when a person with a phobia is exposed that object or situation that causes the phobia.
We know that amygdala is associated with all our emotional responses.
Scientists tell us that:
The right amygdala is highly reactive to negative emotions while the left amygdala is associated with all our pleasant reaction.
So, it turns out that when a person with a phobia is exposed to the object or situation that causes the phobia, his or her right amygdala gets activated.
However, the sense of distress experienced by the person will depend on the degree of activation of right amygdala. Higher activation leads to increased distress.
Scientists also found that when a person with phobia was, for a prolonged period of time, exposed to phobia-inducing pictures or object or situation, three more parts of the brain get hyperactivate, which include:
→ Stria terminalis
→ Anterior cingulate cortex
→ Insula
The conclusion that the scientists drew from this is that when a person is exposed to phobia-inducing stimuli for a longer time frame, the brain doesn’t really calm down. On the contrary, other parts of the brain get engaged and make the situation worse.
When exposed to a stressful situation or object, the amygdala in that person suffering with phobia (caused by that situation or object) will lead to release of ‘flight-or-fight’ hormones.
These hormones put extreme stress on the person’s body and sends the mind in a high-alert state, causing all the distress.
Researchers have also found that:
People who have phobias have what is known as Expectancy Bias, which is directly correlated to the activity of the brain.
What is expectancy bias? Nothing rocket science! People who have phobias will have very high (exaggerated actually) expectancy of encountering the objects/situations that cause phobia. This is what is called expectancy bias.
Studies have revealed the expectancy bias arise out of underactivity of two parts of the brain:
→ Visual cortex
→ Prefrontal cortex
Basically, people with phobias will have a lack of cognitive control with respect to the objects or situations that cause phobia. This lack of cognitive control eventually increases the suffering of the individuals suffering with phobias.
Examples of lack of cognitive control include (but not limited to):
→ Spilled cocoa can evoke the fear of blood in a person.
→ A rope may appear to be a snake to a person.
→ A simple thread may appear to be a spider.
Oh yes! That cute little part of the brain that deals with emotions is the main culprit.
Our brain is capable of storing and then recalling events that are either dangerous or potentially deadly. At some point in life when a person faces one of those events, the brain successfully retrieves that dreadful memory.
This retrieval can take place once or more than once. As the memory gets retrieved, the body of the person experiences the same stress and reaction that he experienced for the first time which created the memory in the first place.
But what happens in the brain in case of a phobia? In such a case, the brain areas that deal with stress and fear keep on retrieving the dreadful event, albeit inappropriately.
In order to find out which part of the brain causes all the nuisance, scientists have used functional MRI.
They found that it is the amygdala (that part of the brain which sits right behind the pituitary gland located in our brain) that increases its activities when a person with a phobia is exposed that object or situation that causes the phobia.
We know that amygdala is associated with all our emotional responses.
Scientists tell us that:
The right amygdala is highly reactive to negative emotions while the left amygdala is associated with all our pleasant reaction.
So, it turns out that when a person with a phobia is exposed to the object or situation that causes the phobia, his or her right amygdala gets activated.
However, the sense of distress experienced by the person will depend on the degree of activation of right amygdala. Higher activation leads to increased distress.
Scientists also found that when a person with phobia was, for a prolonged period of time, exposed to phobia-inducing pictures or object or situation, three more parts of the brain get hyperactivate, which include:
→ Stria terminalis
→ Anterior cingulate cortex
→ Insula
The conclusion that the scientists drew from this is that when a person is exposed to phobia-inducing stimuli for a longer time frame, the brain doesn’t really calm down. On the contrary, other parts of the brain get engaged and make the situation worse.
When exposed to a stressful situation or object, the amygdala in that person suffering with phobia (caused by that situation or object) will lead to release of ‘flight-or-fight’ hormones.
These hormones put extreme stress on the person’s body and sends the mind in a high-alert state, causing all the distress.
Researchers have also found that:
People who have phobias have what is known as Expectancy Bias, which is directly correlated to the activity of the brain.
What is expectancy bias? Nothing rocket science! People who have phobias will have very high (exaggerated actually) expectancy of encountering the objects/situations that cause phobia. This is what is called expectancy bias.
Studies have revealed the expectancy bias arise out of underactivity of two parts of the brain:
→ Visual cortex
→ Prefrontal cortex
Basically, people with phobias will have a lack of cognitive control with respect to the objects or situations that cause phobia. This lack of cognitive control eventually increases the suffering of the individuals suffering with phobias.
Examples of lack of cognitive control include (but not limited to):
→ Spilled cocoa can evoke the fear of blood in a person.
→ A rope may appear to be a snake to a person.
→ A simple thread may appear to be a spider.
What are the symptoms of phobia?
Any person who is suffering from a phobia will have the following symptoms (please note that these symptoms are common across all types of phobias):
→ Uncontrolled anxiety sensation when the person gets exposed to source that leads to the fear.
→ The person will have a feeling of avoiding the fear source at all costs.
→ The person will lose his or her ability to function properly when he or she is exposed the source of the fear.
→ The person will acknowledge that the fear in unreasonable, irrational as well as exaggerated and overall, the person will acknowledge his or her ability to control his or her feelings.
Of course, intense anxiety and panic feelings will shroud the person when he or she gets exposed to object that causes the phobia. There will be a few physical effects as well that will include:
→ Butterflies in stomach.
→ A sensation of being choked.
→ Trembling.
→ Breathing will become abnormal.
→ The person will start sweating.
→ The person will either experience chills or hot flushes.
→ The person will experience the sensation of being poked by
needles and pins.
→ There will be chest tightness or chest pain.
→ The mouth of the person will become dry.
→ The person will experience disorientation and confusion.
→ Headache, dizziness and nausea will also show up.
→ Uncontrolled anxiety sensation when the person gets exposed to source that leads to the fear.
→ The person will have a feeling of avoiding the fear source at all costs.
→ The person will lose his or her ability to function properly when he or she is exposed the source of the fear.
→ The person will acknowledge that the fear in unreasonable, irrational as well as exaggerated and overall, the person will acknowledge his or her ability to control his or her feelings.
Of course, intense anxiety and panic feelings will shroud the person when he or she gets exposed to object that causes the phobia. There will be a few physical effects as well that will include:
→ Butterflies in stomach.
→ A sensation of being choked.
→ Trembling.
→ Breathing will become abnormal.
→ The person will start sweating.
→ The person will either experience chills or hot flushes.
→ The person will experience the sensation of being poked by
needles and pins.
→ There will be chest tightness or chest pain.
→ The mouth of the person will become dry.
→ The person will experience disorientation and confusion.
→ Headache, dizziness and nausea will also show up.
How is phobia diagnosed?
There are a set of guidelines according to which phobia is diagnosed. These guidelines can be found in DSM-5, which is the abbreviation for Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (5th edition). The criteria outlined in the manual are provided below:
→ A person displays a marked anxiety or fear for a particular situation or object. In case of children, anxiety or fear may take the form of clinging, freezing, tantrums and crying.
→ The situation or phobic object is responsible for invoking anxiety or fear in the person almost always.
→ The person either endures the phobic object or the situation with intense anxiety or fear or the person simply avoids the object or situation.
→ Compared to the actual threat or danger posed by the situation or object, the anxiety or fear is out of proportion.
→ The avoidance of the object or situation, the fear or anxiety caused by the phobic object or situation is persistent and lasts for at least 6 months.
→ Significant clinical distress is caused by the phobic object or situation causing the anxiety, avoidance or fear. Such fear, avoidance and anxiety is also leading to social and occupational impairment.
→ The disturbances that are experienced by the person because of the phobic object or situation cannot be explained properly using the symptoms of other mental disorders or avoidance of various other situations which can be associated with symptoms similar to panic.
→ A person displays a marked anxiety or fear for a particular situation or object. In case of children, anxiety or fear may take the form of clinging, freezing, tantrums and crying.
→ The situation or phobic object is responsible for invoking anxiety or fear in the person almost always.
→ The person either endures the phobic object or the situation with intense anxiety or fear or the person simply avoids the object or situation.
→ Compared to the actual threat or danger posed by the situation or object, the anxiety or fear is out of proportion.
→ The avoidance of the object or situation, the fear or anxiety caused by the phobic object or situation is persistent and lasts for at least 6 months.
→ Significant clinical distress is caused by the phobic object or situation causing the anxiety, avoidance or fear. Such fear, avoidance and anxiety is also leading to social and occupational impairment.
→ The disturbances that are experienced by the person because of the phobic object or situation cannot be explained properly using the symptoms of other mental disorders or avoidance of various other situations which can be associated with symptoms similar to panic.
Okay, now that we have answered some of the basic questions related to phobia, it is time to go through the complete phobia list. Are you ready?
Phobia List Starting With “A”
- Ablutophobia: Fear of bathing of washing
- Acarophobia: Fear of itching, or fear of insects that cause itching.
- Acerophobia: Fear of sourness
- Achluophobia: Fear of darkness
- Acousticophobia: Fear of noise
- Acrophobia: Fear of heights
- Aerophobia: Fear of air swallowing, or fear of airborne noxious substances, or fear of drafts
- Aeroacrophobia: Fear of open high places
- Aeronausiphobia: Fear of vomiting due to air sickness
- Agateophobia: Fear of insanity
- Agliophobia: Fear of pain
- Agoraphobia: Fear of leaving a safe place, or fear of being in a public and crowded place like a market, or fear of open spaces
- Agraphobia: Fear of sexual abuse
- Agrizoophobia: Fear of wild animals
- Agyrophobia: Fear of crossing the street, or fear of streets
- Aichmophobia: Fear of pointed objects or needles
- Ailurophobia: Fear of cats
- Albuminurophobia: Fear of kidney disease
- Alektorophobia: Fear of chickens
- Algophobia: Fear of pain
- Alliumphobia: Fear of garlic
- Allodoxaphobia: Fear of opinions
- Altophobia: Fear of heights
- Amathophobia: Fear of dust
- Amaxophobia: Fear of car rides
- Ambulophobia: Fear of walking
- Amnesiphobia: Fear of amnesia
- Amychophobia: Fear of being scratched or fear of scratches
- Anablephobia: Fear of looking up
- Ancraophobia: Fear of wind
- Androphobia: Fear of men
- Anemophobia: Fear of wind or air drafts
- Anginophobia: Fear of angina, narrowness, or choking
- Anglophobia: Fear of English culture or England
- Angrophobia: Fear of becoming angry, or fear of anger
- Ankylophobia: Fear of a immobility of a joint
- Anthophobia or Anthrophobia: Fear of flowers
- Anthropophobia: Fear of society or people
- Antlophobia: Fear of floods
- Anuptaphobia: Fear of staying single
- Apeirophobia: Fear of infinity
- Aphenphosmphobia: Fear of being touched
- Apiphobia: Fear of bees
- Apotemnophobia: Fear of persons with amputations
- Arachibutyrophobia: Fear of peanut butter sticking to the mouth’s roof
- Arachnophobia or Arachnephobia: Fear of spiders
- Arithmophobia: Fear of numbers
- Arrhenphobia: Fear of men
- Arsonphobia: Fear of fire
- Asthenophobia: Fear of fainting or weakness
- Astrapophobia or Astraphobia: Fear of lightning and thunder
- Astrophobia: Fear of celestial space or fear of stars
- Asymmetriphobia: Fear of a asymmetrical things
- Ataxiophobia: Fear of muscle incoordination (ataxia)
- Ataxophobia: Fear of untidiness or disorders
- Atelophobia: Fear of imperfection
- Atephobia: Fear of ruin(s)
- Athazagoraphobia: Fear of forgetting, or fear of being ignored or forgotten
- Atomosophobia: Fear of atomic explosion
- Atychiphobia: Fear of failure
- Aulophobia: Fear of flutes
- Aurophobia: Fear of gold
- Auroraphobia: Fear of Northern Lights
- Autodysomophobia: Fear of anything with a vile odor
- Automatonophobia: Fear of anything that falsely represents a sentient being (example: wax statues, animatronic creatures, ventriloquist’s dummies)
- Automysophobia: Fear of being dirty
- Autophobia: Fear of being alone
- Aviatophobia or Aviophobia: Fear of flying
Phobia List Starting With “B”
- Bacillophobia: Fear of microbes
- Bacteriophobia: Fear of bacteria
- Ballistophobia: Fear of bullets or missiles
- Bolshephobia: Fear of Bolsheviks
- Barophobia: Fear of gravity
- Basiphobia or Basophobia: Fear of falling or walking, or fear of inability to stand
- Bathmophobia: Fear of steep slopes or stairs
- Bathophobia: Fear of depth
- Batophobia: Fear of being close to high buildings, or fear of heights
- Batrachophobia: Fear of amphibians
- Belonephobia: Fear of needles or pins
- Bibliophobia: Fear of books
- Blennophobia: Fear of slime
- Bogyphobia: Fear of the bogeyman, or fear of bogeys
- Botanophobia: Fear of plants
- Bromidrophobia or Bromidrosiphobia: Fear of bloody smells
- Brontophobia: Fear of lightning or thunder
- Bufonophobia: Fear of toads
Phobia List Starting With “C”
- Cacophobia: Fear of ugliness
- Cainotophobia or Cainophobia: Fear of newness, novelty
- Caligynephobia: Fear of beautiful women
- Cancerophobia or Carcinophobia: Fear of cancer
- Cardiophobia: Fear of the heart
- Carnophobia: Fear of meat
- Catagelophobia: Fear of being ridiculed
- Catapedaphobia: Fear of jumping from low and high places
- Cathisophobia: Fear of sitting
- Catoptrophobia: Fear of mirrors
- Centophobia or Cenophobia: Fear of ideas or new things
- Ceraunophobia (Keraunophobia): Fear of lightning and thunder
- Chaetophobia: Fear of hair
- Cheimatophobia or Cheimaphobia: Fear of cold.
- Chemophobia: Fear of chemicals, or fear of working with chemicals
- Cherophobia: Fear of gaiety
- Chionophobia: Fear of snow
- Chiraptophobia: Fear of being touched
- Chirophobia: Fear of hands
- Chiroptophobia: Fear of bats
- Cholerophobia: Fear of cholera or fear of anger
- Chorophobia: Fear of dancing
- Chrematophobia or Chrometophobia: Fear of money
- Chromatophobia or Chromophobia: Fear of colors
- Chronophobia: Fear of time
- Chronomentrophobia: Fear of clocks
- Cibophobia: Fear of food
- Claustrophobia: Fear of confined spaces
- Cleisiophobia or Cleithrophobia: Fear of being locked in an enclosed place
- Cleptophobia: Fear of stealing
- Climacophobia: Fear of stairs, or fear of climbing, or fear of falling downstairs
- Clinophobia: Fear of going to bed
- Cleithrophobia or Clithrophobia: Fear of being enclosed
- Cnidophobia: Fear of stings
- Cometophobia: Fear of comets
- Coimetrophobia: Fear of cemeteries
- Coitophobia: Fear of coitus
- Contreltophobia: Fear of sexual abuse
- Coprastasophobia: Fear of constipation
- Coprophobia: Fear of feces
- Consecotaleophobia: Fear of chopsticks
- Coulrophobia: Fear of clowns
- Counterphobia: A phobic’s preference for actively seeking the fearful situation hoping to overcome the original anxiousness
- Cremnophobia: Fear of precipices
- Cryophobia: Fear of frost, ice, or extreme cold
- Crystallophobia: Fear of crystals or glass
- Cyberphobia: Fear of computers, or fear of working on a computer
- Cyclophobia: Fear of bicycles
- Cymophobia or Kymophobia: Fear of waves, or fear of wave like motions
- Cynophobia: Fear of dogs or rabies
- Cypriphobia or Cyprianophobia or Cypridophobia or Cyprinophobia: Fear of prostitutes, or fear of venereal disease
Phobia List Starting With “D”
- Decidophobia: Fear of making decisions
- Defecaloesiophobia: Fear of painful bowels movements
- Deipnophobia: Fear of dining, or fear of dinner conversations
- Dementophobia: Fear of insanity
- Daemonophobia or Demonophobia: Fear of demons
- Demophobia: Fear of crowds
- Dendrophobia: Fear of trees
- Dentophobia: Fear of dentists
- Dermatophobia: Fear of skin lesions
- Dermatophobia or Dermatosiophobia or Dermatopathophobia: Fear of skin disease
- Dextrophobia: Fear of objects at the right side of the body
- Diabetophobia: Fear of diabetes
- Didaskaleinophobia: Fear of going to school
- Dikephobia: Fear of justice
- Dinophobia: Fear of dizziness, or fear whirlpools
- Diplophobia: Fear of double vision
- Dipsophobia: Fear of drinking
- Dishabiliophobia: Fear of undressing in front of someone
- Disposophobia: Fear of throwing stuff out
- Domatophobia: Fear of houses, or fear of being in a house
- Doraphobia: Fear of skins or furs of animals
- Doxophobia: Fear of expressing opinions, or fear of receiving praise
- Dromophobia: Fear of crossing streets
- Dutchphobia: Fear of the Dutch
- Dysmorphophobia: Fear of deformity
- Dystychiphobia: Fear of accidents
Phobia List Starting With “E”
- Ecclesiophobia: Fear of church
- Ecophobia: Fear of home
- Eicophobia: Fear of home surroundings
- Eisoptrophobia: Fear of mirrors, or fear of seeing oneself in a mirror
- Electrophobia: Fear of electricity
- Eleutherophobia: Fear of freedom
- Elurophobia: Fear of cats
- Emetophobia: Fear of vomiting
- Enetophobia: Fear of pins
- Enochlophobia: Fear of crowds
- Enissophobia or Enosiophobia: Fear of having committed an unpardonable sin, or fear of criticism
- Entomophobia: Fear of insects
- Eosophobia: Fear of daylight or dawn
- Ephebiphobia: Fear of teenagers
- Epistaxiophobia: Fear of nosebleeds
- Epistemophobia: Fear of knowledge
- Equinophobia: Fear of horses
- Eremophobia: Fear of being oneself, or fear of loneliness
- Ereuthrophobia: Fear of blushing
- Ergasiophobia: Fear of work or functioning, Surgeon’s fear of operating
- Ergophobia: Fear of work
- Erotophobia: Fear of sexual questions or sexual love
- Euphobia: Fear of hearing good news
- Eurotophobia: Fear of female genitalia
- Erytophobia or Erythrophobia or Ereuthophobia: Fear of red lights, or fear of blushing, or fear of red
Phobia List Starting With “F”
- Fibriphobia or Febriphobia or Fibriophobia: Fear of fever
- Felinophobia: Fear of cats
- Francophobia: Fear of French culture or France
- Frigophobia: Fear of cold or cold things
Phobia List Starting With “G”
- Gatophobia or Galeophobia: Fear of cats
- Galiophobia or Gallophobia: Fear France or French culture
- Gamophobia: Fear of marriage
- Geliophobia: Fear of laughter
- Gelotophobia: Fear of being laughed at
- Geniophobia: Fear of chins
- Genophobia: Fear of sex
- Genuphobia: Fear of knees
- Gephydrophobia or Gephyrophobia or Gephysrophobia: Fear of crossing bridges
- Germanophobia: Fear of German culture or Germany
- Gerascophobia: Fear of growing old
- Gerontophobia: Fear of old people, or fear of growing old
- Geumophobia or Geumaphobia: Fear of taste
- Glossophobia: Fear of speaking in public or of trying to speak
- Gnosiophobia: Fear of knowledge
- Graphophobia: Fear of writing or handwriting
- Gymnophobia: Fear of nudity
- Gynephobia or Gynophobia: Fear of women
Phobia List Starting With “H”
- Hadephobia: Fear of hell
- Hagiophobia: Fear of saints, or fear holy things
- Hamartophobia: Fear of sinning
- Haptephobia or Haphephobia: Fear of being touched
- Harpaxophobia: Fear of being robbed
- Hedonophobia: Fear of feeling pleasure
- Heliophobia: Fear of the sun
- Hellenologophobia: Fear of Greek terms, or fear of complex scientific terminology
- Helminthophobia: Fear of being infested with worms
- Hemaphobia or Hemophobia or Hematophobia: Fear of blood
- Hereiophobia or Heresyphobia: Fear of challenges to official doctrine, or fear of radical deviation
- Herpetophobia: Fear of reptiles, or fear of creepy, crawly things
- Heterophobia: Fear of the opposite sex
- Hexakosioihexekontahexaphobia: Fear of the number 666
- Hierophobia: Fear of priests, or fear of sacred things
- Hippophobia: Fear of horses
- Hippopotomonstrosesquipedaliophobia: Fear of long words
- Hobophobia: Fear of bums or beggars
- Hodophobia: Fear of road travel
- Hormephobia: Fear of shock
- Homichlophobia: Fear of fog
- Homilophobia: Fear of sermons
- Hominophobia: Fear of men
- Homophobia: Fear of monotony or sameness, or fear of homosexuality, or fear of becoming homosexual
- Hoplophobia: Fear of firearms
- Hydrargyophobia: Fear of mercurial medicines
- Hydrophobia: Fear of water, or fear of rabies
- Hydrophobophobia: Fear of rabies
- Hyalophobia or Hyelophobia: Fear of glass
- Hygrophobia: Fear of dampness, moisture, or liquids
- Hylephobia: Fear of materialism, or fear of epilepsy
- Hylophobia: Fear of forests
- Hypegiaphobia or Hypengyophobia: Fear of responsibility
- Hypnophobia: Fear of sleep, or fear of being hypnotized
- Hypsiphobia: Fear of height
Phobia List Starting With “I”
- Iatrophobia: Fear of going to the doctor, or fear of doctors
- Ichthyophobia: Fear of fish
- Ideophobia: Fear of ideas
- Illyngophobia: Fear of vertigo, or fear of feeling dizzy when looking down
- Iophobia: Fear of poison
- Insectophobia: Fear of insects
- Isolophobia: Fear of solitude, or fear of being alone
- Isopterophobia: Fear of termites, or fear of insects that eat wood
- Ithyphallophobia: Fear of seeing and erect penis, thinking about it, or having one
Phobia List Starting With “J”
- Japanophobia: Fear of Japanese
- Judeophobia: Fear of Jews
Phobia List Starting With “K”
- Kainophobia or Kainolophobia: Fear of anything new, novelty
- Kakorrhaphiophobia: Fear of failure or defeat
- Katagelophobia: Fear of ridicule
- Kathisophobia: Fear of sitting down
- Katsaridaphobia: Fear of cockroaches
- Kenophobia: Fear of voids, or fear of empty spaces
- Keraunophobia or Ceraunophobia: Fear of thunder and lightning
- Kinesophobia or Kinetophobia: Fear of movement or motion
- Kleptophobia: Fear of stealing
- Koinoniphobia: Fear of rooms
- Kolpophobia: Fear of genitals (female genitals in particular)
- Kopophobia: Fear of fatigue
- Koniophobia: Fear of dust
- Kosmikophobia: Fear of cosmic phenomenon
- Kymophobia: Fear of waves
- Kynophobia: Fear of rabies
- Kyphophobia: Fear of stooping
Phobia List Starting With “L”
- Lachanophobia: Fear of vegetables
- Lalophobia or Laliophobia: Fear of speaking
- Lepraphobia or Leprophobia: Fear of leprosy
- Leukophobia: Fear of white (the color)
- Levophobia: Fear of things to the left side of the body
- Ligyrophobia: Fear of loud noises
- Lilapsophobia: Fear of hurricanes and tornadoes
- Limnophobia: Fear of lakes
- Linonophobia: Fear of string
- Liticaphobia: Fear of lawsuits
- Lockiophobia: Fear of childbirth
- Logizomechanophobia: Fear of computers
- Logophobia: Fear of words
- Luiphobia: Fear of lues (infectious diseases, particularly syphilis)
- Lutraphobia: Fear of otters
- Lygophobia: Fear of darkness
- Lyssophobia: Fear of rabies, or fear of becoming mad
Phobia List Starting With “M”
- Macrophobia: Fear of long waits
- Mageirocophobia: Fear of cooking
- Maieusiophobia: Fear of childbirth
- Malaxophobia: Fear of love play
- Maniaphobia: Fear of insanity
- Mastigophobia: Fear of punishment
- Mechanophobia: Fear of machines
- Medomalacuphobia: Fear of losing an erection
- Medorthophobia: Fear of erect penis
- Megalophobia: Fear of large things
- Melissophobia: Fear of bees
- Melanophobia: Fear of black (the color)
- Melophobia: Fear of music
- Meningitophobia: Fear of brain disease
- Menophobia: Fear of menstruation
- Merinthophobia: Fear of being bound or tied up
- Metallophobia: Fear of metal
- Metathesiophobia: Fear of changes
- Meteorophobia: Fear of meteors
- Methyphobia: Fear of alcohol
- Metrophobia: Fear or hatred of poetry
- Microbiophobia: Fear of microbes
- Microphobia: Fear of small things
- Misophobia or Mysophobia: Fear of being contaminated with germs or dirt
- Mnemophobia: Fear of memories
- Molysomophobia or Molysmophobia: Fear of dirt or contamination
- Monophobia: Fear of solitude or being alone
- Monopathophobia: Fear of definite disease
- Motorphobia: Fear of automobiles
- Mottephobia: Fear of moths
- Muriphobia or Musophobia: Fear of mice
- Mycophobia: Fear of mushrooms
- Mycrophobia: Fear of small things
- Myctophobia: Fear of darkness
- Myrmecophobia: Fear of ants
- Mythophobia: Fear of myths or false statements or stories
- Myxophobia: Fear of slime
Phobia List Starting With “N”
- Nebulaphobia: Fear of fog
- Necrophobia: Fear of death, or fear of dead things
- Nelophobia: Fear of glass
- Neopharmaphobia: Fear of new drugs
- Neophobia: Fear of anything new
- Nephophobia: Fear of clouds
- Noctiphobia: Fear of the night
- Nomatophobia: Fear of names
- Nosocomephobia: Fear of hospitals
- Nosemaphobia or Nosophobia : Fear of becoming ill
- Nostophobia: Fear of returning home
- Novercaphobia: Fear of stepmother
- Nucleomituphobia: Fear of nuclear weapons
- Nudophobia: Fear of nudity
- Numerophobia: Fear of numbers
- Nyctohylophobia: Fear of dark wooded areas, or fear of forests at night
- Nyctophobia: Fear of the dark or fear of night
Phobia List Starting With “O”
- Obesophobia: Fear of gaining weight
- Ochlophobia: Fear of mobs or crowds
- Ochophobia: Fear of vehicles
- Octophobia: Fear of the figure 8
- Odontophobia: Fear of teeth, or fear of dental surgery
- Odynephobia or Odynophobia: Fear of pain
- Oenophobia: Fear of wines
- Oikophobia: Fear of home surroundings, or fear of house
- Olfactophobia: Fear of smells
- Ombrophobia: Fear of rain, or fear of being rained on
- Ommatophobia or Ommetaphobia: Fear of eyes
- Omphalophobia: Fear of belly buttons
- Oneirophobia: Fear of dreams
- Oneirogmophobia: Fear of wet dreams
- Onomatophobia: Fear of hearing a certain word, or fear of names
- Ophidiophobia: Fear of snakes
- Ophthalmophobia: Fear of being stared at
- Opiophobia: Doctors’ fear of prescribing opiate pain killers to patients
- Optophobia: Fear of opening eyes
- Ornithophobia: Fear of birds
- Orthophobia: Fear of property
- Osphresiophobia or Osmophobia: Fear of odors or smells
- Ostraconophobia: Fear of shellfish
- Ouranophobia: Fear of heaven
Phobia List Starting With “P”
- Pagophobia: Fear of frost or ice
- Panthophobia: Fear of disease and suffering
- Pantophobia or Panophobia: Fear of everything
- Papaphobia: Fear of the Pope
- Papyrophobia: Fear of paper
- Paralipophobia: Fear of neglecting responsibility or duty
- Paraphobia: Fear of sexual perversion
- Parasitophobia: Fear of parasites
- Paraskavedekatriaphobia: Fear of Friday the 13th
- Parthenophobia: Fear of young girls or virgins
- Pathophobia: Fear of disease
- Patroiophobia: Fear of heredity
- Parturiphobia: Fear of childbirth
- Peccatophobia: Fear of imaginary crimes and sinning
- Pediculophobia: Fear of lice
- Pediophobia: Fear of dolls
- Pedophobia: Fear of children
- Peladophobia: Fear of bald people
- Pellagrophobia: Fear of pellagra
- Peniaphobia: Fear of poverty
- Pentheraphobia: Fear of mother-in-law
- Phagophobia: Fear of swallowing, or fear of eating, or fear of being eaten
- Phalacrophobia: Fear of becoming bald
- Phallophobia: Fear of a penis, (especially erect penis)
- Pharmacophobia: Fear of taking medicine
- Phasmophobia: Fear of ghosts
- Phengophobia: Fear of sunshine or daylight
- Philematophobia or Philemaphobia: Fear of kissing
- Philophobia: Fear of falling in love, or fear of being in love
- Philosophobia: Fear of philosophy
- Phobophobia: Fear of phobias
- Photoaugliaphobia: Fear of glaring lights
- Photophobia: Fear of light
- Phonophobia: Fear of voices or noises, or fear of one’s own voice, or of telephones
- Phronemophobia: Fear of thinking
- Phthiriophobia: Fear of lice
- Phthisiophobia: Fear of tuberculosis
- Placophobia: Fear of tombstones
- Plutophobia: Fear of wealth
- Pluviophobia: Fear of rain, or fear of being rained on
- Pneumatiphobia: Fear of spirits
- Pnigerophobia or Pnigophobia: Fear of choking, or fear of being smothered
- Pocrescophobia: Fear of gaining weight
- Pogonophobia: Fear of beards
- Poliosophobia: Fear of contracting poliomyelitis
- Politicophobia: Fear of politicians
- Polyphobia: Fear of many things
- Poinephobia: Fear of punishment
- Ponophobia: Fear of overworking or, or fear of pain
- Porphyrophobia: Fear of purple (the color)
- Potamophobia: Fear of rivers, or fear of running water
- Potophobia: Fear of alcohol
- Pharmacophobia: Fear of drugs
- Proctophobia: Fear of rectums
- Prosophobia: Fear of progress
- Psellismophobia: Fear of stuttering
- Psychophobia: Fear of mind
- Psychrophobia: Fear of cold
- Pteromerhanophobia: Fear of flying
- Pteronophobia: Fear of being tickled by feathers
- Pupaphobia : Fear of puppets
- Pyrexiophobia: Fear of fever
- Pyrophobia: Fear of fire
Phobia List Starting With “Q”
- Quadraphobia: Fear of four (the number)
- Quadriplegiphobia: Fear of quadriplegics, or fear of becoming a quadriplegic
- Quintaphobia: Fear of five (the number)
Phobia List Starting With “R”
- Radiophobia: Fear of radiation, or fear of x-rays
- Ranidaphobia: Fear of frogs
- Rectophobia: Fear of rectum, or fear of rectal diseases.
- Rhabdophobia: Fear of being severely punished, or fear of being beaten by a rod, or fear of being severely criticized, or fear of magic, or fear of magic wand
- Rhypophobia: Fear of defecation
- Rhytiphobia: Fear of getting wrinkles
- Rupophobia: Fear of dirt
- Russophobia: Fear of Russians
Phobia List Starting With “S”
- Samhainophobia: Fear of Halloween
- Sarmassophobia: Fear of love play
- Satanophobia: Fear of Satan
- Scabiophobia: Fear of scabies
- Scatophobia: Fear of fecal matter
- Scelerophibia: Fear of burglars, or fear of bad men
- Sciophobia or Sciaphobia: Fear of shadows
- Scoleciphobia: Fear of worms
- Scolionophobia: Fear of school
- Scoptophobia or Scopophobia: Fear of being seen, or fear of being stared at
- Scotomaphobia: Fear of blindness in visual field
- Scotophobia: Fear of darkness
- Scriptophobia: Fear of writing in public
- Selachophobia: Fear of sharks
- Selaphobia: Fear of light flashes
- Selenophobia: Fear of moon
- Seplophobia: Fear of decaying matter
- Sesquipedalophobia: Fear of long words
- Sexophobia: Fear of the opposite sex
- Siderodromophobia: Fear of trains or railroads or train travel
- Siderophobia: Fear of stars
- Sinistrophobia: Fear of things to the left or lefthanded
- Sinophobia: Fear of Chinese, Chinese culture
- Sitophobia or Sitiophobia: Fear of food or eating
- Snakephobia: Fear of snakes
- Soceraphobia: Fear of parents-in-law
- Social Phobia: Fear of negative evaluation in social situations
- Sociophobia: Fear of society, or fear of people in general
- Somniphobia: Fear of sleep
- Sophophobia: Fear of learning
- Soteriophobia: Fear of dependence on others
- Spacephobia: Fear of outer space
- Spectrophobia: Fear of ghosts or specters
- Spermophobia or Spermatophobia: Fear of germs
- Spheksophobia: Fear of wasps
- Stasiphobia or Stasibasiphobia: Fear of walking or standing or walking
- Staurophobia: Fear of crosses, or the fear of the crucifix
- Stenophobia: Fear of narrow places or narrow things
- Stigiophobia or Stygiophobia: Fear of hell
- Suriphobia: Fear of mice
- Symbolophobia: Fear of symbolism
- Symmetrophobia: Fear of symmetry
- Syngenesophobia: Fear of relatives
- Syphilophobia: Fear of syphilis
Phobia List Starting With “T”
- Tachophobia– Fear of speed
- Teniophobia or Taeniophobia– Fear of tapeworms
- Taphophobia or Taphephobia– Fear of being buried alive or of cemeteries
- Tapinophobia– Fear of being contagious
- Taurophobia– Fear of bulls
- Technophobia– Fear of technology
- Teleophobia– Fear of definite plans, or fear of religious ceremony
- Telephonophobia– Fear of telephones
- Teratophobia– Fear of bearing a deformed child, or fear of monsters, or fear of deformed people
- Testophobia– Fear of taking tests
- Tetanophobia– Fear of lockjaw, or fear of tetanus
- Teutophobia– Fear of German or German things
- Textophobia– Fear of certain fabrics
- Thaasophobia– Fear of sitting
- Thalassophobia– Fear of the sea
- Thantophobia or Thanatophobia- Fear of death or dying
- Theatrophobia– Fear of theatres
- Theologicophobia– Fear of theology
- Theophobia– Fear of gods, or fear of religion
- Thermophobia– Fear of heat
- Tocophobia– Fear of pregnancy, or fear of childbirth
- Tomophobia– Fear of surgical operations
- Tonitrophobia– Fear of thunder
- Topophobia– Fear of certain places or situations (for example, stage fright)
- Toxophobia or Toxiphobia or Toxicophobia– Fear of poison, or fear of being accidently poisoned
- Traumatophobia– Fear of injury
- Tremophobia– Fear of trembling
- Trichinophobia– Fear of trichinosis
- Trichophobia or Trichopathophobia – Fear of hair
- Triskaidekaphobia– Fear of 13 (the number)
- Tropophobia– Fear of moving, or fear of making changes
- Trypanophobia– Fear of injections
- Tuberculophobia– Fear of tuberculosis
- Tyrannophobia– Fear of tyrants
Phobia List Starting With “U”
- Uranophobia or Ouranophobia: Fear of heaven
- Urophobia: Fear of urine or urinating
Phobia List Starting With “V”
- Vaccinophobia: Fear of vaccination
- Venustraphobia: Fear of beautiful women
- Verbophobia: Fear of words
- Verminophobia: Fear of germs
- Vestiphobia: Fear of clothing
- Virginitiphobia: Fear of rape
- Vitricophobia: Fear of step-father
Phobia List Starting With “W”
- Walloonphobia: Fear of the Walloons
- Wiccaphobia: Fear of witches and witchcraft
Phobia List Starting With “X”
- Xanthophobia: Fear of yellow (word or the color)
- Xenoglossophobia: Fear of foreign languages
- Xenophobia: Fear of strangers, or fear of foreigners
- Xerophobia: Fear of dryness
- Xylophobia: Fear of wooden objects, or fear of forests
- Xyrophobia: Fear of razors
Phobia List Starting With “Y”
Sorry, there are no phobias starting with Y.
Phobia List Starting With “Z”
- Zelophobia: Fear of jealousy
- Zeusophobia: Fear of God or gods
- Zemmiphobia: Fear of the great mole rat
- Zoophobia: Fear of animals
Okay, we have reached the end of this phobia list. If you think we have missed something, use our contact form to inform us. We will include it in the list.
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