The 10 Most Common Phobias

Are you afraid of creepy crawlies? Fearful of snakes that slither? You’re not alone, after all.

According to the American Psychiatric Association, phobias are the second most prevalent psychiatric disorder.

It is estimated that phobias affect 10% of adults annually. Usually developing in childhood or adolescence, many phobias last far into adulthood. Moreover, they affect twice as many women as men.

Numerous theories, including evolutionary and behavioural ones, explain how and why phobias arise. Whatever the underlying cause, phobias are curable disorders that can be reduced or eliminated using medicines and cognitive and behavioural therapy techniques.

The most common phobias

Among the most prevalent phobias are:

• Arachnophobia: intense fear of spiders and other arachnids
• Ophidiophobia: intense fear of snakes
• Acrophobia: intense fear of heights
• Aerophobia: intense fear of flying
• Cynophobia: intense fear of dogs
• Astraphobia: intense fear of thunder and lightning
• Trypanophobia: intense fear of injections
• Social phobia: intense fear of social interactions
• Agoraphobia: intense fear of places that are difficult to escape, sometimes involving fear of crowded or open spaces
• Mysophobia: intense fear of germs, dirt, and other contaminants

These phobias lead to significant fear and can result in experiencing symptoms such as dizziness, nausea, and breathlessness. In some cases, they may escalate into a full-blown panic attack.

Social phobia (social anxiety disorder) and agoraphobia are in their category of anxiety disorders, whereas the remaining eight phobias are considered “specific phobias” related to a particular object or situation.

Let’s take a closer look at each of them:

Arachnophobia

The fear of spiders and other arachnids is known as arachnophobia.

So why do so many people have arachnophobia? There are an estimated 35,000 species of spider, yet only a handful pose a real threat to people.

The fact that these species formerly posed a significant threat to our ancestors, who lacked the medical knowledge and technological resources to manage injuries from animals and insects, is one of the most prevalent theories for this and comparable animal phobias. Therefore, evolution helped to create a tendency to fear these organisms.

Ophidiophobia

The phobia of snakes is called ophidiophobia. This phobia is widespread, and its origins are frequently attributed to genetic factors, individual circumstances, or cultural factors. Snakes can occasionally be dangerous, so our ancestors who avoided them were likelier to live and pass on their genes.

Acrophobia

More than 6% of people have acrophobia or a fear of heights.This phobia may cause panic attacks and an aversion to heights. This phobia causes sufferers to avoid elevated areas like towers, bridges, and towering buildings.

While fear of heights is something that most individuals experience to some extent, this phobia entails a significant dread that can cause panic episodes and avoidance behaviours.

Aerophobia

Although aeroplane accidents are relatively rare, 10% to 40% of persons still experience aerophobia or a fear of flying.One in three persons experiences some amount of terror when flying. Trembling, an accelerated heartbeat, and feeling lost are some symptoms of this phobia.

Some people avoid flying entirely due to their fear of flying. Treatment for it frequently involves exposure therapy, in which the client is gradually exposed to flying.

Cynophobia

Cynophobia, or a fear of dogs, is frequently linked to particular life situations, including being bitten by a dog as a youngster. Such occurrences can be highly distressing and trigger phobias that persist into adulthood.

This phobia is not just a typical dread of stray dogs; it is an unreasonable and excessive fear that can seriously affect a person’s life and ability to operate.

For instance, a person with cynophobia might be unable to walk down a particular street because they know a dog lives there. This avoidance may affect the person’s capacity for everyday living and make commuting to work, school, or other events away from the house challenging.

Astraphobia

Dread of thunder and lightning is known as astrophobia. Those with this phobia feel paralysing fear when they encounter such weather-related occurrences. Shaking, a quick heartbeat, and accelerated respiration are signs of astraphobia, like other phobias.

People with this illness may take considerable measures to cover or hide from the weather event, such as hiding in bed under the covers or ducking inside a cupboard or restroom during a thunderstorm with thunder or lightning. Additionally, those with this phobia frequently become too obsessed with the weather – constantly monitoring the regional and global climate.

Trypanophobia

Trypanophobia, or the fear of injections, can lead patients to avoid doctors and medical procedures. Like many phobias, this one frequently goes untreated because the triggering thing or circumstance is avoided. According to estimates, this fear affects 20% to 30% of adults.

Even when they have a physical or dental disease that requires care, people with this phobia may avoid seeing doctors, dentists, and other healthcare providers.

Social Anxiety Disorder (Social Phobia)

Social phobia is the fear of being in social situations, which can be pretty crippling. These phobias can often get so bad that people avoid situations, places, and people that could make them anxious.

People with this phobia are terrified of being observed or embarrassed in public. Even routine activities like eating a meal might make people anxious. Social phobias frequently start in adolescence and can last the rest of one’s life.

Agoraphobia

Agoraphobia is a fear of being alone in a place or circumstance from which it may be challenging to leave. Fear of crowded places and wide-open spacesthat could result in a panic attack are examples of this phobia. People will avoid these trigger situations, sometimes to the point where they never leave the house.

Agoraphobia is a symptom of panic disorder in about one-third of cases.The onset of agoraphobia often occurs between the late teens and the mid-30s. Women make up two-thirds of agoraphobics.The condition frequently starts with an unplanned and spontaneous panic attack, which triggers anxiety over the risk of another attack.

Mysophobia

Mysophobia, or excessive fear of germs and dirt, can cause people to clean excessively, wash their hands excessively, or even avoid items or situations they believe to be dirty. This phobia may occasionally have symptoms with obsessive-compulsive disorder.

This widespread phobia can also cause individuals to avoid direct physical contact with others due to a fear of infection, an excessive reliance on disinfectants, and an obsessive obsession with media news concerning disease outbreaks. People with this phobia also avoid places like hospitals, aeroplanes, schools, and pharmacies where germs are more likely to be present.

Getting help

One of the most prevalent categories of psychiatric disorders, phobias, can significantly impair a person’s ability to function and overall well-being. Fortunately, safe and efficient therapies, including psychotherapy, medication, or a mix of the two, are available.

Speaking with a therapist is always advisable. Hope Trust has over 25 psychologists and psychiatrists available online or in-person to create an effective treatment plan most suitable for your issue.

The proper treatment depends on several factors, including the symptoms and intensity of the phobia.

Click www.hopetrustindia.com for an online appointment with an expert.