Phobia can be defined as an extreme form of fear towards a certain thing, object, situation, thought or experience. It can be an uncontrollable exaggerated response which may be usually irrational as compared to the potential of harm the particular stimuli may give. It is a type of anxiety disorder. People who experience it have a mix of anxiety, fear and panic as an instant response towards the stimuli. Some other response to phobia can be- Goosebumps, sweating, chills, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, screaming, increased heartbeat, adrenaline rush and being preoccupied with the fear object.
The reason for phobias could be genetic, environmental or based on life experience.
Some common phobias are found in children, to which many people could even correlate to, even for having it for a short time and considerably less extent:
Nyctophobia– Fear of darkness
Trypanophobia-Fear of needles/injections
Autophobia – Fear of being alone
Acrophobia – Fear of heights
Aichmophobia – Fear of needles or pointed objects
Cynophobia – Fear of dogs
Dentophobia – Fear of dentists
Dystychiphobia – Fear of accidents
Hemophobia – Fear of blood or blood like substances
Noctiphobia – Fear of night
Scolionophobia – Fear of going to school
A response towards phobia not necessarily needs the stimuli to be physically present. Even apprehensions or remembering past experience or thinking about a certain object can trigger a response. For example, if you are scared of spiders, even having a feeling that the spider is behind the clock and it is going to jump on you if you touch the clock would trigger a fear response; even though there is no spider at all.
Most phobias are irrational fear and others who don’t have it may find it an exaggerated reaction of those who have it and may not find anything harmful about the same.
Here is a list of some other phobias:
Algophobia – Fear of pain
Agoraphobia – Fear of open spaces or crowds
Androphobia – Fear of men
Anthropophobia – Fear of people or society
Aphenphosmphobia – Fear of being touched
Arachnophobia – Fear of spiders
Arithmophobia – Fear of numbers
Astraphobia – Fear of thunder and lightning
Atelophobia – Fear of imperfection
Atychiphobia – Fear of failure
Automatonophobia – Fear of Human-like Figures
Bacteriophobia – Fear of bacteria
Bathmophobia – Fear of stairs or steep slopes
Batrachophobia – Fear of amphibians
Belonephobia – Fear of pins and needles
Cacophobia – Fear of ugliness
Catagelophobia – Fear of being ridiculed
Catoptrophobia – Fear of mirrors
Chronophobia – Fear of Time
Claustrophobia – Fear of confined spaces
Coulrophobia – Fear of clowns
Cyberphobia – Fear of computers
Elurophobia – Fear of cats
Entomophobia – Fear of insects
Equinophobia – Fear of horses
Gamophobia – Fear of marriage
Glossophobia – Fear of speaking in public
Gynophobia – Fear of women
Herpetophobia – Fear of reptiles
Hippopotomonstrosesquipedaliophobia – Fear of long words
Hydrophobia – Fear of water
Hypochondria – Fear of illness
Iatrophobia – Fear of doctors
Insectophobia – Fear of insects
Koinoniphobia – Fear of rooms
Lilapsophobia – Fear of tornadoes and hurricanes
Lockiophobia – Fear of childbirth
Mageirocophobia – Fear of cooking
Mysophobia – Fear of dirt and germs
Necrophobia – Fear of death or dead things
Obesophobia – Fear of gaining weight
Ombrophobia – Fear of rain
Ophidiophobia – Fear of snakes
Ornithophobia – Fear of birds
Pathophobia – Fear of disease
Pedophobia – Fear of children
Philematophobia – Fear of Kissing
Philophobia – Fear of love
Phobophobia – Fear of phobias
Pteromerhanophobia – Fear of flying
Pyrophobia – Fear of fire
Scoptophobia – Fear of being stared at
Sociophobia – Fear of social evaluation
Somniphobia – Fear of sleep
Tachophobia – Fear of speed
Trypophobia – Fear of Holes
Venustraphobia – Fear of beautiful women
Wiccaphobia – Fear of witches and witchcraft
Xenophobia – Fear of strangers or foreigners
Zoophobia – Fear of animals
Most people overcome their fears with time, assurance of safety, therapy and self control. However, if phobias continue to be a part of our life, it may disturb our mental well being and may require medical attention in serious forms. However, Phobias are not necessarily live long. A person can develop and overcome their fear at any point of their life based on their life experiences and how they cope up with it. It must be remembered that phobias are usually unrealistically seemingly harmful but they are not so. Those are our self-apprehensions in most cases and overcoming them gives a feeling of much needed relief and boosted confidence. So go ahead and conquer your biggest fear!