Probably, every person had to deal with phobias in one way or another. Some have learned to get along with internal demons, and someone is trying with all his might to get rid of the unrest that poisons life. Specialists pay great attention to the issue of studying all kinds of phobias, trying to alleviate the plight of those who suffer.
Some fears are quite common. We will definitely consider a list of the 10 most common phobias in this article. And there are those whose names are unknown even to those who are subject to them. Therefore, we will mention rare phobias for review.
What to do if a phobia interferes with life, is it possible to get rid of it, is it always necessary? Let's find all the answers.
Phobia, fear and mental disorder: what's the difference?
First of all, let's define the terms. Phobia is inextricably linked with fear. It represents an irresistible fear of certain phenomena, objects, situations. But are these concepts identical?
Experts answer this question in the negative. According to scientists, the feeling of fear is a necessity by which any living creature avoids danger. This mechanism helpssurvive, laid down by nature itself. But in most cases, the feeling of fear is justified.
Phobia not only may not have visible causes, but also has a number of signs that are not characteristic of a natural feeling of fear. They are perfectly visible even to those who do not have a medical degree. They include the following:
- failure to breathe (acceleration or slowdown);
- perspiration, increased sweating;
- tremor, hand trembling;
- disorientation in space, dizziness, nausea;
- increased heart rate, unbalanced blood pressure.
Some of these signs also appear at the moment of danger, when the fear is justified. It has to do with the release of adrenaline. By the way, this hormone works only for the benefit: it helps to make the right decision, to get together. The main thing is not to panic and pull yourself together in time.
When it comes to a phobia, a provocative stimulus is not needed. It is enough to mention or even just remember it. At the moment of exacerbation, it is impossible to curb fear. A person cannot control himself, the condition may worsen. At rest, a person is well aware that he has a phobia, but prefers not to talk about it.
This is the main difference from a mental disorder. Phobias do not affect the personality, do not violate the integrity of the perception of the world, do not destroy the psyche. When fears become an obsession and a person begins to behave inappropriately, a doctor's consultationvital. Alarming symptoms should be considered a regular mention of the cause of fear, the arrangement of shelters, unreasonable spending on protective equipment, attempts to get away from a non-existent chase, the desire to find out as much information as possible related to the object of apparent danger, aggression against those who are trying to dissuade. If someone close to you is behaving this way, they may need help. None of the most common phobias, nor any of the rare ones, causes inappropriate behavior. Phobias are not a mental disorder.
Where do phobias come from?
Analyzing some common phobias, we can assume that their origins are similar. Experts believe that stress is often the cause. After a frightening situation, a person may forever lose the desire to be in it again.
Some phobias grow out of childhood shocks and fears. Often those situations, objects, people, circumstances, due to which a phobia was formed, do not even remain in memory. But the subconscious mind stores information in its depths, "caringly" inspiring a person to avoid repetition in every possible way.
However, there are many inexplicable things. For example, the fear of flying on an airplane can haunt those who have never flown. Probably, in this case, the phobia developed from the fear of heights. Some types of phobias are even harder to explain.
Mystical version of the occurrence of phobias
There is an alternative view. People who believe in the transmigration of souls put forward a version that the phobia is associated with a deepmemory of a past life. More precisely, about the past death. According to esotericists, a person who drowned in a past life will be afraid of water in subsequent reincarnations.
Of course, this version, although quite entertaining, cannot be considered scientific. In any case, she has no confirmation at this time.
Phobia groups
Specialists who study phobias and related behaviors use the following classification.
The list of the most common phobias with explanations is conveniently presented in the form of a table.
| Fear Factor | Description |
| Space | Fear of open areas or closed spaces |
| Society | Phobias associated with people, crowds, professions, communication |
| He alth | Fear of disease, specific or in general; fear of being hurt |
| Death | Fear of death, funerals, dead, cemeteries, coffins |
| Sex | Many intimacy fears |
| Emotions | Fear of wrong action, judgment, inappropriate expression of feelings |
| Fear | Phobias caused by fear of experiencing fear |
Note that not all existingphobias are clearly classified. The table shows only the most common groups. To better understand the topic, it makes sense to familiarize yourself with each group in detail and look at examples.
Space related phobias
Scientists call the most common phobia the fear of a closed room, from which it is difficult to get out. There is a version that even tight swaddling in infancy may be the reason for this, but this is just a version that requires further analysis. The fear of small spaces is called claustrophobia.
The opposite of it is agoraphobia. A person feels extremely uncomfortable in the middle of wide fields, squares.
Social phobias
The list is headed by anthropophobia - the fear of people in a broad sense. Aphenphophobia is the fear of being touched. The morbid fear of people of the opposite sex is called heterophobia.
Glossophobia is also subject to many people, and this feature usually manifests itself in childhood. She is characterized by a fear of public speaking. Lemophobia also belongs to this group - the fear of crowds of people.
Fear of diseases
Not the last place in the list of common phobias is the fear of getting sick (nosophobia). It can manifest itself both in the stubborn denial of real diagnoses, and in the obsessive search for all sorts of symptoms. Monopathophobia is the fear of a particular ailment.
Doctors also distinguish acnephobia, which is expressed in a terrible fear of acne.
Eat in this groupand less common types: amichophobia (fear of skin lesions), venophobia (fear of catching STDs), vermiphobia (fear of pathogens), dermatophobia (when the risk of skin diseases is scary).
Algophobia - the fear of being hurt - is inherent in many people. Diagnosing it can be difficult, to a reasonable extent it is common to everyone.
Death Fear
Heads the top of the most common death-related phobias, thanatophobia - the fear of death as such.
Also belongs to the group taphephobia - an indescribable fear of being buried alive. Surely many people remember that such a fear haunted Nikolai Vasilyevich Gogol all his life. Perhaps it was not just fear, but a premonition of trouble, because after the exhumation it was found that the great writer was most likely buried when he was in a deep sleep or coma. Modern medicine has advanced significantly, experts declare death after an autopsy and thorough research, but many of our contemporaries also suffer from this phobia.
The names "cardiophobia" and "heart attack" speak for themselves. These fears are related to death from heart disease.
Sexual sphere
A very common phobia is the panic fear of intimacy (coitophobia). This group also includes special cases: fear of the first sexual experience (intimophobia), fear of harassment (countreltophobia), fear of exposure and touching (mixeophobia).
The list of phobias included in this group is quite large. Scientists identify many areas, each of which is associated with certain parts of the body, situations, and other factors. Some people even have such an unusual fear as the fear of kissing (philemaphobia).
Contrasting phobias
The next group combines fears associated with wrong actions, wrong actions, inappropriate feelings.
The most common are hamarthophobia (fear of an unworthy deed), paralipophobia (fear of a false choice), hairophobia (fear of showing joy out of place), enosiophobia (fear of falling into sin).
Phobiophobia
It sounds amazing, but the list of the most common phobias includes phobia. Some people, especially those familiar with the topic, are terribly afraid that they will develop a phobia as well. These thoughts can be very intrusive.
Terrifying environment
Having considered 7 main groups, let's pay attention to some equally common phobias that are not included in any of them.
Specialists combine many varieties into a group of zoophobias. It should be noted that this is a collective name, as such, the fear of all animals does not exist.
The factor is always a certain type of animal (for example, with ailurophobia - fear of cats), class (with ostraconaphobia - fear of shellfish) or a group of animals.
List of the most common phobias
Top 10 will help you geta better understanding of the spread of certain fears.
- Nyctophobia, according to experts, affects at least 20% of the world's population. The meaning of fear is related to the fear of the dark. This is the most common phobia in the world. Most often, nyctophobia occurs among children. It can go away with age, but this is not always the case. Some people need a night light all their lives.
- Acrophobia is a panic fear of heights. 7-8% of people suffer from it. Planes, rooftops, balconies of high-rise buildings, mountain peaks, attractions like the Ferris Wheel - all this seems hateful and dangerous. According to experts, this phobia is not only one of the most common, but also extremely dangerous. Many note that once at the top, they feel urges to rush down.
- Aerophobia is the fear of air travel. Common sense is powerless where a panic attack begins. Many aerophobes are well aware that an airplane is one of the safest means of transportation, but they can't help it.
- Claustrophobia is the fear of closed or cramped spaces. Elevators, closed doors, nooks and crannies make you want to escape.
- Aquaphobia - fear of choking or drowning.
- Ophidiophobia is a panicky fear of snakes.
- Hematophobia is an uncontrollable panic fear of blood, which is accompanied by loss of consciousness much more often than other phobias.
- Thanatophobia - fear for one's own life.
- Autophobia is caused by an obsessive fear of being alone.
- Glossophobia isfear of speaking in public.
The most unusual phobias
What kind of anxieties do not overcome a person … The most common phobias seem more or less understandable, but there are those that are even more difficult to explain. Consider the names and factors of the most unusual human fears.
- Acribophobia - a panic fear of not understanding the essence of what they heard.
- Gnosiophobia - fear of learning.
- Lacanophobia is the fear of vegetables.
- Dorophobia is an inexplicable fear of gifts.
- Hydrosophobia is the excessive fear of sweating.
- Ombrophobia is associated with rain, snow, hail.
- Penteraphobia occurs only in men. The subject of fear is the mother-in-law.
- Chronophobia is the fear of time.
- Philophobia is characterized by the fear of falling in love.
- Retterophobia is the fear of mispronouncing a word or phrase.
Do I need treatment?
Specialists do not give a clear answer to this question. Each case requires an individual approach. Some phobias can cause neuroses (by the way, Freud believed that nyctophobia always leads to neuroses).
It happens that a phobia can also negatively affect the state of he alth, for example, cause heart problems. In such cases, consultation with a psychologist, and possibly with a psychotherapist, is necessary.
It should be remembered that a person with a phobia should never be “broken”: the fear of water will not disappear if the unfortunate person is thrown out of the boat in the middle of the lake; fearthe snake will not pass by itself from contact with reptiles. The consequences can be irreversible and tragic. Only an experienced doctor can choose the correction of the condition.
