A phobia is a type of anxiety disorder that manifests itself as a very strong and irrational fear of something that actually poses little or no real danger. The definition of phobia can be “a persistent and irrational fear of a specific object, activity or situation that leads to the desire to avoid it”. In this article we will provide you the Types of phobias and their meaning with phobia classes.
The types of phobias are classified according to the feared object / circumstance / experience, so that each one that exists has its name. Some are not very rare, because most people are generally not afraid of the object that the person fears with a phobia.
The term “specific phobia” means that the fear is not general, but specific to a particular object. For example, a person might have a phobia of heights but no phobia of dogs.
People suffering from some type of phobic disorder have rapid heartbeat, sweating, shortness of breath, tremors and a strong desire to flee when faced with the situation or object of their phobia.
There are several explanations for the development of phobias, including evolutionary and behavioral theories. Whatever the cause, phobias are treatable conditions that can be minimized and even eliminated with cognitive and behavioral therapy techniques.
List of frequent specific phobia classes
Simple or specific phobias are irrational fears related to very specific things, such as the presence of certain animals, fear of flying or fear of heights.
It should be clarified that when there is a phobia, it is not the normal restlessness or anxiety that most people feel in certain situations, but it is an uncontrollable fear that is accompanied by symptoms such as tachycardia and tremor.
Some of the most common phobias.
Here are some examples of the most frequent and rare specific phobias:
glossophobia
Glossophobia is the fear of public speaking and is very common. It is believed that people fear public speaking more than death itself.
It can manifest itself in childhood and it is estimated that up to 75% of people have this fear to some degree.
Arachnophobia
Arachnophobia is a very common type of fear. It is believed that this phobia affects women more than men. The sight of a spider can trigger a fear response, but in some cases, just the sight of an arachnid or the thought of a spider can lead to feelings of overwhelming fear and panic.
Triphobia
Triphobia is the fear of holes or holes in the skin or other objects. Biological revulsion and culturally learned fears are the main causes.
While this fear may seem irrational to “normal” people, the mere sight or thought of the holes can trigger a panic attack for the person suffering from it.
Blood phobia or hemophobia
Many people suffer from this type of fear, related to injectables, wounds, blood collection, etc.
This phobia is usually associated with an important vasovagal response, with a decrease in blood pressure and fainting when the person sees blood or has to undergo a medical procedure.
Mysophobia
Mysophobia is the excessive fear of germs and dirt that can lead people to extreme cleanliness or compulsive hand washing.
In some cases, this phobia may be related to obsessive-compulsive disorder.
ophidophobia
Fear of snakes is quite common and is attributed to evolutionary causes, personal experiences or cultural influences.
Some suggest that because snakes are sometimes venomous, our ancestors who avoided these dangers were more likely to survive.
Phobia of heights or acrophobia
It’s called acrophobia, and it’s not a simple vertigo, but an intense fear and anxiety that can occur in everyday situations, such as looking at a balcony, observing the landscape from a high point of view or simply sitting near the edge of the terrace. .
Cynophobia or phobia of dogs
Cynophobia is associated with specific personal experiences, such as being bitten by a dog during childhood. Such events can be quite traumatic and can lead to fear responses that last well into adulthood.
Nichtophobia
Nicophobia is the fear of darkness and is one of the most common childhood fears. This phobia is caused by the brain’s perception of what might happen in the dark.
emetophobia
Emetophobia is the fear of vomiting. Phobia vomiting can be a crippling condition that severely limits the lives of those who struggle with it.
This specific phobia may also include subcategories of what causes anxiety, including fear of vomiting in public, fear of seeing vomit, seeing the action of vomiting, or fear of nausea.
aichmophobia
Aichmophobia is the fear of sharp things like pencils, needles, knives…
Atelophobia
Atelophobia is the fear of not doing something right or the fear of not being good enough. Simply put, it’s a fear of imperfection. People suffering from this psychological disorder can often become depressed when their perceived expectations don’t match reality.
Philosopher
Philophobia is the fear of falling in love or becoming emotionally attached. It usually develops when a person has already faced some emotional turmoil related to love in the past.
It affects the quality of life and takes people away from commitment. The worst aspect of the fear of being in love is that it keeps you alone.
entomophobia
Entomophobia is a specific phobia characterized by excessive or unrealistic fear of one or more types of insects and classified as a phobia by the DSM-5.
Claustrophobia
When in doubt, claustrophobia is one of the most well-known phobias. Those who suffer from it experience terror when they are in closed spaces, such as an elevator, the subway or a tunnel, for example. It is estimated that between 2% and 5% of the population suffer from this phobia.
aerophobia
Do you get a knot in your stomach when you have to catch a plane but still do? So you don’t have aerophobia, although it is also one of the most common phobias. People with aerophobia cannot even think about a plane ride without starting to show symptoms of anxiety.
If for some reason they are forced to fly, fears and anxiety can begin to appear months before the trip, and for some people it is directly impossible to take a plane trip, because fear completely paralyzes them.
Agoraphobia
Unlike claustrophobia, agoraphobia is the terror of being outdoors. People with agoraphobia rarely leave the house because they don’t feel safe outside.
Often, those who suffer from this disease feel fear in crowded places, in open places, such as the field or a square, or they are afraid of being alone and not receiving help if they need it.
Some people with agoraphobia may have a feeling of unreality about their body or the environment they are in when they are in one of the situations caused by the phobia.
As with other types of phobia, the intensity of symptoms varies from one person to another and can be mild, moderate or severe.
Brontophobia
It is the phobia that is related to natural phenomena such as lightning, storms, winds, precipices or deep water.
In some people, brontophobia is so severe that they won’t leave the house or go to work if the weather forecast is not what they expected.
It is a condition that usually starts in childhood and can be treated with medication and psychotherapy, like other phobias.
Coulrophobia
Coulrophobia is the fear of clowns. Many people develop this fear in childhood, although it can also happen in adulthood. Clowns are often portrayed in the media as bad, as in the movie “It” or in real life, as was the case with serial killer John Wayne Gacy.
thanatophobia
Thanatophobia is the fear of death, which is natural and instinctive in our species; however, there is also an irrational fear of the dead, death and everything connected with it.
necrophobia
Necrophobia is the fear of death or dead things. It’s a very common fear, especially after the loss of a loved one. It’s a kind of defense mechanism of the mind. It can be a very difficult phobia to overcome due to the uncertainty surrounding death and the large faith component associated with it.
Social phobia
It is a persistent and irrational fear of social situations such as meetings or parties. In general, people suffering from this phobia fear being observed and judged by other people within the framework of these social situations.
Social phobia often begins in adolescence, favored by parental overprotection and lack of opportunities for social friction.
People with this condition feel very anxious and shy in everyday social situations, worry many days before an event they have to attend, and are afraid to eat, drink, or speak in public.
It is common for this phobia to interfere with the normal development of the person’s life, affecting school activities, work and causing great difficulty in making and keeping friends.
school phobia
School phobia is of great relevance due to its relationship with school performance. Some children feel great anxiety when they go to school due to some specific aspect of the school context and that is why they say they suffer from this type of phobia.
It may appear due to relationship problems with teachers, with other children, or problems with your own appearance, fear of rejection, etc.
The child dresses very slowly or does not eat when preparing to go to school, refuses to attend, screams and cries or, in some cases, attends but does not enter the classroom. From a physical point of view, there may be profuse sweating, stomach aches, headache, increased muscle tension, and dizziness or fainting.
If left untreated, phobias will remain for a lifetime as they are chronic disorders. Most people get better with appropriate medication, psychotherapy, or both.
