The most common phobias. List of the most common human phobias The most common phobia is fear of something

A phobia is an obsessive fear of a certain content that arises against a person’s will in a specific situation. Phobia and fear are similar, but fear is a natural protective function of the psyche, and phobia is its deviation. A person may experience an unaccountable, unreasonable fear, accompanied by neurotic symptoms (sweating, trembling, chills), of ordinary phenomena - for example, riding the subway, meeting a dog. Psychotherapists have identified over five hundred different phobias, but in modern life no more than a dozen are often encountered. Let's look at ten of the most common ones.

The most popular fear of our time, which has neither age nor gender restrictions. Eight out of ten children are afraid of the dark; After 18 years, ten out of a hundred people admit their fear of nightfall. Nyctophobia manifests itself in the form of a state of panic not in front of the darkness itself, but in those terrible pictures that the patient’s imagination draws against its background. If the fear of the dark does not go away with growing up, as usual, then uncontrolled nyctophobia can become a trigger for cardiovascular pathologies and problems with the central nervous system.

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Fear of heights is the second most popular, it affects the psyche of more than 7% of the world's population. Acrophobia manifests itself as unaccountable anxiety in situations that provoke neurosis: air travel, cable car travel, looking out of the window of a high-rise building. According to patients, during panic attacks they cannot control either their thoughts or actions, and some struggle with an obsessive desire to jump down, although in everyday life such people do not have a tendency towards suicidal acts.

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The fear of flying makes life difficult for every tenth air passenger. The disorder manifests itself in the form of anxiety, fear of a possible catastrophe. Sometimes it is provoked by other phobias - fear of heights or thanatophobia (fear of death). The first symptoms of aerophobia - tension, urge to vomit, headache - begin before the flight and reach their apogee upon takeoff, accompanied by attacks of panic and an unaccountable desire to leave the transport.

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The clearest example of claustrophobia is the fear of riding in an elevator. Those suffering from this disorder experience a whole range of negative emotions in confined spaces - from a slight increase in heart rate to fainting. According to statistics, about 5-7% of the world's population suffer from a severe form of claustrophobia, accompanied by panic attacks. In this case, the symptoms of the disorder can be provoked even by wearing tight clothes or an excessively tight tie.

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According to psychotherapists, the most common cause of unaccountable fear of water is associated psychological trauma experienced in the past. Aquaphobia complicates the life of every second person who encounters an accident on the water. Severe symptoms of physiological hydrophobia in the form of swallowing spasms and the inability to take a sip of liquid are observed in patients with tetanus and rabies.

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Almost every squeamish person is a little ophidiophobic, but the fear of snakes in a patient suffering from ophidiophobia is much stronger. Pathological fear of snakes is accompanied by obsessive thoughts about the likelihood of a reptile entering the home, a poisonous bite, etc., and in some cases, being intensified by the fear of death, takes the form of a severe mental disorder.

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Increased heart rate, sweating, pallor, hypotension, fainting are signs that natural disgust at the sight of blood has turned into pathological fear and the person needs psychological help. The main cause of hematophobia is considered to be a hereditary predisposition, but the disease often occurs as a result of unqualified medical actions and childhood injuries - in more than 40% of cases of the disease.

Human phobias are the same as fears, but they are irrational, uncontrollable and obsessive fears of something or someone. Moreover, not all human phobias are considered phobic anxiety or neurotic personality disorders.

Relatively recently, the list of human phobias consisted of about 500 items; now, in the modern world of information and high technology, irrational fears and anxiety of expectation (phobias) number about 1000.

Today, on the site website, you will find out what kind of human phobias there are, you will see a list with explanations.

Human phobias - list with explanations

To make it easier for you to understand what a person’s phobias are, and most importantly, whether you have any phobic disorder, irrational fears, obsessive anxieties and fears that you want to get rid of, you will be presented with a basic list of a person’s phobias and fears with explanations, and the name of the phobia itself will appear in the results of your choice.

If you just want to find out all a person’s phobias - a list with explanations, then you will also receive them.

Some human phobias - a list with explanations will be shown - are obsessional neuroses, obsessive-compulsive personality disorders, and require psychotherapeutic treatment.

List of phobic fears, fears and anxieties

So, select the fear you are interested in (fear, anticipation anxiety) from the proposed list of a person’s phobias - in the results you will receive an explanation and the name of the phobic disorder.

By the way, fear of everything in the world at once - Panophobia, and the fear of the fears themselves - Phobophobia

Are you afraid of flying? ...or perform in public? ...or heights? ...or something else?

And if you have one of these fears, do you realize that: “Love is what you were born with, and fear is what you learned here”? These words belong to Marianne Williamson.

Until now, none of us have been alone in our fears, and this is what makes people look at their own fears as something average. Some try to explain or try to overcome them or try to find the source of fear, which will also allow them to get rid of them.

Here is a list of the 10 most common fears. The list is based on research of data from Google and other search engines regarding the most interesting topics of queries and is a stripped-down version of the list of the most common phobias. In case someone does not agree with it, he can refute or continue it:

Fear of flying.

Statistically, air travel is considered the safest form of travel, and yet it is the number one fear. Perhaps the few cases where planes crash and kill people make the news, which exaggerates the dangers of flying and creates aviophobia in people's minds. In addition, driving a car gives the impression of greater control over the situation than being in a seat on an airplane. That is why, despite the fact that there is a greater danger of dying during a trip to the airport than during the flight itself, the fear of driving a car is much lower. However, perhaps it all comes down to a fear of closed spaces (cloustraphobia) or heights (acrophobia).
If you are forced to fly by plane, but feel some discomfort during the flight, then you can do something to distract yourself from thoughts about your fear. For example, start a conversation with a neighbor, read a book, listen to music, watch a movie, or spend time on something delicious that the flight attendants offer on board - not during the entire flight, of course.

Fear of public speaking

This fear is easily understood by many people. Perhaps this is the deepest fear of all humanity. Undoubtedly, even those who are constantly in the public eye are nervous when going out in front of an audience, be it a teacher or a politician. The fear is that everyone is looking at you and listening to what you say. The scariest thing about all this is that you don't do it often enough and that's why you're afraid. The cure for glossophobia or, as it is also called peiraphobia, can be more communication and being in numerous companies where you could be visible and try to overcome your fears. However, in some cases, the help of someone experienced in communicating with the public can also play a significant role. One of the clearest examples of this was the recent Oscar winner, The King's Speech.

Fear of heights

Fear of heights is one of the most common fears, which comes from the fear of jumping or rather the fear of falling. Acrophobia is quite easy to avoid simply by avoiding high surfaces or in cases of special need to concentrate your gaze on close objects and divert attention from the fact of being at a height.

Fear of the dark

This fear stems from childhood, but can often haunt people into adulthood. Nyctophobia is one of the most irrational fears you can encounter, especially if you are an adult. Overcoming it is possible only by understanding what its real reason is, that is, by answering the question: “What exactly in the dark scares you?”

Fear of intimacy

Perhaps the reason for intimate phobia lies in the fear of revelation and trust. In addition, the reason may be hidden in the fear of rejection, fear of commitment, or fear of failure in a relationship. In addition, the inevitable fear of change plays no small role here, which was indeed a very strong fear for people at all times. Like all other fears, intimate phobia significantly limits our communication. The fight against this fear is possible, perhaps, only in conditions of strong support from a person who truly cares about you.

Fear of death

Thanatophobia seriously affects the well-being of many millions of people around the world. And this is not only the fear of death itself, but also the fear of the dead and everything connected with death. Overcoming this fear is possible only by realizing that life is an endless cycle, including death, as an integral part (the coin has two sides) strengthening in the mind the idea that there are people who will not forget you.

Fear of failure

Another common and understandable fear is atychiphobia, or fear of failure. Even successful people suffer from this fear, which, in addition to existing on its own, can also provoke other common fears. It's the same fear of change, fear of what people might think of you, fear of rejection. Overcoming this and all related fears is possible only by starting to act and stopping to think about what will happen if this or that action is committed.

Fear of Rejection

For many, fear of rejection or monophobia is the most powerful and insurmountable fear. What is its secret and what is meant by this fear is the desire to be accepted and love for others, which require confidence that you are needed and will not be abandoned.

Fear of spiders

Arachnophobia is one of the human fears that does not require detailed explanation. It is possible to get rid of it by spending a long time in a country where spiders are especially common and are represented by many types and sizes. However, in order to take such a step, you need to properly prepare yourself to fight this phobia, which many consider irrational and, at times, annoying.

Fear of commitment

Last on this list is the so-called “male” fear – fear of obligations or responsibility (hypengiophobia). It can occur periodically at one or another stage of human life, and this does not mean at all that you will suffer from it constantly. Although this can be said about all the fears on this list. Perhaps the reason for this fear lies in the unwillingness to grow up and take responsibility, or the inability to cope with responsibility. In order to get rid of this fear, you just need to try to change something in your life, which a loved one who cares about you can help with.

There are many versions about which phobias are the most terrible. So, according to a sociological survey conducted in the USA at the beginning of the century, the top 10 looks like this:

  • 1. Fear of snakes - herpetophobia
  • 2. Fear of public speaking - glossophobia
  • 3. Fear of heights - acrophobia
  • 4. Fear of enclosed spaces - claustrophobia
  • 5. Fear of spiders or insects - arachnophobia
  • 6. Fear of needles - Aichmophobia
  • 7. Fear of mice - musophobia
  • 8. Fear of flying - aviophobia
  • 9. Fear of dogs - cynophobia
  • 9. Fear of thunder - astrapophobia
  • 9. Fear of crowds - enochlophobia
  • 10. Fear of doctors - opiophobia

Private versions of individual websites offer another version of the 10 most common fears:

  • 1. Arachnophobia: fear of spiders and insects
  • 2. Social phobia: fear of society or people in general
  • 3. Aerophobia: fear of flying
  • 4. Agoraphobia: fear of open spaces
  • 5. Cloustrophobia: Fear of enclosed spaces
  • 6. Vomitophobia: fear of vomiting
  • 7. Acrophobia: fear of heights
  • 8. Cancerophobia: fear of getting cancer
  • 9. Astrapophobia: fear of thunder and lightning
  • 10. Thanatophobia: fear of death

The world around us is interesting and fascinating. However, as they say, in every barrel of honey there is a fly in the ointment. In our life, there is enough of both, and in abundance.
And so, one of the “flies in the ointment” is the numerous phobias that have haunted humanity since its inception.
Everything that surrounds a person is so attractive, so interesting! It beckons, demands to go on a journey, towards adventure and discovery. But what to do if a panic fear of heights stops you on the way to new achievements? Or the unbearable horror of the hostile darkness?
And if you are susceptible to any of the phobias, then know that you are not alone! Thousands and thousands of people, together with you, are trying to overcome their own consciousness and begin to live life to the fullest.
We present to you the top 10 most common and well-known phobias.

Fear (fear) of closed spaces. It would seem that ordinary elevators, narrow corridors, small rooms, solariums and even an airplane, but these are the ones that can drive people suffering from claustrophobia to loss of consciousness or insane fear. They experience panic fear when they find themselves in a room from which, in their opinion, they will not be able to get out. The state of health worsens, the person sweats sharply, panic seizes him, sometimes the person loses consciousness, so people suffering from this phobia always try to avoid unwanted situations - they take the stairs instead of the elevator, try to stay closer to the doors in small rooms or in places where a lot of people gathered. There is no consensus among scientists about the causes of claustrophobia. It is generally accepted that, after all, this stems from childhood, perhaps these are fears experienced when the baby could not get out of a closet or other small place, the cause may also be an experienced misfortune associated with a closed room (fire, suffocation, etc. ) If this fear is not treated, a person becomes passive, his interests change, and this condition can torment him for years. Therefore, the sooner you turn to specialists, the greater the chances of getting rid of this madness.

According to statistics, about 20-25% of the world's population, including adults, suffer from it, since this phobia usually appears after 25 years. Apparently, only at this age does a person realize the dangers of flying on airplanes. It is the fear of flying on various aircraft that is called aerophobia. And almost 40% of the people on our planet experience varying degrees of fear, which can also turn into a phobia, because according to surveys, many people consider air transport to be the most dangerous. Passengers who are afraid to fly, but are forced to do so (most often this is due to work), may feel calm even at the airport, but already before boarding they become irritable, upset, their heart rate increases, sweating, trembling, anxiety may arise. gastrointestinal disorders. And each time the sensations become more frightening, so a person is forced to look for ways to avoid a stressful situation. Sometimes people resort to alcohol, but, alas, this is not a panacea, and sometimes they are even forced to change their place of work in order to stop constant flights. The cause of the appearance of aerophobia may be hereditary characteristics of the nervous system, as well as a “great contribution” was made by the media, which not only cover the disasters that happened, but focus the population’s attention too much on the disasters and victims.

Few of us feel comfortable at high altitude; many experience a feeling of fear and dizziness. There is a very fine line between pathology and normality, which anyone can cross. But in people who suffer from acrophobia - fear of heights, all these symptoms are much more pronounced. Fear of heights is irrational; it cannot be understood, logically explained or brought under control. If acrophobes are at altitude, they begin to experience nausea, which can lead to vomiting, breathing and heartbeat slow down, body temperature drops sharply, the gastrointestinal tract begins to work more actively, and all this is accompanied by irresistible horror. People suffering from acrophobia are forced to limit themselves in many ways: they cannot go to the mountains, enjoy ski resorts, cannot have fun in amusement parks, try to visit friends less often who live on the upper floors of high-rise buildings, even glass floors can cause them discomfort. And if aerophobia most often manifests itself in adults, then children very often suffer from acrophobia. The reasons for this phobia can be different: congenital and acquired due to various life situations. At the moment, there is no single theory of the causes of acrophobia. There is no need to try to get rid of your fear of heights on your own; it is better to seek help from competent specialists.

Dentophobia or odontophobia is another name for this phobia, and it occupies a special place in our lives. After all, if we compare it with other phobias (fear of the dark, water, heights) there is at least some opportunity to avoid uncomfortable situations, then in the case of dental phobia there are practically no such chances, and all the consequences of this phobia affect a person’s health. After all, if you constantly postpone a visit to the doctor, the situation of your teeth will worsen and the moment will come when there is no longer any possibility of saving your teeth, and diseased teeth have the most negative effect on the human body. Most often, people who had to deal with Soviet dentistry suffer from dental phobia. Many people remember the horror they experienced because of old drills and the sound they made all their lives, and that is why they have a fear of visiting dentists. After all, sometimes just the sight of a doctor and the smell in dentistry causes people to experience rapid heartbeat, increased sweating and a surge in blood pressure; sometimes, out of fear, a patient can lose consciousness while sitting in the dental chair. But you can’t put off a visit to the doctor, especially since medicine has made great strides forward, and there are no longer those scary drills and the atmosphere in clinics is pleasant, and you always need to take care of your white-toothed smile!

Specific, obsessive and constant fear of fire or fire. Also, there is a panicky fear of being burned alive, getting severe burns, or, for example, losing all property due to a fire. It should be clarified that not all experiences about fires can be called phobias. After all, natural fear of the fire element is not a sign of pyrophobia.
It becomes a phobia only when characteristic symptoms appear. For example, chronic insomnia, self-distrust and constant, obsessive fear that you can’t get rid of. An increased fear of fire is also dangerous because it entails other phobias: aerophobia, amaxaphobia and claustrophobia, for example.
Pyrophobia is a very common phenomenon, since it can be obtained after serious collisions with a formidable element, which have happened to many. The reason may also be numerous reports from the media on this topic, films and, not to be underestimated, the rich human imagination. Pyrophobia is difficult to treat, since standard methods are powerless. Most doctors will recommend skilled psychologists, with whom the patient will have to spend many, many sessions before alleviating pyrophobia even a little. There is certainly no talk of a complete recovery.

Fear of contamination by germs. This phobia is clinical and most often affects people who have previously experienced paralyzing fear due to germs and microorganisms. Most people already feel a completely natural aversion to objects that are dirty for them, however, with a real phobia, this develops into uncontrollable panic. In this case, people's behavior unwittingly goes beyond all reasonable limits. For bacteriophobes, just a clean space around is not enough. Although they tirelessly keep their environment immaculately clean, they simply need the awareness that they design their own personal space and keep everything under vigilant control to completely avoid germs. It gets to the point that the entire day of a person suffering from bacteriophobia is spent only on constantly avoiding “dangerous” situations. Upon contact with an unfamiliar object, they fall into a state of panic, believing that they have become infected, and feeling dangerously close to death. The causes of bacteriophobia can most often be found in some traumatic situations from the patient’s childhood. Fear can also develop if he has experienced serious consequences of a microbial infection in the past. Hypnotherapy, talk therapy and cognitive therapy are recognized as effective treatments for bacteriophobia.

A frequently occurring, isolated case of zoophobia, or more precisely, fear of arachnids. People who are subject to such fear are called arachnophobes. For some inhabitants of the planet, this phobia is expressed so strongly and acutely that it is not even the spider itself that can cause panic, but only its image.
Arachnophobia affects a huge number of people; it is rightfully one of the most common human phobias. It was found that people are more afraid of spiders than weapons, airplanes or cars. A survey conducted in America several years ago showed that 50% of the female population and 10% of the male population are afraid of these small predators.
Nowadays, methods of treating this phobia are being successfully developed. Confrontational therapy is quite popular and effective. The idea is that the person must directly confront the object of their phobia, in this case the spider. Next, the arachnophobe communicates with the spider, sometimes even to the point of touching.
It is interesting that many people who previously suffered from this phobia, after a successful course of treatment, got spiders as pets. Also, another effective way to get rid of these fears are special computer games where you need to destroy spiders or simply arachnid creatures.

Nyctophobia is a strong obsessive fear of the dark or unlit rooms, sometimes even a fear of the dark. It is one of the most “popular” phobias. Also, it has other names - achluophobia, scotophobia.
In most cases, fear of the dark has its roots in a person’s childhood. This fear is inherent in small children, since darkness carries with it the unknown and danger. Over the years, this fear either becomes more acute or disappears completely. It all depends on how this phobia will be “handled” in childhood. If they try to explain to a child that there is nothing scary or hostile in the dark, then noctophobia will not develop. But if you intimidate a child and threaten him with unprecedented monsters that are watching from under the bed, then the result is predictable.
However, the causes of nyctophobia can develop in later life. For example, loneliness and constant stress are strong catalysts for the emergence of a panicky fear of the dark, since a feeling of defenselessness and anxiety in this case becomes a person’s constant companions. There are many treatments for nyctophobia. From any independent therapy to serious consultations with doctors followed by the use of certain medications.

A person’s acute and uncontrollable fear at the sight of even a drop of blood is hemophobia.
A fairly common occurrence, almost 20% of the entire world population is susceptible to this phobia. With this disease, at the slightest sight of blood, a person’s heart rate increases, trembling begins, he turns pale and may even lose consciousness. But, despite the large number of people suffering from hemophobia, and such an acute reaction, very few people seek help from a doctor in this matter.
But in vain, because the causes of hemophobia are only psychological. It is believed that the root cause was society. Sometimes there are some traumatic events, but genetics certainly have nothing to do with it. And that is why it is quite possible to get rid of this phobia, you just need to find a competent psychotherapist. However, it happens that hemophobia, even over the years, remains at the level of minor manifestations, without developing into a serious disease. In this case, professional treatment, of course, is not required. But, in any case, it would not hurt for people who are susceptible to the fear of blood to try to develop resistance to its type. Only then will they be sure that they will maintain their mental state normally.

Expressed by acute fear of pain. A person who suffers from this phobia is terribly afraid of any, even the most minimal manifestation of physical pain. Terror of pain is one of the most common experiences. This is a reflection of the protective reaction of the human nervous system. Having once experienced severe pain, we try in every possible way to avoid repeating such feelings. However, no matter how unpleasant the pain may be, it has a rather important function - this signal warns of a disruption in the functioning of our body. Algophobia is also easy to treat. And the appointment is made taking into account some of the patient’s personal characteristics. It is believed that hypnosis is a fairly effective method in combating this fear. In addition to medications and psychotherapeutic treatments, algophobia can be overcome through the use of homeopathic remedies.
There are no first or last places in our ranking, because for everyone, their fear is the most terrible and insurmountable. But remember: you don’t have to be left alone with your insurmountable fears; you need to turn to specialists to give your mind a rest and live a full life.

Probably every person has had to deal with phobias in one way or another. Some have learned to get along with their inner demons, while others strive with all their might to get rid of the worries that poison their lives. Experts pay great attention to the study of all kinds of phobias, trying to alleviate the plight of those suffering.

Some fears are quite common. We will definitely look at the list of the 10 most common phobias in this article. And there are also those whose names are unknown even to those who are susceptible to them. Therefore, we will mention rare phobias for your information.

What to do if a phobia interferes with your life, is it possible to get rid of it, is this always necessary? Let's find answers to all questions.

and mental disorder: what's the difference?

First of all, let's define the terms. Phobia is inextricably linked with fear. It represents an insurmountable 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 with the help of which any living creature avoids danger. This mechanism that helps to survive is laid down by nature itself. But in most cases, the feeling of fear is justified.

A phobia may not only have no apparent cause, but also have a number of signs that are uncharacteristic of a natural feeling of fear. They are clearly visible even to those who do not have a medical degree. These include the following:

  • breathing failure (fast or slow);
  • the appearance of perspiration, increased sweating;
  • tremor, hand trembling;
  • disorientation in space, dizziness, nausea;
  • increased heart rate, unbalanced blood pressure.

Some of these signs also appear at a time of danger, when fear is justified. This is due to the release of adrenaline. By the way, this hormone only works for the good: it helps you make the right decision and get yourself together. The main thing is not to panic and pull yourself together in time.

In cases where we are talking about a phobia, a provoking stimulus is not needed. It is enough to mention or even just remember it. At the moment of exacerbation, fear is impossible to curb. A person cannot control himself, and 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 individual, do not violate the integrity of the perception of the world, and do not destroy the psyche. When fears become an obsession and a person begins to behave inappropriately, consulting a doctor is vital. Alarming symptoms should be considered regular mention of the cause of fear, arrangement of shelters, unreasonable spending on protective equipment, attempts to escape from a non-existent pursuit, the desire to find out as much information as possible related to the object of apparent danger, aggression towards those who are trying to dissuade. If someone you love is behaving this way, they may need help. None of the most common phobias, nor any of the rare ones, cause inappropriate behavior. Phobias are not a mental disorder.

Where do phobias come from?

Analyzing some common phobias, it can be assumed 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 that caused the phobia to form do not even remain in memory. But the subconscious mind stores information in its depths, “carefully” inspiring a person to avoid repetition in every possible way.

However, there is a lot that is inexplicable. For example, the fear of flying on an airplane can haunt those who have never flown. In this case, the phobia probably developed from a fear of heights. Some types of phobias are even more difficult to explain.

Mystical version of the origin of phobias

There is an alternative view. People who believe in the transmigration of souls put forward the theory that the phobia is associated with deep memories of a past life. More precisely, about a past death. According to esotericists, a person who drowned in a past life will be afraid of water in subsequent reincarnations.

Of course, although this version is quite entertaining, it cannot be considered scientific. In any case, she currently has no confirmation.

Groups of phobias

Specialists who study phobias and the characteristics of behavior associated with them use the following classification.

It is convenient to present a list of the most common phobias with explanations 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

Health

Fear of diseases, specific or in general; fear of experiencing pain

Fear of death, funerals, dead, cemeteries, coffins

Many fears associated with the intimate sphere

Fear of wrong action, judgment, inappropriate expression of feelings

Phobias caused by fear of experiencing fear

Note that not all existing phobias 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 consider examples.

Phobias related to space

Scientists call the most common phobia the fear of enclosed spaces, from which it is difficult to get out. There is a version that the reason for this may even be tight swaddling in infancy, but this is just a version that requires further analysis. Fear of small spaces is called claustrophobia.

The opposite phenomenon is agoraphobia. A person feels extremely uncomfortable in the middle of wide fields and squares.

Social phobias

The list is headed by anthropophobia - the fear of people in a broad sense. Aphenphosmophobia is the fear of being touched. The painful fear of people of the opposite sex is called heterophobia.

Many people are also susceptible to glossophobia, and this feature usually manifests itself in childhood. It is characterized by a fear of public speaking. Lemophobia, the fear of crowds, also belongs to this group.

Fear of diseases

Not least on the list of common phobias is (nosophobia). It can manifest itself both in persistent denial of real diagnoses and in obsessive searching for all sorts of symptoms. Monopathophobia is the fear of a specific illness.

Doctors also identify acnephobia, which is expressed in a terrible fear of acne.

There are also less common types in this group: amychophobia (fear of skin damage), venerophobia (fear of contracting STDs), vermiphobia (fear of pathogenic microorganisms), dermatophobia (when the risk of skin diseases is frightening).

Algophobia - the fear of experiencing pain - is common to many people. It can be difficult to diagnose, but to a reasonable extent this is common to everyone.

Mortal fear

Topping the list of the most common phobias associated with death is thanatophobia - the fear of death as such.

Taphephobia also belongs to the group - an indescribable fear of being buried alive. Surely many remember that such fear haunted Nikolai Vasilyevich Gogol all his life. Perhaps this was not just fear, but a premonition of trouble, because after the exhumation it was established that the great writer was most likely buried when he was in deep sleep or coma. Modern medicine has advanced significantly, experts pronounce death after an autopsy and careful examination, but many of our contemporaries also suffer from this phobia.

The names “cardiophobia” and “heart attack phobia” speak for themselves. These fears are associated with death from heart disease.

Sexual sphere

A very common phobia is panic fear of intimacy (coitophobia). This group also includes special cases: fear of the first sexual experience (intimophobia), fear of harassment (contreltophobia), fear of nudity and touching (mixeophobia).

The list of phobias included in this group is quite long. 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).

Contrast phobias

The next group unites fears associated with wrong actions, erroneous actions, and inappropriate feelings.

The most common are hamartophobia (fear of an unworthy act), paralipophobia (fear of a false choice), chairophobia (fear of out-of-place joy), and enosiophobia (fear of the Fall).

Phobiophobia

This sounds surprising, but the list of the most common phobias also includes phobia. Some people, especially those familiar with the topic, are terribly afraid that they will develop a phobia. These thoughts can be very intrusive.

Scary environment

Having examined the 7 main groups, we will pay attention to some equally common phobias that are not included in any of them.

Experts combine many varieties into the group of zoophobias. It should be noted that this is a collective name; as such, fear of all animals does not exist.

The factor is always a certain type of animal (for example, in ailurophobia - fear of cats), class (in ostraconophobia - fear of shellfish) or a group of animals.

List of the most common phobias

The top 10 will help you get a more complete understanding of the spread of certain fears.

  1. According to experts, at least 20% of the world's population is susceptible to nyctophobia. The meaning of fear is related to It is the most common phobia in the world. Nyctophobia is most common among children. It may go away with age, but this does not always happen. Some people need a night light all their lives.
  2. Acrophobia is a panicky fear of heights. 7-8% of people suffer from this. Airplanes, 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 people note that once at the top, they feel the urge to throw themselves down.
  3. Aerophobia - fear of air travel. Common sense is powerless when a panic attack begins. Many aerophobes are well aware that an airplane is one of the safest vehicles, but they cannot help themselves.
  4. Claustrophobia is the fear of closed or cramped spaces. Elevators, closed doors, secluded corners are frightening and make you want to break out.
  5. Aquaphobia is the fear of choking or drowning.
  6. Ophidiophobia is a panicky fear of snakes.
  7. Hematophobia is an uncontrollable panic fear of blood, which is accompanied by loss of consciousness much more often than other phobias.
  8. Thanatophobia is fear for one's own life.
  9. Autophobia is caused by an obsessive fear of loneliness.
  10. Glossophobia is the fear of speaking in public.

The most unusual phobias

All sorts of anxieties overcome a person... The most common phobias seem more or less understandable, but there are also those that are even more difficult to explain. Let's consider the names and factors of the most unusual human fears.

  • Acribophobia is a panicky fear of not understanding the essence of what is heard.
  • Gnosiophobia - fear of learning.
  • Lacanophobia - fear of vegetables.
  • Dorophobia is an inexplicable fear of gifts.
  • Hydrosophobia is an excessive fear of sweating.
  • Ombrophobia is associated with rain, snow, and hail.
  • Penteraphobia occurs only in men. The object of fear is the mother-in-law.
  • Chronophobia is the fear of time.
  • Philophobia is characterized
  • Ratterophobia is the fear of mispronouncing a word or phrase.

Is treatment necessary?

Experts do not give a clear answer to this question. Each case requires an individual approach. Some phobias can become causes of neuroses (by the way, Freud believed that nyctophobia always leads to neuroses).

It happens that a phobia can negatively affect your health, for example, cause heart problems. In such cases, consultation with a psychologist, and possibly a psychotherapist, is necessary.

It should be remembered that a person with a phobia should under no circumstances be “broken”: the fear of water will not disappear if you throw the unfortunate person out of a boat in the middle of the lake; Fear of snakes will not go away by itself from contact with reptiles. The consequences can be irreversible and tragic. Correction of the condition can only be determined by an experienced doctor.