What are the fears people have. Typology of fears. The most common fears and phobias. "Star List": phobias of famous people

Every healthy person is able to experience natural fear, inherent in him by nature as a protective mechanism of the instinct of self-preservation. Normal fear warns a person of possible danger. Fear, which has no connection with the instinct of self-preservation, is far-fetched and often pathological. Phobias are pathological fears with an inadequate response.

In psychiatry, they are classified as obsessive-compulsive disorders, characterized by thought disorders. Obsessive states arise against the will of a person and, despite the fact that the person himself is critical of them, he is not able to get rid of them on his own.

A phobia is an obsessive fear, which is distinguished by a clear plot, a persistent course and the preservation of a person's critical attitude towards his condition. Preserved consciousness and the absence of delusions are signs that differentiate phobias from serious mental disorders (schizophrenia, manic-depressive syndrome).

Classification

To date, more than 300 types of phobias have been recorded and described by specialists. There are several ways to classify phobic disorders on a specific basis. For example, the classification of the psychiatrist Karvasarsky, compiled according to the plot of fear, contains eight groups of main plots.

The first group includes the fear of space in its various manifestations. The most well-known phobias of this type are claustrophobia (fear of closed spaces) and its opposite type, agoraphobia (fear of open spaces). Claustrophobia often develops in miners who have survived a collapse, submariners after an accident, ordinary people after situations like this.
The second group is social phobias. These types of panic fear are associated with public life: fear of public speaking, any actions in public (for example, leaving the table in need), fear of blushing in the presence of others. This also includes the fear of “losing” a loved one.
The third group includes nosophobia or fear of the possibility of getting sick with something, which is especially aggravated during epidemics.
The fourth group is thanatophobia or obsessive fear of death.
The fifth group includes fear different kind sexual manifestations, for example, coitophobia or panic fear of sexual intercourse, is characteristic mainly of women and is accompanied by a syndrome of vaginismus.
The sixth group includes the fear of harming oneself or one's loved ones.
Seventh - "contrasting" phobias (for example, the fear of a well-bred person to do something "obscene" in public).
Finally, the eighth group is phobophobia, the fear of the very feeling of fear.

A more simplified classification includes several main types:

children, which include social phobias,
teenage, including fear of space, thanatophobia, nosophobia, intimophobia (a man's fear of having close relationships with a woman, and not only intimate ones),
parental - the obsessive fear of parents that something bad will happen to their child.

To identify phobias, there are special tests. If the test result indicates phobic symptoms, it is worth consulting a psychologist.

List of phobias

abannumophobia - fear of abandonment
ablutophobia (ablutophobia) - fear of washing, bathing, washing or cleaning
abortivuphobia - fear of abortion, miscarriage
aviophobia - fear of flying in air vehicles
avidsophobia - fear of being turned into a bird
auroraphobia - fear of the aurora borealis
australophobia - fear of australia, australians, all things australian
autokinetophobia (amaksophobia, motorophobia, ochophobia) - fear of cars, motorcycles, etc.
hagiophobia - fear of holy things
Agirophobia (dromophobia) - fear of the streets, crossing the street
agnosophobia - fear of the unknown
agonophobia - fear of being raped
agoraphobia - fear of space open spaces, squares, crowds of people, markets
agraphobia (countreltophobia) - fear of sexual harassment, sex
agrizoophobia - fear of wild animals
addicerophobia - fear of bad habits
Asiaphobia - fear of anything Asian
aibophobia - fear of palindromes
ailurophobia (galeophobia, gatophobia) - fear of cats
eichmophobia - fear of sharp objects
acarophobia - fear of ticks
aquaphobia - fear of water, drowning, see hydrophobia
acculturaphobia - fear of assimilation
acliophobia - fear of deafness
aconsciusiophobia - fear of falling into unconsciousness
acrotomophobia - fear of amputation
acrophobia - fear of heights
akusapungerephobia - fear of acupuncture
acousticophobia (lygyrophobia, phonophobia) - fear of loud sounds
algophobia - fear of pain
Alektorophobia - fear of roosters
alkephobia - fear of deer
alliumophobia - fear of garlic
allodoxophobia - fear of the opposite opinion
albuminurophobia - fear of kidney disease
altocalciphobia - fear of shoes, shoes with heels
amaxophobia - fear of carriages
amaruphobia - fear of bitterness
amatophobia - fear of dust
amaurophobia - fear of blindness
ambulaphobia - fear of body movement
ameriphobia - fear of everything American
amichophobia - fear of scratching
amnesiophobia - fear of amnesia
anablepophobia - fear of looking up
anasteemophobia - fear of height difference
Anglophobia - fear of all English
angrophobia - fear of becoming angry, anger
andromimetophobia - fear of women imitating men
androphobia - fear of men
androticolobomassophobia - fear of male ears
anecophobia - fear of homelessness
anemophobia - fear of the wind
animatophobia - fear of cartoon characters
ankylophobia - fear of stiff joints
anticophobia - fear of antiques
antlophobia - fear of floods
anthophobia - fear of flowers
anthropophobia - fear of people or groups of people, a form of social phobia
anuptaphobia - fear of being single
apeirophobia - fear of infinity
apiphobia - fear of bees, wasps; special case zoophobia
apocalypsophobia - fear of the end of the world
apotemnophobia - fear of amputation
approbarephobia - fear of approval
arachibutyrophobia - fear of peanut butter (including that it will stick to the palate)
arachnophobia - fear of spiders; special case of zoophobia
argentophobia - fear of silver
aripophobia - fear of cleanliness
arcanophobia - fear of magic
arctophobia - fear of plush toys
arcophobia - fear of arches
arsonophobia - fear of arson
asymmetriophobia - fear of asymmetry
asthenophobia - fear of weakness
astraphobia - fear of the starry sky
astrologiophobia - fear of astrology, astrologers
asphyxiophobia - fear of self-suffocation
ascendarophobia - fear of climbing
atazagoraphobia - fear of being forgotten by others
ataxiaphobia - fear of ataxia
ataxiophobia - fear of disorder
atanphobia - fear of oats
atelophobia - fear of imperfection
atephobia - fear of destruction
atichiphobia - fear of making a mistake, of failing
atomosophobia - fear of nuclear energy and nuclear war
autorithophobia - fear of authority figures
aulophobia - fear of wind instruments
aurophobia - fear of gold
autismophobia - fear of autism (as well as Asperger's and Tourette's syndromes)
autoassassinophobia - fear of suicide
autogonistophobia - fear of being on camera
autodysomophobia - fear of the smell of one's own body
automysophobia - fear of polluting one's body
autophobia - fear of oneself
aurangephobia - fear of the color orange
aphephobia - see haptophobia
aphronemophobia - fear of irrational thinking
Afrophobia - fear of everything African
ahluophobia - fear of the dark, see nyctophobia
acerophobia - fear of acid
acidus rigarephobia - fear of acid rain
aeroacrophobia - fear of open spaces at height
aeronausiphobia - fear of airsickness
aero polluerephobia - fear of air pollution
aerophobia - fear of flying, as well as air
aeroemphysemophobia - fear of decompression sickness
aesophobia - fear of copper
aetatemophobia - fear of aging

bateophobia - see acrophobia
belonophobia - see eichmophobia
brontophobia - fear of thunder, see astraphobia

verminophobia - fear of bacteria, germs, infection
vespertiliophobia - fear of bats
vomitophobia - see emetophobia

galeophobia, gatophobia - see ailurophobia
halitophobia (English) - fear of bad smell from mouth
haptophobia (aphephobia, haphephobia, haphophobia, hapnophobia, haptephobia, thixophobia) - fear of being touched by people around
hexakosiahexecontahexaphobia - fear of the number 666
heliophobia (eng.) (geleophobia) - fear of the sun, sunlight
gelotophobia - fear of being the object of humor, ridicule
hemophobia (hematophobia, hemaphobia) - fear of blood
genophobia (English), coitophobia - fear of sex, sexual contacts
gerontophobia (gerascophobia) - fear or hatred of the elderly or one's own aging
germophobia - see mysophobia
herpetophobia - fear of reptiles, reptiles, snakes; special case of zoophobia
heterophobia - fear of the opposite sex
gephyrophobia - fear of bridges
hydrosophobia - fear of sweating
hydrophobia (aquaphobia) - fear of water, dampness, liquids
hylophobia (xylophobia, nyctohylophobia, chilophobia) - fear of the forest, getting lost in the forest
gymnophobia (English) - fear of nudity
gynecophobia (eng.) (gynephobia, gynophobia) - fear of women
hypengiophobia - fear of taking responsibility
hippophobia - fear of horses; special case of zoophobia
glossophobia (peiraphobia) - fear of public speaking
gnosiophobia (epistemophobia) - fear of knowledge/knowledge
homophobia - fear and, as a result, rejection and negative reaction to manifestations of homosexuality
hoplophobia (hoplophobia) - fear of weapons
gravidophobia - fear of meeting a pregnant woman, pregnancy

demophobia (ochlophobia) - fear of crowds, crowds
dentophobia (odontophobia) - fear of dentists, dental treatment
decidophobia - fear of making decisions
dysmorphophobia - fear of physical imperfections in one's own appearance
dromophobia - see agirophobia

zoophobia - fear of animals

iatrophobia - see iatrophobia
insectophobia - fear of insects; special case of zoophobia

caninophobia - fear of dogs
carcinophobia (carcinophobia, carcinophobia) - fear of getting cancer, a malignant tumor
catagelophobia - fear of ridicule
keraunophobia - fear of lightning, see astraphobia
cynophobia - fear of dogs
claustrophobia - fear of closed spaces
kleptophobia - fear of stealing, or fear of being robbed
climacophobia (climactophobia) - fear of walking up stairs, stairs
coitophobia - see genophobia
countereltophobia - see agraphobia
coprophobia - fear of feces
coulrophobia (English) - fear of clowns
xenophobia - fear or hatred of someone or something alien, unfamiliar, unusual
xylophobia - see hylophobia

ligirophobia - see acousticophobia
logophobia (verbophobia) - fear of speaking in public or with strangers

megalophobia - fear of large (huge, gigantic) objects / objects
mysophobia (germophobia) - fear of infection infectious disease, dirt, touching surrounding objects
myrmecophobia - fear of ants; special case of zoophobia
monitorophobia - fear of observation, surveillance

necrophobia - fear of corpses and grave goods
neophobia (eng.) - fear of new, change
nyctohylophobia - see hylophobia
nomophobia - fear of being left without mobile phone, no connection
nosophobia (English) - fear of getting sick
nosocomephobia (English) - fear of hospitals
nyctophobia (English) (ahluophobia, scotophobia, ekluophobia) - fear of darkness, night

odontophobia - see dentophobia
oikophobia (eng.) - fear of home, returning home
omnibusophobia - fear of buses
osmophobia (eng.) - fear of bodily odors
ornithophobia - fear of birds and their feathers; special case of zoophobia
ophidiophobia (English), or ophiophobia - fear of snakes; special case of herpetophobia
ochlophobia - fear of the crowd, see demophobia

panphobia (eng.) (panaphobia, panophobia, pantophobia) - fear of everything or constant fear for an unknown reason
paruresis - fear of urinating in public
pediophobia (English) - fear of dolls
pedophobia - any obsessive fear of children or products imitating them
Peiraphobia - see glossophobia
pyrophobia - fear of fire, fires, death from fire
Policiophobia - Fear of the police
pnigophobia - fear of suffocation

radiophobia - fear of radiation
ranidophobia - fear of frogs
reectophobia - fear of rejection
ripophobia - fear of dirt
rodentophobia - fear of rats

selachophobia - fear of sharks
skelerophobia - fear of bad people
scoleciphobia - fear of worms, infectious insects; special case of zoophobia
scopophobia (eng.) (scoptophobia) - fear of being stared at by others
scotophobia - see nyctophobia
somniphobia - fear of sleeping
social phobia - fear of society, contacts, awkward behavior in society, assessment by others
spectrophobia (eng.) - 1) fear of ghosts
spectrophobia - 2) the same as eisoptrophobia

thanatophobia (English) - fear of death
taphophobia - fear of being buried alive
telephonophobia (eng.) - fear of the phone, waiting for a phone call
terrorism - fear of terrorism
tetraphobia - fear of the number 4
thixophobia - see haptophobia
tokophobia (maleusiophobia) - fear of childbirth
tonitrophobia - see astraphobia
traumatophobia (eng.) - fear of injury
transphobia - fear and, as a result, rejection and negative reaction to manifestations of transgender
trypanophobia (English) - fear of needles and injections
trypophobia - fear of cluster holes (not recognized by the Diagnostic American Psychiatric Association).
triskaidekaphobia (terdekaphobia) - fear of the number 13
trichophobia (eng.) - fear of hair getting into food, clothes, on the surface of the body

phagophobia (eng.) - fear of swallowing, choking on food
pharmacophobia - fear of being treated, taking medications
felinophobia - fear of cats
philophobia (English) - fear of falling in love
phobophobia (phobia) - fear of phobias (fears), the appearance of symptoms of fear, fear of being frightened
phonophobia - see acousticophobia
friggatriskaidekaphobia - see paraskavedekatriaphobia

chilophobia - see chilophobia
chemophobia - fear of chemistry
hoplophobia (hoplophobia) - fear of weapons
chronophobia - fear of time

eisoptrophobia (spectrophobia) - fear of one's own reflection in a mirror
ekluophobia - see nyctophobia
emetophobia (English) (vomitophobia) - fear of vomiting
entomophobia - fear of insects
ergasiophobia (English) - fear of operating (in surgeons)
ergophobia (eng.) - fear of working, performing any actions
eremophobia - fear of being alone
erythrophobia (eng.) - fear of facial flushing (fear of blushing in public)
erotophobia - fear of sex or questions about sex
ephebiphobia - fear of teenagers

iatrophobia - fear of doctors

The mechanisms of the appearance of phobias have not been fully investigated, but the categories of people predisposed to their development are known. A significant role is given to the genetic factor. In more than 80% of cases, phobic disorders occur in children whose parents themselves are distinguished by anxiety and in the process of upbringing involuntarily form the child's perception of the world as a dangerous environment. That is, predominantly phobias are generated by the family and sustainably supported by it.

Prone to phobias, as a rule, emotionally sensitive types of people with a rich imagination. It has been established that the majority of panic fears are provoked by a single case when a dangerous (or allegedly dangerous) situation has arisen.

Once having experienced such a "terrible" situation, having experienced a panic attack, people try their best to prevent this from happening again. As a result of such cultivation of negative memories and images, disease develops.

It often turns out that it is not the object of fear itself that frightens a person, but the actual experience of fear and the terrible and painful sensations that he experiences during an attack. People can sometimes suffer for years and not know that the way out of the situation is quite simple.

Interestingly, in old age, fears are extremely rare; by this period, people, as a rule, get rid of them. Originating in childhood or adolescence, panic phenomena continue (if they are not treated) until the age of 45-50. Women are more susceptible to them - in 65% of cases, which can be explained by the influence of the hormonal factor. After 50 years, phobic disorders weaken and disappear altogether.

signs

The main symptom of phobias is the obsessive avoidance of situations that provoke feelings of fear and the onset of an attack or panic attack. Such an attack is easily recognized by the following symptoms:

throat spasms and choking,
cardiopalmus,
weakness and numbness throughout the body,
foreboding fainting,
profuse cold sweat
feeling of horror
trembling in the body
indigestion, possible vomiting,
a feeling of loss of control over the body, it becomes “not one’s own”,
feeling like you're going crazy.

The presence of four symptoms from this list may indicate a developed phobia.

A phobic situation is characterized by an uncontrolled growth of fear as the danger grows in the person's imagination. He focuses more and more deeply on the unpleasant sensations caused by the phobic reaction, without trying to reorient himself to what can calm him down. The panic state is so painful that it forces the patient to avoid any stimuli (words, memories, images) that can provoke a phobic reaction. It is not uncommon to find that the symptoms subside or disappear altogether in the presence of a trusted loved one.

Treatment

The main treatment for phobias is psychotherapy. There are several methods of psychotherapy: cognitive-behavioral therapy, behavioral therapy, hypnosis, systematic desensitization, Gestalt psychology, relaxation techniques and auto-training. The choice of technique is selected individually during the conversation between the doctor and the patient. Moreover, identifying the cause of the disease is considered half the success in treatment. The main goal of therapy is to develop in a person the ability to face a phobic situation face to face and to exist in it without losing self-control, to convince him by experience (not by the method of mental conclusions) that in reality this situation is not at all dangerous for him.

The method of immersing the patient in a real phobic situation - the method of cognitive behavioral therapy - is recognized as the most effective. It allows you to restore more realistic and natural ways of responding to the source of the phobia, increase the sense of reality and reduce the level of fear.

A doctor equips a person suffering from a phobia with a set of psychological tools that will help him work on himself.

The use of drug therapy for mild forms of phobias is neither justified nor effective. In addition, there is a risk of the patient developing drug dependence on psychotropic drugs. That's why drug treatment used only in cases of panic attacks or acute attacks of phobias, when it is difficult to do without their help.

How to help yourself

The vast majority of cases prove that with the right approach to the problem, fears disappear forever. Constant attempts to avoid meeting the source of phobias only exacerbate the disease and contribute to its progression. The way out is to show courage, go towards fear and let it “cover” you. And nothing bad will happen. Then the brain will begin, conditionally speaking, to understand that there is no need to activate the fear mechanism in this situation, since it is not really dangerous. Indeed, in the entire history of the study of phobias, there has not been a case where an attack of a panic attack caused obvious harm to human health.

Below is a video blog about the psychology of fears:

A phobia is an increased fear of something. It can be some object, situation or action. Otherwise, a phobia can be called an obsessive fear. It is especially aggravated in a certain situation and defies any explanation. This condition greatly complicates a person's life, causes some discomfort and changes personality. Phobia (derived from the Greek "phobos", which means "fear") - a strong, persistent, obsessive fear. In certain situations that should not cause it, a person has a strong anxiety. This anxiety defies full logical explanation. This is not the fear that a person experiences when something really terrible happens (for example, they aim at him from a machine gun). A person understands that it is stupid to be afraid, but he cannot help himself.

Types of phobias - main list

Phobias are more common in impressionable, emotional people with a rich imagination. In this case, there is a term - psychological phobias. Such a person finds himself in this or that situation, and in his thoughts images appear one more terrible than the other. He experiences these imaginary situations as if they were real. A person does not understand why he begins to be afraid of something. All phobias can be divided into the following groups:

Tell me, who likes to go to the dentist? Few. And panic fear and dislike for this doctor are shown by patients with odontiatophobia. But this is one of the harmless fears of a dentist. What are the other phobias?

This is not a complete list of phobias that occur in the practice of a doctor. However, it gives us the opportunity to understand that for any object or action, an obsessive fear can arise.

Phobia Symptoms

The main symptom is the rejection or desire to avoid the situation that actually causes the phobia. In addition, obsessive fear may have other signs. These patients may experience:

Tachycardia is a rapid heartbeat. Patients often complain of a feeling that the heart is about to jump out of the chest.
Feeling of suffocation, a lump in the throat, nothing to breathe.
Feeling of numbness, weakness, feeling of loss of consciousness, the body does not obey.
Intense fear and horror of the object that causes the phobia.
Trembling in the body.
Cold clammy sweat.
Disorder of the stool, vomiting, abdominal pain.

Causes of the disease

There is no single reason that causes phobias. Most of our fears start in childhood. Phobias are caused by many negative experiences that a person has experienced in childhood. With age, a lot passes, and people do not even remember it. But some fear comes with age. But all phobias arise after any situations that were unpleasant and brought a painful experience. The psychology of a phobia is such that a connection between what caused fear and the emotions that a person experienced is delayed in the subconscious of a person. It is believed that stress can provoke the development of a phobia in a person to whom parents have inherited a tendency to develop phobias.

Phobias are more susceptible to sensitive and emotional people. Also, people with a very rich imagination are susceptible to this disease. After all, it is difficult for them to distinguish between imaginary and real danger. Yes, and it is difficult to resist the feeling of fear, because such patients are afraid of what is not really there.

There are several theories for the development of the disease, although the causes of phobias are not fully understood.

Burdened heredity. One of the parents suffers from such a disease, and it was passed on to the child.
A highly developed self-preservation instinct - a person begins to experience fear even in situations where they do not pose a real danger.
In the past, a person experienced a stressful situation (in childhood, during life).

Phobias in children

For children, phobias are common for each specific age. Almost 95% of children have some kind of fear. Sometimes this condition is considered normal for babies.

Up to 2 years - fear strangers, loud noises, separation from mom.
Up to 6 years - fear of the dark, unfamiliar sounds, monsters.
Up to 12 years old - fear of getting a deuce, getting sick, dying.

If such fears do not disrupt the normal course of the baby's life, are not excessive, do not affect health, then over time they will pass. Health care not needed here. Parents and their support will have more influence.

Treatment of phobias and fears

Phobias or fears are quite common in our daily life and cause some discomfort. For example, if a person is a teacher at a school and suffers from some kind of social phobia, then it will be very difficult to work in the profession. Also, a person who has a fear of blood will not be able to work as a surgeon. But he will be able to work as a psychiatrist or psychologist, whose work is not related to the type of blood. If the phobia does not affect everyday life, then it will not cause concern. Or a person tries to avoid situations that cause fear.

Independently, spontaneously, phobias are cured very rarely, in simple cases. In difficult cases, only a specialist will help get rid of them. Here you need a comprehensive treatment of phobias, it is carried out by psychotherapists. Diet and daily routine are important, drug therapy, psychotherapy, physiotherapy methods of treatment are used.

The help of a psychiatrist is required in the treatment of phobias and fears in the following situations:

The patient avoids certain places and situations due to illness.
Fear is unreasonable and excessive, causing anxiety and panic.
This condition causes significant discomfort and lasts more than six months.

The doctor diagnoses a phobia based on the examination and communication of the patient, differentiates it from other mental illnesses. Then prescribes treatment. In psychotherapy, a constant comprehension, experience of situations that cause a phobia is carried out. After psychotherapy, a person begins to understand why this condition actually arises in him. Of the drugs, tranquilizers are usually prescribed. They are especially effective when it can arise and it needs to be experienced somehow. For example, when flying.

How can you help yourself on your own? There are several strategies that can be applied:

Understand your condition possible reasons. And know that a phobia can be cured. Try to challenge thoughts of fear.
Various ways of relaxation, deep breathing are an antidote for worry, anxiety and fear. If they are used regularly, then a person will eventually develop the ability to quickly calm down.

Are you afraid of the dark and sleep with the lights on? Opting for a long train ride over a high-speed plane ride? IN enclosed space feel like in a bunker? Calm down! Your fears are not even close to those phobias that we will tell you about now.

neophobia

It is the fear of doing something new. Surely everyone has experienced a slight fear or apprehension, for example, when changing a job or place of residence, a responsible trip or a change in the usual schedule of life. Usually people quickly and simply adapt to changing conditions. But neophobes give in to crazy panic, and they definitely need support.

Scopophobia

Poor fellows with this fear feel extremely uncomfortable surrounded by people. No, they are not afraid of the crowd, their fears are caused by the fact that they can become the object of consideration or condemnation. By the way, this phobia can develop into a very serious mental disorder, such as paranoia. In addition, constantly expecting judgmental looks from the outside, people simply begin to move away and separate from society.

phagophobia

This for the most part neurosis, which is caused by the fear of choking on food during a meal. Phagophobes are afraid to swallow, so they never take solid food - only liquid or soft.

Nomophobia

How do you feel if you accidentally left your phone at home? Well, they were upset, lamented, they warned their relatives with a call from the office so that they would not worry. This is the normal reaction. Abnormal - when a person is seized by a real panic, and he rushes headlong for his phone. And we are not talking about important calls, contracts. These are signs of nomophobia - the fear of being left without a mobile connection! How easy it was for our ancestors a couple of hundred years ago - there was one less phobia!

Coulrophobia

Many people suffer from this phobia. And even celebrities embarrassingly admit their fear of the painted clown face. Here Johnny Depp has publicly admitted that he is insanely afraid of clowns! And by the way, coulrophobia is popular in the USA. Because it is in this country that the image of a clown has long acquired a certain sinister mystical appearance: terrible grimaces and painted mouths. To be honest, it's not funny...

Trichophobia

For trichophobes, going to hairdressers, getting a haircut and even combing your hair turns into a real torture. Fear of hair implies disgust and psychosis at the sight of hairs on any surface - clothes, floor, table, etc. Apparently, the poor fellows comb their hair with their eyes closed, and they only dream of domestic animals.

Caliginephobia or Venustraphobia

Girls, attention! Now everything has fallen into place: there is a fear beautiful women! Poor men suffering from this phobia literally lose their heads and speechlessness at the sight of a breathtaking beauty.

Spectrophobia or Eisoprophobia

This phobia is inspired by fiction and superstition. The fear of mirrors is manifested in the fact that a person is afraid to look in the mirror and see his reflection. This is usually caused by children's fears - for example, a child has heard enough horror stories and tales, or played with mirrors with friends, causing all sorts of mythical evil spirits. All these childhood fears are already transferred into adulthood and bring a lot of trouble.

Ablutophobia

So to speak, a dirty phobia. Why dirty? Yes, because with ablutophobia, a person is afraid of everything related to bathing and water. Roughly speaking, this is the fear of washing. And by the way, it's not funny! Rejection water procedures can lead to very serious consequences for the health of the body as a whole.

chrometophobia

There are people who are afraid of money! But not the banknotes themselves, but the microbes that are on the banknotes in an enormous amount. In principle, a justified fear, because imagine how many hands this ill-fated banknote goes through!

Altocalciphobia

Surprisingly, the fear of high heels is unique to women. Fear is quite explainable by potential injuries: the girl is simply afraid of breaking her ankle or falling down the stairs. You will not find Louboutins in the wardrobe of such girls. But some beauties are not afraid to walk (and even run) on high heels, even in ice!

Triskaidekaphobia

The fear of the number 13, or, simply, the damn dozen, is very common. And it is caused by all the same superstitions. And God forbid triskaidekafob get a ticket for the 13th row! Hysteria and panic are guaranteed.

Deipnophobia

Winnie the Pooh obviously did not suffer from this phobia, because he loved to visit! But deipnophobes will always prefer to stay at home than to have table conversations in an unfamiliar company.

Pediophobia

The fear of dolls is a rather serious phobia, and its cause also comes from childhood. Dolls and mannequins cause panic, and going to clothing stores and shopping becomes a real test.

Agirophobia

People suffering from this phobia are afraid to cross wide roads and highways. Even at the permissive color of the traffic light! Therefore, for these people, it is very important that the home, work, necessary shops and other establishments are located exclusively on one side.

The concept of "phobia" has firmly entered life modern man. Technological progress, individualization, stress - all this has an impact on society, and creates new amazing fears in people. A persistent, irrational, uncontrollable fear that defies a clear logical explanation is called a phobia. Some well-known phobias are mental disorders, others are obsessive. Full list No psychiatrist will name phobias for you, because there can be as many phobias as there are people and situations.

Classification of fears occurs according to different criteria. For example, the first criterion is who is affected. In this case, it stands out:

Baby.
Teenage.
Adults.

Each period of development is characterized by its own phobias, although a huge number of them can be in both a child and an adult. Starts at puberty a large number of phobias belonging to the category of social. If you do not pay attention to this, they can stay with a person in adulthood. Great amount , intimacy, the phobia of being ridiculed and other fears of evaluation begin in adolescence. Adults at a certain age begin to suffer from phobias related to responsibility and decision making.

In addition to the age criterion, of course, there is also a gender criterion, however, many phobias are inherent in both sexes to one degree or another.

If we talk about serious fears that are considered mental disorders, then according to ICD-10, phobic anxiety disorders are labeled F40 and are classified as follows:

agoraphobia (F40.0) is a large crowd of people, and in a neglected form is a fear of going out into the street, going to a supermarket, driving unaccompanied vehicles;
social phobia (F40.1) - fear of society, views from the outside, interaction with people, public speaking, attracting attention.
isolated phobias (F40.2) are fears evoked by well-defined objects, situations or actions.
other phobic anxiety disorders (F40.3).

We list some types of phobias related to social:

anthropophobia - literal translation of "fear of man." Its feature is the diligent avoidance of contact with any person, and not just strangers, and not only large quantities.
Peiraphobia - fear of the stage, public speaking. The vast majority of people experience it, most often it is not a mental disorder.
gelotophobia is a form of social phobia, expressed in a pathological fear of ridicule. Fear is due to irrational dependence on the opinions of others.

Additionally, some diseases can be identified, which are also social to some extent, however, they have a tinge of discrimination, and in some cases can be elevated to the rank of worldview.

gerontophobia - manifested in fear or hatred before interacting with the elderly. The causes of a phobia can be a complete rejection of one's own aging.
ephebiphobia - similar feelings, only to teenagers. Hostility can be provoked by personal motives that a person does not even remember.
heterophobia / homophobia - controversial social terms meaning fear-rejection of people with a heterosexual (homosexual) orientation. Mental disorders is not.
xenophobia - hatred, fear, rejection of everything alien. Anthropologists-evolutionists explain this by mechanisms laid down genetically. Xenophobia is the basis for chauvinistic ideologies.

Phobic disorders coded F40.2 include phobias of actions, situations, positions in space, or a particular object. For example, zoophobia is a group of specific phobias, which includes a huge number of fears of specific animal species or their classes. Here are some of them (below is a list of common and narrow names for phobias):

Specific include phobias associated with the discomfort of movement and being in a certain space. The most common is. The symptom is manifested by increased anxiety, up to panic when a person is in a confined space. Most often, this is an elevator car, but an attack of claustrophobia can also happen in a subway car, and even in a dense crowd.

Another popular fear is acrophobia, the term matters. Acrophobe feels dizzy and overwhelming fear when climbing to a height.

Much less common, but taking place in practice, is the fear of walking up stairs, or climacophobia. It often occurs in association with OCD.

Human phobias are often associated with natural phenomena:

scotophobia - fear of the dark;
brontophobia - fear of thunder;
astrophobia - fear of the stars, fear of looking at the starry sky;
anemophobia - phobia of a storm, strong wind, storm.

A large number of phobias can be conditionally grouped under the category "health". There are many fears of getting sick with a particular disease:

carcinophobia - fear of cancer;
phthisiophobia - fear of tuberculosis;
AIDS phobia - fear of catching HIV;
patroyophobia - fear of a hereditary disease;
maniophobia - a phobia of having a mental illness;
luophobia is the fear of contracting syphilis.

It is worth mentioning some of the phobias inherent in the younger generation. Atychiphobia is an irrational fear of failure, as a result of which a person loses motivation in achieving goals and refusal to compete. Another infantile fear is decidophobia - the fear of making serious decisions, the fear of taking responsibility. This is a very common occurrence.

IN modern society especially a resident of a metropolis often suffers from nomophobia - the fear of being left without a mobile phone or communication, as such.

Strange human phobias, a list with explanations

Before we give you a list of really recorded amazing human fears, look at an excerpt used in the television version of one performance of the Quartet I.

Of course, there is no fear of falling in love with four dead moving foreigners urinating, but the existing phobias are often amazing.

papyrophobia - fear of paper;
borborigamiphobia - fear of grumbling in the stomach;
aibophobia - fear of palindromes (shifters);
kumpunophobia - fear of buttons;
hexakosiohexekontahexaphobia - fear of the number 666;
ergophobia - fear of activity, performance of work;
chrematophobia - fear of touching money;
hypnophobia - fear of falling asleep;
phagophobia - fear of swallowing;
dorophobia - a phobia of giving and receiving gifts;
eichophobia - fear of speaking and hearing compliments and good wishes addressed to you;
doraphobia - fear of becoming covered with hair after touching the fur of an animal;
erytophobia, chlorophobia, xanthophobia, leukophobia, melanophobia, cyanophobia - phobias certain color(in order: red, green, yellow, white, black, blue);
agmenophobia - the fear that in a supermarket or airport, the queue in which you got up will move more slowly than neighboring ones;
gnosiophobia - fear of gaining knowledge;
Acerophobia is the fear of acidic drinks and foods.

List of the most common phobias

The most popular types of phobias that can be mental disorders are agoraphobia, claustrophobia, acrophobia, social phobia and zoophobia. And besides:

aquaphobia - swim, drown;
algophobia - fear of feeling pain;
apopatophobia - fear of visiting public toilets;
autophobia -;
aerophobia - a phobia of flying on an airplane;
hematophobia -;
kinophobia - fear of dogs;
necrophobia - fear of the dead, funeral and ritual symbols and accessories;
paraskavedekatriaphobia - fear of Friday the 13th;
pyrophobia - fear of fire, fire;
radiophobia - fear of radiation;
thanatophobia -;
taphophobia - phobia of being buried alive;
trypanophobia - fear of injections;
trypophobia -;
erotophobia - or questions on intimate topics.

About the diversity of human phobias, about the division of fears into types, about what symptoms a person with a phobia experiences in this video

conclusions

As you can see, the variety of phobias is simply amazing, everyone can find something to their liking. To some extent, this is what happens, a person experiencing internal torment decides for himself what they will be connected with: with a reflection in a mirror, a mouse, or a nuclear explosion.

Today, scientists have developed the main classifications of phobias, based on some features. Almost all attempts to systematize phobias published in literary sources are often guided by a holistic content, while not taking into account the nuances of their appearance, the specifics of development, manifestations, and so on.

The most popular and complete method is the classification according to the plot of fear, the division into certain groups, which were formed on the basis of what frightens the individual.

Classification by type of fear

Psychiatrists have identified key groups according to the plot of fear. One of the categories is the fear of space and movement in it. It can take the form of:

Coitophobia is the fear of intimacy.
Fear of not being able to experience orgasm.
Fear that sexual intercourse will end unsuccessfully.
Onanophobia (fear associated with the consequences of onanism).
Fear of impotence.

Additionally, there is a category of obsessive-compulsive fears (fear of harming loved ones or personally to oneself). This group includes:

Misophobia (fear of pollution).
Fear of committing suicide.
Fear of harming the health of loved ones.
Fear of getting hurt by sharp objects.

What other classifications are there?

In addition to the above, there are several other types of classifications. So, fears can be distinguished by the time of their occurrence. This is about:

Primary (for example, fear of riding trams).
Secondary phobia (in addition to trams join vehicles by type of buses, trolleybuses, cars, and so on).

Anxiety-phobic disorders are characterized by dynamics - generalization, dynamic addition of similar fears. At the moment when it is required to hospitalize a patient in a clinic, almost everyone has polyphobia or secondary fears.

It is also possible to single out a classification according to the “direction of fears”. There are:

Phobias of "external stimulus". The environment acts as the cause, the object of anxiety.
Phobias of "internal stimulus". The personality itself acts as the object, the cause of anxiety.

The classification according to the genesis of obsessive anxiety is considered extremely common. In this case, pathological fears are divided into:

"elementary".
"cryptogenic".

If we talk about the first disturbing variety, then it appears after specific actions - super-strong stressors. The reason for this fear is quite obvious and understandable to every patient. For example, this category includes the fear of dogs that appears after the animal has bitten a person.

The second disturbing variety appears without obvious external reasons. The patient does not understand and is not aware of the cause of the phobia. It has been repeatedly established that the amnesia of psychic trauma, which gave rise to phobias, is often observed during hysterical neurosis. A completely different picture is observed in the process of obsessive-compulsive disorder: almost always, patients recall events that caused mental trauma, but in no way connect these situations with the fear that has appeared.

Thanks to the classifications described above, patients will be able to understand what kind of phobias they have and why they appeared.

Common human phobias: a complete list

ablutophobia - fear of swimming

hagiophobia - fear of holy places

Agirophobia - fear of crossing the street

agoraphobia - fear of open spaces

anemophobia - fear of being in a natural disaster

ailurophobia - fear of cats

eichmophobia - fear of sharp objects

acarophobia - fear of getting scabies

acrophobia - fear of heights

Alektorophobia - fear of hens and chickens

algophobia - fear of pain

amaxophobia - fear of driving

ambulophobia - fear of walking

anginophobia - fear of an angina attack

Anglophobia - fear of all English

angrophobia - fear of anger

Fear of men

anthropophobia - fear of people

apiphobia - fear of bees

Fear of spiders

asymmetricphobia - fear of asymmetrical things

asthenophobia - fear of weakness

astrophobia - fear of stars and starry sky

atazagoraphobia - fear of being forgotten / unnoticed

atelophobia - fear of not conforming to the norm

atichiphobia - fear of failure

Fear of being alone

aulophobia - fear of the flute

aerophobia - fear of flying

bathophobia - fear of depth

batrachophobia - fear of frogs

bibliophobia - fear of books

botanophobia - fear of plants

brontophobia - fear of thunderstorms

vaccinophobia - fear of vaccination against infections

verminophobia - fear of germs

vestiphobia - fear of dressing

wiccaphobia - fear of wizards

virginitiphobia - fear of being raped

Gamophobia - fear of marriage

harpaxophobia - fear of being robbed

hedonophobia - fear of pleasure

heliophobia - fear of being in the sun

hemophobia - fear of the sight of blood

gerontophobia - fear / dislike of the elderly

herpetophobia - fear of reptiles

heterophobia - fear/dislike of members of the opposite sex

gephyrophobia - fear of bridges

hydrophobia - fear of water

gynophobia - fear of women

hylophobia - fear of the forest

hypengiophobia - fear of responsibility

hypnophobia - fear of death in a dream

glossophobia - stage fright

hodophobia - fear of travel

Fear/hatred of gays

graphophobia - fear of writing

deipnophobia - fear of talking while eating

demophobia - fear of the crowd

dental phobia - fear of the dentist

dendrophobia - fear of trees

decidophobia - fear of making decisions

diabetic phobia - fear of diabetes

didaskaleinophobia - fear of school

zelophobia - fear of jealousy

zemmiphobia - fear of rats

zoophobia - fear of animals

AND

hierophobia - fear of church clergy

insectophobia - fear of insects

iophobia - fear of poisons / poisoning

ichthyophobia - fear of fish

caliginephobia - fear of beautiful women

carcinophobia - fear of cancer

cardiophobia - fear of death from heart disease

carnophobia - fear of meat

Fear of being ridiculed

cyberphobia - fear of computer technology

cynophobia - fear of dogs

Fear of closed spaces

kleptophobia - fear of stealing or being robbed

coitophobia - fear of sexual intercourse

copophobia - fear of overworking

coprophobia - fear of feces

coulrophobia - fear of clowns

cryophobia - fear of the cold

Fear of strangers

lilapsophobia - fear of hurricanes

mageirokophobia - fear of cooking

maleusiophobia - fear of giving birth

mastigophobia - fear of corporal punishment

megalophobia - fear of large objects

menophobia - fear/rejection of menstruation

mechanophobia - fear of cars

mysophobia - fear of pollution

mycophobia - fear of being poisoned by mushrooms

myrmecophobia - fear of ants

mnemophobia - fear of memories

mottephobia - fear of moths

Musophobia - fear of infection

neophobia - fear of the new

necrophobia - fear of the dead

Fear of the dark.

nosocomephobia - fear of hospitals

ABOUT

obesophobia - fear of gaining weight

ombrophobia - fear of being exposed to rain

ornithophobia - fear of birds

ophidiophobia - fear of snakes

papyrophobia - fear of paper

paraphobia - fear of sexual perversion

parthenophobia - fear of virgins

pediophobia - fear of dolls

pedophobia - fear of children

peladophobia - fear of baldness

peniaphobia - fear of being poor/impoverished

plutophobia - fear of wealth

pnigophobia - fear of being strangled

Pogonophobia - fear of beards

pteronophobia - fear of bird feathers

radiophobia - fear of radiation

WITH

selachophobia - fear of sharks

siderodromophobia - fear of rail transport

scoleciphobia - fear of worms

scotomaphobia - fear of blindness

scopophobia - fear of being ridiculed

sophophobia - fear of learning

social phobia - fear of social action

Panic fear of contracting HIV

taphophobia - fear of funerals

thalassophobia - fear of the sea

teratophobia - fear of freaks

tomophobia - fear of surgery

trypophobia - fear of holes

trypanophobia - fear of injections

urophobia - fear of involuntary urination

phagophobia - fear of choking

pharmacophobia - fear of taking medications

philemaphobia - fear of kissing

philophobia - fear of falling in love

phonophobia - fear of loud sounds

phronemophobia - fear of thinking

chemophobia - fear of chemical compounds

chionophobia - fear of snow

chronometrophobia - fear of clocks

cyclophobia - fear of two-wheeled vehicles

eisoptrophobia - fear of mirrors

ecophobia - fear of one's own home

enissaphobia - fear of criticism

eosophobia - fear of daylight

Fear of work

erythrophobia - fear of blushing

ephebiphobia - fear of youth

iatrophobia - fear of doctors