Phobias are the most common psychiatric illness among women and the second most common among men, according to the American Psychiatric Association. Phobias usually emerge during childhood or adolescence and continue into adulthood. Research showed that phobias impact women twice as much as they do men. There are many different phobias. This article contains 10 of the most common phobias.
Arachnophobia
Arachnophobia is the fear of spiders and other arachnids. With this phobia, not only the sight of a spider can trigger a response, but an image or thought of a spider can also lead to feelings of overwhelming fear and panic.
Ophidiophobia
Fear of snakes, also known as ophidiophobia, is believed to have an evolutionary cause. Our ancestors, who avoided these dangerous animals, were more likely to survive. Their genes were then passed down to other generations. However, other theories suggest that ophidiophobia is often attributed to personal experiences, cultural influences, or a fear of disease and contamination.
Acrophobia
People with acrophobia have a fear of heights and may exert every effort to avoid high places, including bridges and tall buildings. This fear can lead to anxiety or panic attacks and impacts more than 6 percent of people.
Aerophobia
Fear of flying, or aerophobia, can lead to symptoms such as trembling, a rapid heartbeat, and feeling disoriented. Aerophobia affects one out of every three people and may cause them to avoid flying.
Cynophobia
Cynophobia is an irrational and excessive fear of dogs and is often attributed to traumatic personal experiences. It can last well into adulthood and have a serious impact on someone’s life and functioning.
Astraphobia
Astraphobia, or fear of thunder and lightning, causes overwhelming feelings of fear. Astraphobia can even lead to agoraphobia, where the fear of encountering lightning or thunder is so extreme that they are unable to leave their home.
Trypanophobia
Trypanophobia is a fear of injections. This phobia can sometimes cause people to avoid medical treatments and doctors. It may also cause some individuals to pass out during the injection. Estimates suggest that trypanophobia affects 20 percent to 30 percent of adults.
Social phobia (social anxiety disorder)
Social phobia is a fear of social situations. It involves a fear of being humiliated in front of others. A fear of public speaking is the most common form of social phobia. This phobia can become highly debilitating when people avoid events, places, and people who are likely to trigger an anxiety attack. Even everyday tasks, for example, eating a meal, can lead to an anxiety attack.
Agoraphobia
People with agoraphobia have a fear of being alone in situations or places where it may be difficult to escape. They will start to avoid triggering events, sometimes to the point that people don’t want to leave their home entirely.
Mysophobia
Mysophobia involves an excessive fear of germs and dirt. People with this phobia often engage in extreme cleaning and compulsive hand-washing. It can even lead to avoiding things or situations that they perceive as dirty and an overuse of disinfectants.
Sources:
https://www.verywellmind.com/most-common-phobias-4136563