Phobia

Phobia From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Jump to: navigation, search For other uses, see Phobia (disambiguation). A phobia (from the Greek φόβος "Phobos" meaning Fear), is an irrational, intense, persistent fear of certain situations, objects, activities, or persons. The main symptom of this disorder is the excessive, unreasonable desire to avoid the feared subject. When the fear is beyond one's control, or if the fear is interfering with daily life, then a diagnosis under one of the anxiety disorders can be made. [1]

Contents [hide]

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1 Prevalence 2 Causes 3 Other uses of term 4 The anatomical side of phobias 5 Clinical phobias o 5.1 Phobias in children o 5.2 Treatments o 5.3 Non-psychological conditions 6 Non-clinical uses of the term o 6.1 Terms indicating prejudice or class discrimination 7 See also 8 Notes and references

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9 External links

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[edit] Prevalence Phobias (in the clinical meaning of the term) are the most common form of anxiety disorders. An American study by the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) found that between 8.7% and 18.1% of Americans suffer from phobias. [2] Broken down by age and gender, the study found that phobias were the most common mental illness among women in all age groups and the second most common illness among men older than 25.

[edit] Causes

It is generally accepted that phobias arise from a combination of external events and internal predispositions. In a famous experiment, Martin Seligman used classical conditioning to establish phobias of snakes and flowers. The results of the experiment showed that it took far fewer shocks to create an adverse response to a picture of a snake than to a picture of a flower, leading to the conclusion that certain objects may have a genetic predisposition to being associated with fear[3]. Many specific phobias can be traced back to a specific triggering event, usually a traumatic experience at an early age. Social phobias and agoraphobia have more complex causes that are not entirely known at this time. It is believed that heredity, genetics, and brain chemistry combine with lifeexperiences to play a major role in the development of anxiety disorders and phobias.

[edit] Other uses of term Phobia is also used in a non-medical sense for aversions of all sorts. These terms are usually constructed with the suffix -phobia. A number of these terms describe negative attitudes or prejudices towards the named subjects. See Non-clinical uses of the term below.

[edit] The anatomical side of phobias Phobias are more often than not linked to the amygdala, an area of the brain located behind the pituitary gland in the limbic system. The amygdala secretes hormones that control fear and aggression, and aids in the interpretation of this emotion in the facial expressions of others. When the fear or aggression response is initiated, the amygdala releases hormones into the body to put the human body into an "alert" state, in which they are ready to move, run, fight, etc.[4] Studies have shown a difference between the response cycles of those facing an object of a phobia and those facing a dangerous object that does not trigger phobia-like responses. In one case, patients with arachnophobia were shown pictures of a spider (the object of fear) and a snake (a control picture, intended to induce the normal response). When flashed up, the arachnophobe responded with brief fear to the snake, but the amygdala quickly shut down when the logical areas of higher thought analyzed the threat and ruled it out as unimportant. However, when shown the spider, the arachnophobe's amygdala reacted, and then did not stop secreting 'alarm' hormones, even after they had rationalized the situation they were in.[4] For this reason, a phobia is generally classified as a panic disorder by most psychologists, since it involves an unnatural or illogical functioning of the brain.[4]

[edit] Clinical phobias Most psychologists and psychiatrists classify most phobias into three categories: [1] [2]

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Social phobias - fears involving other people or social situations such as performance anxiety or fears of embarrassment by scrutiny of others, such as eating in public. Social phobias may be further subdivided into o the general social phobia, also known as social anxiety disorder, and o specific social phobias, which are cases of anxiety triggered only in specific situations. [5] The symptoms may extend to psychosomatic manifestation of physical problems. For example, sufferers of paruresis find it difficult or impossible to urinate in reduced levels of privacy. That goes beyond mere preference. If the condition triggers, the person physically cannot empty their bladder. Specific phobias - fear of a single specific panic trigger such as spiders, dogs, elevators, water, flying, catching a specific illness, etc. Agoraphobia - a generalized fear of leaving home or a small familiar 'safe' area, and of possible panic attacks that might follow. Agoraphobia is the only phobia regularly treated as a medical condition.

According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition (DSM-IV), social phobia, specific phobia, and agoraphobia are sub-groups of anxiety disorder. Many of the specific phobias, such as fear of dogs, heights, spiders and so forth, are extensions of fears that a lot of people have. People with these phobias specifically avoid the entity they fear. Phobias vary in severity among individuals. Some individuals can simply avoid the subject of their fear and suffer only relatively mild anxiety over that fear. Others suffer fully-fledged panic attacks with all the associated disabling symptoms. Most individuals understand that they are suffering from an irrational fear, but are powerless to override their initial panic reaction.

[edit] Phobias in children Severe fears are present in about 10-15% of children and specific phobias are found in about 5% of children. Children with specific phobias experience an intense fear of an object or situation that does not go away easily and continues for an extended period of time. Children often have specific phobias of the dark, varieties of insects, spiders, bees, heights, water, choking, snakes, dogs, birds, and other animals. For many children, these fears and phobias interfere with their participation in and enjoyment of various activities. It may also interfere with their education, family life, or their social life. However, effective treatment is available for children who experience phobias.

[edit] Treatments Some therapists use virtual reality or imagery exercise to desensitize patients to the feared entity. These are parts of systematic desensitization therapy.

Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) can be beneficial. Cognitive behavioral therapy lets the patient understand the cycle of negative thought patterns, and ways to change these thought patterns. CBT may be conducted in a group setting. Gradual desensitisation treatment and CBT are often successful, provided the patient is willing to endure some discomfort and to make a continuous effort over a long period of time. Anti-anxiety or anti-depression medications can be of assistance in many cases. Benzodiazepines could be prescribed for short-term use. These treatment options are not mutually exclusive. Often a therapist will suggest multiple treatments.

[edit] Non-psychological conditions The word "phobia" may also signify conditions other than fear. For example, although the term hydrophobia means a fear of water, it may also mean inability to drink water due to an illness, or may be used to describe a chemical compound which repels water. Likewise, the term photophobia may be used to define a physical complaint (i.e. aversion to light due to inflamed eyes or excessively dilated pupils) and does not necessarily indicate a fear of light.

[edit] Non-clinical uses of the term Main article: -phobIt is possible for an individual to develop a phobia over virtually anything. The name of a phobia generally contains a Greek word for what the patient fears plus the suffix -phobia. Creating these terms is somewhat of a word game. Few of these terms are found in medical literature. However, this does not necessarily make it a non-psychological condition.

[edit] Terms indicating prejudice or class discrimination A number of terms with the suffix -phobia are primarily understood as negative attitudes towards certain categories of people or other things, used in an analogy with the medical usage of the term. Usually these kinds of "phobias" are described as fear, dislike, disapproval, prejudice, hatred, discrimination, or hostility towards the object of the "phobia". Often this attitude is based on prejudices and is a particular case of general xenophobia. Class discrimination is not always considered a phobia in the clinical sense because it is believed to be only a symptom of other psychological issues, or the result of ignorance, or of political or social beliefs. In other words, unlike clinical phobias, which are usually qualified with disabling fear, class discrimination usually have roots in social relations. Below are some examples:

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Chemophobia, prejudice against artificial substances in favour of 'natural' substances. Christianophobia, fear or hatred of Christians or Christianity. Ephebophobia, fear of youth or adolescents Islamophobia, fear-induced prejudice against Muslims or Islamic culture. Xenophobia, fear or dislike of strangers or the unknown, sometimes used to describe nationalistic political beliefs and movements, but most often used in fictional work to describe the fear or dislike of the alien. Bambakomallophobia, fear of cotton wool. See also: List of anti-ethnic and anti-national terms

[edit] See also • • • • • •

Angst Anxiety Disability List of phobias Panic Panic attack

[edit] Notes and references 1. ^ Edmund J. Bourne, The Anxiety & Phobia Workbook, 4th ed, New Harbinger Publications, 2005, ISBN 1-57224-413-5

2. ^ Kessler etal, Prevalence, Severity, and Comorbidity of 12-Month DSM-IV Disorders in the National Comorbidity Survey Replication, June 2005, Archive of General Psychiatry, Volume 20 3. ^ http://www.allpsych.com/journal/phobias.html 4. ^ a b c Winerman, Lea. "Figuring Out Phobia," American Psychology Association: Monitor on Psychology, August 2007. 5. ^ Crozier, W. Ray; Alden, Lynn E. International Handbook of Social Anxiety: Concepts, Research, and Interventions Relating to the Self and Shyness, p. 12. New York John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. (UK), 2001. ISBN 0-471-49129-2. •

Lynne L. Hall, Fighting Phobias, the Things That Go Bump in the Mind, FDA Consumer Magazine, Volume 31 No. 2, March 1997 [3] HOME PAGE

Phobias Phobia: A persistent, abnormal, or irrational fear of a specific thing or situation that compels one to avoid the feared stimulus.

Common symptoms include shortness of breath, redness in the face, heart palpitations, excessive sweating, dizziness, nausea and an inability to speak or think clearly. Various sufferers experience various combinations of these symptoms (and other symptoms). If you experience some or all of these symptoms and the avoidance of the anxietyproducing situation is causing problems in your life you may have a phobia. HYPNOSIS CAN HELP!

LIST OF PHOBIAS

A

Ablutophobia: Fear of washing or bathing Acarophobia: Fear of itching or of the insects that cause itching Acerophobia: Fear of sourness Achluophobia: Fear of darkness Acousticophobia: Fear of noise Acrophobia: Fear of heights Aerophobia: Fear of flying, drafts, air swallowing, or airborne noxious substances Aeroacrophobia: Fear of open high places Aeronausiphobia: Fear of vomiting secondary to air sickness Agliophobia: Fear of pain Agoraphobia: Fear of open spaces, being in crowded, public places or leaving a safe place Agraphobia: Fear of sexual abuse Agrizoophobia: Fear of wild animals Agyrophobia: streets or crossing the street Aichmophobia: needles or pointed objects Ailurophobia: cats Albuminurophobia: kidney disease Alektorophobia: chickens Algophobia: pain Alliumphobia: garlic Allodoxaphobia: opinions Altophobia: heights Amathophobia: dust Amaxophobia: riding in a car Ambulophobia: walking Amnesiphobia: amnesia Amychophobia: scratches or being scratched Anablephobia: looking up Ancraophobia or Anemophobia: wind Androphobia: men Anemophobia: air drafts or wind Anginophobia: angina, choking or narrowness Anglophobia: England, English culture, etc

Angrophobia: becoming angry Ankylophobia: immobility of a joint Anthrophobia or Anthophobia: flowers Anthropophobia: people or society Antlophobia: floods Anuptaphobia: staying single Apeirophobia: infinity Aphenphosmphobia: being touched (Haphephobia) Apiphobia: bees Apotemnophobia: persons with amputations Arachibutyrophobia: peanut butter sticking to the roof of the mouth Arachnephobia or Arachnophobia: spiders Arithmophobia: numbers Arrhenphobia: men Arsonphobia: fire Asthenophobia: fainting or weakness Astraphobia or Astrapophobia: thunder and lightning Astrophobia: stars and celestial space Asymmetriphobia: asymmetrical things Ataxiophobia: ataxia (muscular incoordination) Ataxophobia: disorder or untidiness Atelophobia: imperfection Atephobia: ruin or ruins Athazagoraphobia: being forgotten or ignored or forgetting Atomosophobia : atomic explosions Atychiphobia: failure Aulophobia: flutes Aurophobia: gold Auroraphobia: Northern lights Autodysomophobia: one that has a vile odor Automatonophobia: ventriloquist's dummies, animatronic creatures, wax statues - anything that falsely represents a sentient being Automysophobia: being dirty Autophobia: being alone or of oneself Aviophobia or Aviatophobia: flying

B Bacillophobia: microbes Bacteriophobia: bacteria Ballistophobia: missiles or bullets Bolshephobia: Bolsheviks Barophobia: gravity Basophobia or Basiphobia: inability to stand or of walking or falling Bathophobia: depth Batonophobia: plants

Batophobia: heights or being close to high buildings Batrachophobia: amphibians, such as frogs, newts, salamanders, etc Belonephobia: pins and needles (Aichmophobia) Bibliophobia: books Blennophobia: slime Bogyphobia: bogies or the bogeyman Bromidrosiphobia or Bromidrophobia: body smells Brontophobia: thunder and lightning Bufonophobia: toads

C Cacophobia: ugliness Cainophobia or Cainotophobia- of newness, novelty Caligynephobia: beautiful women Cancerophobia: cancer Carcinophobia: cancer Cardiophobia: the heart Carnophobia: meat Catagelophobia: being ridiculed Catapedaphobia: jumping from high and low places Cathisophobia: sitting Catoptrophobia: mirrors Cenophobia or Centophobia: new things or ideas Ceraunophobia: thunder Chaetophobia: hair Cheimaphobia or Cheimatophobia: cold Chemophobia: chemicals or working with chemicals Cherophobia: gaiety Chionophobia: snow Chiraptophobia: being touched Cholerophobia: anger or the of cholera Chorophobia: dancing Chrometophobia or Chrematophobia: money Chromophobia or Chromatophobia: colors Chronophobia: time Chronomentrophobia: clocks Cibophobia or Sitophobia or Sitiophobia: food Claustrophobia: confined spaces Cleithrophobia or Cleisiophobia: being locked in an enclosed place Cleptophobia: stealing Climacophobia: stairs, climbing or of falling downstairs Clinophobia: going to bed Clithrophobia or Cleithrophobia: being enclosed Cnidophobia: strings Cometophobia: comets

Coimetrophobia: cemeteries Coitophobia: coitus Contreltophobia: sexual abuse Coprastasophobia: constipation Coprophobia: feces Coulrophobia: clowns Counterphobia: the preference by a phobic for ful situations Cremnophobia: precipices Cryophobia: extreme cold, ice or frost Crystallophobia: crystals or glass Cyberphobia: computers or working on a computer Cyclophobia: bicycles Cymophobia: waves or wave like motions Cynophobia: dogs or rabies Cypridophobia, Cypriphobia, Cyprianophobia or Cyprinophobia: prostitutes or venereal disease

D

Decidophobia making decisions Defecaloesiophobia: painful bowels movements Deipnophobia: dining and dinner conversations Dementophobia: insanity Demonophobia or Daemonophobia: demons Demophobia: crowds (Agoraphobia) Dendrophobia: trees Dentophobia: dentists Dermatophobia: skin lesions Dermatosiophobia or Dermatophobia or Dermatopathophobia: skin disease Dextrophobia: objects at the right side of the body Diabetophobia: diabetes Didaskaleinophobia: going to school Dikephobia: justice Dinophobia: dizziness or whirlpools Diplophobia: double vision Dipsophobia: drinking Dishabiliophobia: undressing in front of someone Domatophobia or Oikophobia: houses or being in a house Doraphobia: fur or skins of animals Dromophobia: crossing streets Dutchphobia: the Dutch Dysmorphophobia: deformity Dystychiphobia: accidents

E

Ecclesiophobia: church Ecophobia: home Eicophobia or Oikophobia: home surroundings Eisoptrophobia: mirrors or of seeing oneself in a mirror Electrophobia: electricity Eleutherophobia: freedom Elurophobia: cats (Ailurophobia) Emetophobia: vomiting Enetophobia: pins Enochlophobia: crowds Enosiophobia or Enissophobia: having committed an unpardonable sin or of criticism Entomophobia: insects Eosophobia: dawn or daylight Epistaxiophobia: nosebleeds Epistemophobia: knowledge Equinophobia: horses Eremophobia: being oneself or of loneliness Ereuthrophobia: blushing Ergasiophobia: work or functioning; for a surgeon: operating Ergophobia: work Erotophobia: sexual love or sexual questions Euphobia: hearing good news Eurotophobia: female genitalia Erythrophobia, Erytophobia or Ereuthophobia: red lights, blushing, red

F

Febriphobia, Fibriphobia or Fibriophobia: fever Felinophobia: cats (Ailurophobia, Elurophobia, Galeophobia, Gatophobia) Francophobia: France, French culture (Gallophobia, Galiophobia) Frigophobia: cold, cold things

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Galeophobia or Gatophobia: cats Gallophobia or Galiophobia: France, French culture (Francophobia) Gamophobia: marriage Geliophobia: laughter Geniophobia: chins Genophobia: sex Genuphobia: knees Gephyrophobia, Gephydrophobia, or Gephysrophobia: crossing bridges Germanophobia: Germany, German culture, etc Gerascophobia: growing old

Gerontophobia: old people or of growing old Geumaphobia or Geumophobia: taste Glossophobia: speaking in public or of trying to speak Gnosiophobia: knowledge Graphophobia: writing or handwriting Gymnophobia: nudity Gynephobia or Gynophobia: women

H Hadephobia: hell Hagiophobia: saints or holy things Hamartophobia: sinning Haphephobia or Haptephobia: being touched Harpaxophobia: being robbed Hedonophobia: feeling pleasure Heliophobia: the sun Hellenologophobia: Greek terms or complex scientific terminology Helminthophobia: being infested with worms Hemophobia or Hemaphobia or Hematophobia: blood Heresyphobia or Hereiophobia: challenges to official doctrine or of radical deviation Herpetophobia: reptiles or creepy, crawly things Heterophobia: the opposite sex (Sexophobia) Hierophobia: priests or sacred things Hippophobia: horses Hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia: long words Hobophobia: bums or beggars Hodophobia: road travel Hormephobia: shock Homichlophobia: fog Homilophobia: sermons Hominophobia: men Homophobia: sameness, monotony or of homosexuality or of becoming homosexual Hoplophobia: firearms Hydrargyophobia: mercurial medicines Hydrophobia: water or of rabies Hydrophobophobia: rabies Hyelophobia or Hyalophobia: glass Hygrophobia: liquids, dampness, or moisture Hylephobia: materialism OR the of epilepsy Hylophobia: forests Hypengyophobia or Hypegiaphobia: responsibility Hypnophobia: sleep or of being hypnotized Hypsiphobia: height

I

Iatrophobia: going to the doctor or of doctors Ichthyophobia: fish Ideophobia: ideas Illyngophobia: vertigo or feeling dizzy when looking down Iophobia: poison Insectophobia : insects Isolophobia: solitude, being alone

J Japanophobia: Japanese Judeophobia: Jews

K Kenophobia: voids or empty spaces Keraunophobia: thunder and lightning Kinetophobia or Kinesophobia: movement or motion Kleptophobia: stealing Koinoniphobia: rooms Kolpophobia: genitals, particularly female Kopophobia: fatigue Koniophobia: dust (Amathophobia) Kosmikophobia: cosmic phenomenon Kymophobia: waves Kynophobia: rabies Kyphophobia: stooping

L Lachanophobia vegetables Laliophobia or Lalophobia: speaking Leprophobia or Lepraphobia: leprosy Leukophobia: the color white Levophobia: things to the left side of the body Ligyrophobia: loud noises Lilapsophobia: tornadoes and hurricanes Limnophobia: lakes Linonophobia: string Liticaphobia: lawsuits Lockiophobia: childbirth Logizomechanophobia: computers Logophobia: words Luiphobia: lues, syphilis

Lutraphobia: otters Lygophobia: darkness Lyssophobia: rabies or of becoming mad

M Macrophobia long waits Mageirocophobia: cooking Maieusiophobia: childbirth Malaxophobia: love play (Sarmassophobia) Maniaphobia: insanity Mastigophobia: punishment Mechanophobia: machines Medomalacuphobia: losing an erection Medorthophobia: an erect penis Megalophobia: large things Melissophobia: bees Melanophobia: the color black Melophobia: hatred of music Meningitophobia: brain disease Menophobia: menstruation Merinthophobia: being bound or tied up Metallophobia: metal Metathesiophobia: changes Meteorophobia: meteors Methyphobia: alcohol Metrophobia: hatred of poetry Microbiophobia: microbes (Bacillophobia) Microphobia: small things Misophobia: being contaminated with dirt of germs Mnemophobia: memories Molysmophobia or Molysomophobia: dirt or contamination Monophobia: solitude or being alone Monopathophobia: definite disease Motorphobia: automobiles Mottephobia: moths Musophobia or Murophobia: mice Mycophobia: aversion to mushrooms Mycrophobia: small things Myctophobia: darkness Myrmecophobia: ants Mysophobia: germs or contamination or dirt Mythophobia: myths or stories or false statements Myxophobia: slime (Blennophobia)

N

Nebulaphobia: fog (Homichlophobia) Necrophobia: death or dead things Negrophobia: blacks or Negroes Nelophobia: glass Neopharmaphobia: new drugs Neophobia: anything new Nephophobia: clouds Noctiphobia: the night Nomatophobia: names Nosocomephobia: hospitals Nosophobia or Nosemaphobia: becoming ill Nostophobia: returning home Novercaphobia: your step-mother Nucleomituphobia: nuclear weapons Nudophobia: nudity Numerophobia: numbers Nyctohylophobia: dark wooded areas, or forests at night Nyctophobia: the dark or of night

O

Obesophobia: gaining weight(Pocrescophobia) Ochlophobia: crowds or mobs Ochophobia: vehicles Octophobia : the figure 8 Odontophobia: teeth or dental surgery Odynophobia or Odynephobia: pain (Algophobia) Oenophob ia: wines Oikophobia: home surroundings, house Olfactophobia: smells Ombrophobia: rain or of being rained on Ommetaphobia or Ommatophobia: eyes Oneirophobia: dreams Oneirogmophobia: wet dreams Onomatophobia: hearing a certain word or of names Ophidiophobia: snakes (Snakephobia) Ophthalmophobia: being stared at Optophobia: opening one's eyes Ornithophobia: birds Orthophobia: property Osmophobia or Osphresiophobia: smells or odors Ostraconophobia: shellfish Ouranophobia: heaven

P

Pagophobia: ice or frost Panthophobia: suffering and disease Panophobia or Pantophobia: everything Pathophobia- Fear of disease. Phasmophobia- Fear of ghosts. Phengophobia- Fear of daylight or sunshine. Philemaphobia or Philematophobia- Fear of kissing. Philophobia- Fear of falling in love or being in love. Placophobia- Fear of tombstones. Plutophobia- Fear of wealth. Pnigophobia or Pnigerophobia- Fear of choking of being smothered. Pocrescophobia- Fear of gaining weight. Poinephobia- Fear of punishment. Potophobia- Fear of alcohol. Pharmacophobia- Fear of drugs. Proctophobia- Fear of rectum. Prosophobia- Fear of progress. Psellismophobia- Fear of stuttering. Psychophobia- Fear of mind. Psychrophobia- Fear of cold. Pteromerhanophobia- Fear of flying. Papaphobia: the Pope Papyrophobia: paper Paralipophobia: neglecting duty or responsibility Paraphobia: sexual perversion Parasitophobia: parasites Paraskavedekatriaphobia: Friday the 13th Parthenophobia: virgins or young girls Pathophobia: disease Patroiophobia: heredity Parturiphobia: childbirth Peccatophobia: sinning (imaginary crime) Pediculophobia: lice Pediophobia: dolls Pedophobia: children Peladophobia: bald people Pellagrophobia: pellagra Peniaphobia: poverty Pentheraphobia: mother-in-law (Novercaphobia) Peniaphobia: poverty Phagophobia: swallowing or of eating or of being eaten Phalacrophobia: becoming bald Phallophobia: of a a penis, especially if erect. Pharmacophobia: taking medicine

Phasmophobia: ghosts Phengophobia: daylight or sunshine Philemaphobia or Philematophobia: kissing Philophobia: falling in love or being in love Philosophobia: philosophy Phobophobia: phobias Photoaugliaphobia: glaring lights Photophobia: light Phonophobia: noises or voices or one's own voice; of telephones Phronemophobia: thinking Phthiriophobia: lice (Pediculophobia) Phthisiophobia: tuberculosis Placophobia: tombstones Plutophobia: wealth Pluviophobia: rain or being rained on Pneumatiphobia: spirits Pnigophobia or Pnigerophobia: choking of being smothered Pocrescophobia: gaining weight (Obesophobia) Pogonophobia: beards Poliosophobia: contracting poliomyelitis Politicophobia: abnormal dislike of politicians Polyphobia: many things Poinephobia: punishment Ponophobia: overworking or of pain Porphyrophobia: the color purple Potamophobia: rivers or running water Pteronophobia: being tickled by feathers Pupaphobia : puppets Pyrexiophobia: fever Pyrophobia: fire

Q R

Radiophobia radiation, x-rays Ranidaphobia: frogs Rectophobia: rectum or rectal diseases Rhabdophobia: being severely punished or beaten by a rod, or of being severely criticized Also of magic(wand) Rhypophobia: defecation Rhytiphobia: getting wrinkles Rupophobia: dirt Russophobia: Russians

S

Samhainophobia: Halloween Sarmassophobia: love play (Malaxophobia) Satanophobia: Satan Scabiophobia: scabies Scatophobia: fecal matter Scelerophibia: bad men, burglars Sciophobia Sciaphobia: shadows Scoleciphobia: worms Scolionophobia: school Scopophobia or Scoptophobia: Fear of being seen or stared at Scotomaphobia: blindness in visual field Scotophobia: darkness (Achluophobia) Scriptophobia: writing in public Selaphobia: light flashes Selenophobia: the moon Seplophobia: decaying matter Sesquipedalophobia: long words Sexophobia: the opposite sex (Heterophobia) Siderodromophobia: trains, railroads or train travel Siderophobia: stars Sinistrophobia: things to the left, left:handed Sinophobia: Chinese, Chinese culture Sitophobia or Sitiophobia: food or eating (Cibophobia) Snakephobia: snakes (Ophidiophobia) Soceraphobia: parents:in:law Social Phobia: being evaluated negatively in social situations Sociophobia: society or people in general Somniphobia: sleep Sophophobia: learning Soteriophobia : dependence on others Spacephobia: outer space Spectrophobia: specters or ghosts Spermatophobia or Spermophobia: germs Spheksophobia: wasps Stasibasiphobia or Stasiphobia: standing or walking (Ambulophobia) Staurophobia: crosses or the crucifix Stenophobia: narrow things or places Stygiophobia or Stigiophobia: hell Suriphobia: mice Symbolophobia: symbolism Symmetrophobia: symmetry Syngenesophobia: relatives Syphilophobia: syphilis

T

Tachophobia: speed Taeniophobia or Teniophobia: tapeworms Taphephobia or Taphophobia: being buried alive or of cemeteries Tapinophobia: being contagious Taurophobia: bulls Technophobia: technology Teleophobia: definite plans; religious ceremony Telephonophobia: telephones Teratophobia: bearing a deformed child; or monsters; or deformed people Testophobia: taking tests Tetanophobia: lockjaw, tetanus Teutophobia: German or German things Textophobia: certain fabrics Thaasophobia: sitting Thalassophobia: the sea Thanatophobia or Thantophobia: death or dying Theatrophobia: theatres Theologicophobia: theology Theophobia: gods or religion Thermophobia: heat Tocophobia: pregnancy or childbirth Tomophobia: surgical operations Tonitrophobia: thunder Topophobia: certain places or situations, such as stage fright Toxiphobia or Toxophobia: poison or of being accidently poisoned Traumatophobia: injury Tremophobia: trembling Trichinophobia: trichinosis Trichopathophobia or Trichophobia or Hypertrichophobia: hair Triskadekaphobia: the number 13 Tropophobia: moving or making changes Trypanophobia: injections Tuberculophobia: tuberculosis Tyrannophobia: tyrants

U

Uranophobia: heaven Urophobia: urine or urinating

V

Vaccinophobia: vaccination Venustraphobia: beautiful women Verbophobia: words

Verminophobia: germs Vestiphobia: clothing Virginitiphobia: rape Vitricophobia: step-father W Walloonphobia- the Walloons. Wiccaphobia: witches and witchcraft. X Xanthophobia: the color yellow or the word yellow Xenophobia: strangers or foreigners Xerophobia: dryness Xylophobia: wooden objects or forests

Y Z

Zelophobia: jealousy Zeusophobia: God or gods Zemmiphobia: the great mole rat Zoophobia: animals

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