A recent report suggested that around 10% of the US population suffer from phobias on a regular basis which really puts this problem into perspective. While there are literally hundreds and hundreds of different phobias many of the same issues seem to appear on a regular basis. We will now take a look at the 10 most common phobias with a link to our forum should you wish to discuss these in more detail.
Arachnophobia
It is difficult to know why arachnophobia, a fear of spiders, is so prevalent around the world but it is most certainly a major problem for many people. Some experts suggest it goes back to the early days of the human race while others believe issues such as arachnophobia are indirectly handed down from generation to generation. If you think about it, if your parents had a fear of spiders then you would grow up thinking this was “normal” which then feeds your future phobia…discuss in the forum.
Ophidiophobia
The fear of snakes, known as ophidiophobia, is again another common phobia which many experts believe can be traced back through evolution. The reality is that the vast majority of snakes around the world and nonvenomous and therefore in reality there is no real risk. However, you ask somebody who suffers from a phobia of snakes and they will tell you that this fear is real and it can be extreme…discuss in the forum.
Acrophobia
It is believed that each individual person is born with two fears, a phobia of loud noises and a phobia of heights, which can again be traced back through evolution. This particular phobia may well be associated with the “fight or flight” system which is inbuilt into each person. Like so many other phobias, a phobia of heights can lead to other issues such as high anxiety which for many people is the foundation for an array of additional phobias…discuss in the forum.
Agoraphobia
While every individual phobia can affect an individual’s life in one way or another, to very different extremes, agoraphobia has been known to literally change a person’s life. Can you imagine a fear of crowds and open spaces where you feel there is no escape in the event of an unknown and likely unrealistic threat? This is perhaps one of the hardest phobias to fight back from, as it has led to many people cutting themselves off from society and sometimes not leaving home for long periods of time…discuss in the forum.
Cynophobia
Like so many phobias, unless you have actually suffered from a specific condition it is unlikely that you will fully appreciate how difficult it can be. If we take a look at the UK in particular, this is a country which spends more than the average on pets and their welfare yet cynophobia, a fear of dogs, is one of the most common phobias. When does a fear of dogs become a phobia? Some experts suggest this phobia emerges from personal experiences, perhaps in your earlier years, were you have been bitten by a dog or felt scared for some reason. The body and mind never forget! Discuss in the forum.
Astraphobia
Often referred to as bronotphobia, tonitrophobia and ceraunophobia this is a fear of thunder and lightning and one of the borderline phobias we are born with. As we touched on above, many experts believe that people are born with a phobia of falling and a phobia of loud noises. Whether or not these can be traced back to caveman days is debatable but if you sit back and take a look from a distance, it does make sense…discuss in the forum.
Trypanophobia
Again, this is a tricky phobia to quantify because when does a genuine fear of needles become a phobia? The reality is that there are very few people who “like” needles and injections although trypanophobia sufferers feel this fear to a whole different level. Can you imagine a fear so extreme that you might avoid potentially life-saving injections? Like so many phobias recognised today this particular issue can have a massive impact upon a person’s life…discuss in the forum.
Social phobias
Someone with a social phobia can often be tagged as “unsocial” when the reality is that their mind and body tell them to avoid events, places and situations which may trigger panic attacks or other social phobias. This is one of the more misunderstood phobias and as a consequence this group of phobias often go untreated or even recognised in an individual. The debilitating and life changing impact they can have a person’s life can lead to depression and a whole array of other medical/mental issues…discuss in the forum.
Pteromerhanophobia
While there are recognised treatments for pteromerhanophobia, a fear of flying, this phobia is not always easy to cure. Like so many other phobias it can sneak up on you and get progressively worse before you really realise you have a problem. I myself used to enjoy flying although for some unknown reason, perhaps linked to early panic attacks, I developed pteromerhanophobia over a long period of time. However, there is life after pteromerhanophobia and I have learned to cope with this particularly uncomfortable phobia…discuss in the forum.
Mysophobia
Even though many phobias have been around since the early days of evolution, there is a growing concern that mysophobia, a fear of germs and dirt, has not been helped by constant warnings about infection. For many people this can show itself in a genuine fear, often an extreme fear, of germs and dirt which can lead to obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). The phobia itself is bad enough but the impact on a person’s everyday life is made even worse by OCD…discuss in the forum.
