-Teesha Ahlawat
Intern, Nov- Dec 2023
Have you ever heard of phobias? They are intense and irrational fears that can cause significant distress and interfere with daily life.
What are Phobias?
All phobias are anxiety disorders, lumped in the same class as post-traumatic stress disorder and panic disorder, among others. And anxiety disorders are, fundamentally, based on fear.
The American Psychiatric Association (APA) recognizes three types of phobia, which are:
Specific phobia: This refers to an intense and irrational fear of a specific trigger.
Social phobia, also known as social anxiety: This is a deep fear of public humiliation and being judged or singled out by others in social situations. For individuals with social anxiety, the thought of attending large social gatherings can be terrifying. It is important to note that social anxiety is not the same as shyness.
Agoraphobia: This is a fear of situations from which it would be difficult to escape if a person were to experience extreme panic, such as being inside a lift or outside of the home. Contrary to popular belief, agoraphobia is not limited to a fear of open spaces. It can also apply to being confined in a small space, like an elevator, or being on public transport. People with agoraphobia have an increased risk of panic disorder.
Simple phobias, also known as specific phobias, are those that can be linked to an identifiable cause that may not frequently occur in the everyday life of an individual. For instance, a person may have a fear of snakes. These types of phobias are not likely to significantly affect day-to-day living.
Complex phobias, such as social anxiety and agoraphobia, are more difficult to recognize as their triggers are less easily identified. People with complex phobias may find it harder to avoid triggers, such as leaving the house or being in a large crowd.
A phobia reaches a diagnosable level when a person starts to organize their life around avoiding the cause of their fear. This kind of fear response is more severe than a normal fear reaction. People with phobias have an overpowering need to avoid anything that triggers their anxiety.
Individuals with a phobia tend to experience certain symptoms that are typical across most phobias. These symptoms include an overwhelming sense of anxiety when exposed to the object of fear, a strong urge to avoid the source of fear at any cost, difficulty functioning properly when confronted with the trigger, and an awareness that the fear is irrational and exaggerated, yet a lack of ability to control these feelings.
When a person is exposed to the object of their phobia, it can cause intense feelings of panic and anxiety. These sensations can manifest physically in several ways, including sweating, abnormal breathing, an accelerated heartbeat, trembling, hot flushes or chills, a choking sensation, chest pains or tightness, butterflies in the stomach, pins and needles, and dry mouth. They may also experience confusion and disorientation, nausea, dizziness, and headaches. Even just thinking about the object of their phobia can produce feelings of anxiety. In young children, parents may observe crying, clinginess, attempts to hide behind a parent or an object, or tantrums as a way to express their distress.
The following is a list of unusual and rare phobias :
Optophobia (Fear of opening one’s eyes)
Octophobia (Fear of the number eight)
Taphpphobia (Fear of being buried alive)
Globophobia (Fear of balloons)
Hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia (Fear of long words)
Ephebiphobia (Fear of adolescents)
Omphalophobia (Fear of belly buttons)
Linonophobia (Fear of string)
Pogonophobia (Fear of beards)
Chaetophobia (Fear of hair)
Vestiphobia (Fear of clothing)
Ergophobia (Fear of work)
Decidophobia (Fear of making decisions)
Eisoptrophobia (Fear of mirrors)
Deipnophobia (Fear of dining with others)
Phobophobia (Fear of phobias)
Arachibutyrophobia (Fear of peanut butter sticking to the roof of your mouth)
Nomophobia (Fear of being without your mobile phone)
Plutophobia (Fear of money)
Xanthophobia (Fear of the color yellow)
Ablutophobia (Fear of bathing)
Arithmophobia (Fear of numbers)
Ombrophobia (Fear of rain)
Phonophobia (Fear of sounds)
Phobophobia (Fear of fear)
The most effective method to tackle a phobia is exposure therapy. This therapy involves a gradual confrontation with the object of fear. The fundamental concept is to disprove an individual's belief about the outcome of the situation.
this is so informative!
Such an informative post! The different types of phobias presented in this blog really makes you think how vast and severe anxiety disorders can be.
Such an interesting read!
Such a fresh outlook! Other than social phobia, agoraphobia - I only ever knew some specific phobia. Reading about these and how they impact our well-being has really expanded my way of thinking! Loved it!
I didn't even know about all these phobias. So interesting!😀