Specific Phobias

A specific phobia is an irrational fear of specific objects or situations.

Specific phobias, as a group, are among the most common anxiety disorders but are often less troubling than other anxiety disorders. During any 12-month period, about 13% of women and 4% of men have a specific phobia.

Some specific phobias cause little inconvenience, while others severely interfere with functioning. For example, a city dweller who is afraid of snakes may have no trouble avoiding them. However, a city dweller who fears small, closed places such as elevators may encounter them frequently.

Some specific phobias, such as fear of large animals, the dark, or strangers, begin early in life. Many such phobias stop as people get older. Other phobias, such as fear of rodents, insects, storms, water, heights, flying, or enclosed places, typically develop later in life.

At least 5% of people are to some degree phobic about blood, injections, or injury. These people can actually faint because of a decrease in heart rate and blood pressure, which does not happen with other phobias and anxiety disorders. Many people with other phobias and anxiety disorders hyperventilate. Hyperventilating can cause them to feel as though they might faint, although they virtually never faint.

Some Common Phobias

Phobia

Definition

Acrophobia

Fear of heights

Amathophobia

Fear of dust

Astraphobia

Fear of thunder and lightning

Aviophobia

Fear of flying

Belonephobia

Fear of needles, pins, or other sharp objects

Brontophobia

Fear of thunder

Claustrophobia

Fear of confined spaces

Eurotophobia

Fear of female genitals

Gephyrophobia

Fear of crossing bridges

Hydrophobia

Fear of water

Odontiatophobia

Fear of dentists

Phartophobia

Fear of passing gas in a public place

Phasmophobia

Fear of ghosts

Phobophobia

Fear of having fears or developing a phobia

Spargarophobia

Fear of asparagus

Triskaidekaphobia

Fear of all things associated with the number thirteen

Trypanophobia

Fear of injections

Zoophobia

Fear of animals (usually spiders, snakes, or mice)

here are over 500 named phobias, listed at the Phobia List web site. Most are extremely rare