A specific phobia is described as a fear of a specific object or situation. Unresolved trauma involving the particular object is likely the cause, compounded by environmental and genetic factors. A social phobia is a social anxiety disorder where the phobic has an intense or exaggerated fear of being around others because of perceived judgement, dislike, or scrutiny. Agoraphobia is an irrational fear of being in situations where one isn’t safe or is unlikely to escape. Agoraphobes will make great pains to avoid leaving their house. Various forms of therapy are proven to treat and cure these phobias.

Interested in learning more about these anxiety disorders, their symptoms, treatments, and causes? Take a look at Massive Phobia’s 50 most popular phobias:

Selenophobia | Fear of Moon or Moonlight

Selenophobia (from the Greek seleno meaning “moon”) is an extreme or irrational fear of the moon and moonlight. Also known as lunaphobia, the fear of the moon does not necessarily extend to other nighttime characteristics, and may have its origins in old world superstitions about the moon’s mysterious powers. In many cultures, the full moon holds tremendous magical power, enough to affect people’s minds. The word lunatic has the same derivative, which symbolizes our deeply rooted affiliation with the moon and mental health. The phobic will avoid leaving the house at night and keep their curtains drawn to prevent moonlight from penetrating the window.

Atychiphobia | Fear of Failure

Atychiphobia (from the Greek atyches meaning “unfortunate”) is an intense or irrational fear of failure, often resulting in the phobic’s inability to start or perform any activity. While many people may experience anxiety over the possibility of failure, a phobic will categorically avoid all situations where failure—or success—is possible. In that sense, a phobic’s greatest fear ends up being the driving force behind their failure. The feature of failure comes from the phobic’s lack of confidence in their capabilities. Atychiphobia is an isolated phobia and stems from unresolved emotional trauma, while genetics and other hereditary factors also play a small role.

Cherophobia | Fear of Gaiety or Happiness

Cherophobia (from the Greek chero meaning “to rejoice, gaiety, happiness”) is an irrational fear or aversion to gaiety, happiness, and having fun. Mood disorders, such as depression, bipolar disorder, or anxiety disorders may not be present. Although the phobic will make all attempts to avoid happiness, sadness may not necessarily be their prevalent emotion. The phobic will strictly avoid all social engagements to avoid having fun, which leads to social isolation and often loneliness. People who suffer from cherophobia have an atypical relationship with that emotion. Beyond being comfortable expressing happiness, phobics often fear that happiness is bad and will negatively impact their lives.

Hoplophobia | Fear of Firearms

Hoplophobia (from the Greek hoplo meaning “weapon”) is an irrational or abnormal fear of firearms. Phobics need not see a firearm to fear the threat of attack, and will experience emotional and physical symptoms if afraid. While apprehension of firearms is normal and some might say even healthy because it teaches us to handle them with great care, a phobic’s fear of firearms goes beyond rationality. Even child toys or plastic guns can cause a hoplophobe to have a panic attack. Childhood trauma or upbringing play a major role in the development of hoplophobia, such as a parent warning a child of the dangers of guns.

Hemophobia, Hemaphobia or Hematophobia | Fear of Blood

Hemophobia (from the Greek hemo meaning “blood”) is an intense and irrational fear of blood, particularly in an injury. When a phobic sees or even smells blood, they are often known to faint, which can be quite dangerous. People who have a fear of blood will likely avoid all situations and places where blood is present, such as hospitals, clinics, tattoo parlours. They also likely have an aversion to needles. Hemophobes may suffer from associated fears, such as the fear of germs, bacteria, contamination, or infections. A painful past experience in which blood was present may a source of the phobic’s fear.

Demophobia | Fear of Crowds

Demophobia (from the Greek demos meaning “people”) is an irrational and extreme fear of crowds or mobs. It is not unlike agoraphobia, or a fear of open spaces. A phobic will experience physical and mental anguish in the presence of even small crowds, such as line-ups, classrooms, or restaurants. Demophobes fear getting hurt, trapped, judged, and infected by the presence of so many faces around them. People with demophobia will avoid crowds at all costs, which will affect their quality of life and lead to social isolation. Demophobia is likely caused by unresolved trauma and potentially hereditary factors or genetics.

Pedophobia | Fear of Children

Pedophobia (from the Greek pedo meaning “children”) is an irrational and extreme fear of children and babies. People with pedophobia will avoid children at all costs and remain aloof or uninterested in the presence of children. They will have an aversion to interacting or holding a child. The age at which the pedophobiac ceases to consider a child a threat is individual. A person with pedophobia may suffer physical symptoms such as panic attacks and anxiety if they see, smell, touch, or hear children. A phobic’s own childhood will likely play a significantly role in the phobic’s development of their fear.

Hippopotomonstrosesquipedaliophobia | Fear of Long Words

Hippopotomonstrosesquipedaliophobia (from Latin and Greek origins roughly meaning “monstrous one-and-a-half-foot hippopotamus”) is an irrational fear of long words. Ironically, the 15-syllable word itself is likely to cause the phobic to fear their own diagnosis. The fear of long words is also related to other language-based phobias, such as logophobia, verbophobia, and onomatophobia. A person suffering from hippopotomonstrosesquipedaliophobia will express an aversion to multisyllabic words and may experience physical symptoms of stress and panic when they read or hear long words. The cause of hippopotomonstrosesquipedaliophobia likely stems from the sufferer’s poor educational background, low reading level, or dyslexia. See also Sesquipedalophobia.

Papaphobia | Fear of the Pope

Papaphobia (from the Latin papa meaning “pope”) is an abnormal or irrational fear of the Catholic pope. Although it is not necessarily linked to a fear of Catholicism or Christianity, the fear of the pope may also be accompanied by a fear of religion, church, and anything sacred. The fear of the pope is likely caused by unresolved trauma, such as an unhealthy relationship or encounter with a representative of the Christian faith. A fear or aversion to authority or father figures may also be an underlying cause. People with papaphobia will avoid imagery, news or discussion of the pope.

Achluophobia | Fear of Darkness

Achluophobia (from the Greek achluo meaning “night or darkness”) is an irrational and exaggerated fear of darkness. Also called, nyctophobia, lygophobia, scotophobia or myctophobia, people with achluophobia will not leave their house after sunset and will leave their lights on at night, which may affect sleep and overall health. The fear of the dark is known as a primal fear, which is an ancestral fear of threat that hid in the shadows beyond firelight. A fear of the dark was a necessary tool for survival, however people with Achluophobia associate darkness with death and imagine that threat is hiding in every dark corner.

Ablutophobia | Fear of Washing or Bathing

Ablutophobia (from the Latin ablutere meaning “to wash off”) is an irrational or exaggerated fear of bathing, washing, or cleaning. People with ablutophobia experience fear that goes beyond a childhood dislike of bathing. Ablutophobia often leads to social isolation, especially in cultures where cleanliness is a high priority. Poor health is commonly associated with this phobia, since phobics avoid hygienic practices. Ablutophobia may stem from unresolved trauma in which bathing, washing, or cleaning played a major role in the phobic’s distress, such as parental abuse, neglect or a near-drowning experience. Fear of getting wet may or may not be related to ablutophobia.

Tropophobia | Fear of Moving or Making Changes

Tropophobia (from the Greek tropo meaning to “bend, turn”) is an irrational and persistent fear of changing or moving things. Similar or even associated with obsessive compulsive disorder, people with tropophobia will stubbornly adhere to a fixed schedule and will have an aversion to even the slightest changes, from schedules to furniture to opinions. People who fear change may have suffered in the past from unstable living conditions or frequent moves. A tropophobe would rather experience a negative constant then a positive change, which could lead to indirect self-harm, such as maintaining relationships with people, places, or things that are unhealthy.

Trichopathophobia or Trichophobia | Fear of Hair

Trichopathophobia (from the Greek trico and pathos, meaning “hair” and “feeling”) is an irrational fear of human hair or animal fear. People with this phobia fear the look and feeling of any type of fur or hair, and imagine that hair is rife with germs and bacteria and generally dirty. A fear of germs may also be present. People with unsightly, flaky dandruff may experience trichopathophobia. If the person fears their own hair, they may display some obsessive tendencies, such as frequent washing, shaving, or plucking of body hair, even eyebrows. The fear of hair may stem from unresolved emotional trauma in which hair played a major role.

Gamophobia | Fear of Marriage or Relationship

Gamophobia (from the Greek gamos meaning “marriage”) is an irrational fear of marriage, or more broadly, intimate relationships. The person suffering from gamophobia will avoid all possibilities of a romance or commitment. While many people experience fleeting or even general anxieties about relationships, love, and marriage, gamophobia is a highly irrational fear in which the phobic likens marriage to dying or near-death. Gamophobia can be linked to the phobic’s fears of their own sexuality, their low self-esteem, fear of sex, and may have roots in early childhood where the phobic experienced unresolved trauma related to their parents’ relationship or marriage.

Anthophobia | Fear of Flowers 

Anthrophobia (from the Greek anthos meaning “flower”) is an irrational or persistent fear of flowers. A fear of flowers doesn’t necessarily extend to a fear of nature, therefore, a person with anthophobia may not be afraid of non-flowering plants, trees, and vines. A phobic may or may not also have a phobia of fake or silk flowers. Anthophobia is very uncommon. It may result from a negative event in the phobic’s past, such as a wasp or bee sting, or a funeral in which flowers were present. Unresolved, these negative associations have led to the mortal fear of flowers and blooms.

Samhainophobia | Fear of Halloween 

Samhainophobia (from the Scottish-Irish-Celtic word Samhain meaning “summer’s end”) is an irrational fear of Halloween. The person with Samhainophobia will have an aversion to all things related to Halloween, even the most secularized objects, such as candy and costumes. The fear of Halloween likely stems from the Pagan-cum-Christian association with evil spirits, particularly the belief that the evil spirits roam the earth on All Hallow’s Eve. The phobic’s fear may have developed these fears from horror films or news reports about poisoned candy. The person with samhainophobia will experience anxiety and other physical symptoms leading up to Halloween, as decorations may pervade their neighbourhood, making it difficult to avoid triggers.

Pediophobia | Fear of Dolls

Pediophobia (from the Greek paidon meaning “little child”) is an irrational fear of dolls. Cultural influences, such as horror films and Voodoo dolls in which dolls are considered conduits of evil spirits, may play a role in the phobic’s fear. An adult phobic may prevent children from playing with dolls, while children who fear dolls may hide them or ask their parents to dispose of them. A fear of dolls may be related to automatonophobia, or the fear of humanoid objects, and the fear of children. Pediophobia may stem from unresolved childhood trauma in which dolls played a major distressing factor.

Nosophobia or Nosemaphobia | Fear of Becoming Ill

Nosophobia (from the Greek nosos meaning “disease”) is an irrational fear of becoming ill. Nosophobia closely resembles hypochondriasis and even contamination OCD. Nosophobia has also been colloquially termed “medical student’s disease” as medical students often claim to have symptoms of a disease they are studying. Someone who suffers from nosophobia is afraid of a specific disease, most commonly cancer and sexually transmitted diseases, and not disease in general. While most people are generally concerned about their health, and take certain measures to maintain it, a nosophobe’s fear of a disease is irrational, which often leads to social alienation and other side effects, like depression.

Chronophobia | Fear of Time

Chronophobia (from the Greek chronos meaning “time”) is an irrational and exaggerated fear of time, or more specifically, the passage of time. People most commonly associated with chronophobia are prison inmates, and the severely ill or elderly. In these cases, time passes differently, either too slowly or two quickly, and the mortal fear may be caused by the irrational belief that time is actually slowing down or speeding up. People who have been trapped in high-anxiety situations where the passage of time was impossible to track may develop chronophobia. It is a much more serious condition than being anxious over an upcoming deadline.

Demonophobia or Daemonophobia | Fear of Demons

Demonophobia (from the Greek demon) is an irrational or exaggerated fear of demons or demonic possession. Demonophobes feel a very real threat of a demonic presence in their daily lives. Historically, demonophobia was a religious tool to keep God-fearing Christians pious and loyal to their church. Demonic possessions and exorcisms were once considered normal. The supernatural fear of demons may not necessarily be stemmed from one’s religious beliefs. Exposure to horror films and Halloween culture may be the underlying cause of the phobia. It is closely related to many of phobias concerning supernatural or satanic figures including the fear of Hell.

Alektorophobia | Fear of Chickens

Alektorophobia (from the Greek alektor meaning “rooster”) is an irrational fear of chickens and other fowl, such as turkey, duck, goose, and guinea fowl. An alektorophobe will also be triggered by dead chickens and will avoid eating chicken. The phobic’s diet will be affected. A phobic will take all measures to avoid seeing chicken and other fowl in the grocery store or in nature. A fear of fowl may be the result of an unresolved traumatic event in which chickens played a major distressing role. Pop culture and the media may have influenced the fear of chickens and fowl. Various forms of therapy are available to treat alektorophobia.

Agraphobia | Fear of Sexual Abuse

Agraphobia is an irrational or excessive fear of sexual abuse. Women represent the majority of agraphobes. Agraphobia may be the result of a previous experience with sexual abuse, either receiving it or witnessing it. A person with agraphobia will take measures to avoid being alone with another individual, fearing that an assault is imminent. The media’s propensity to report frequent sexual assault cases may be an underlying factor of the person’s phobia. Fear of intimacy and low self-esteem may also be present. Various forms of therapy can help the agraphobe root out the cause of their irrational fear of sexual abuse.

Omphalophobia | Fear of Belly Buttons

Omphalophobia (from the Greek omphalos meaning “navel”) is an irrational and extreme fear of navels or belly buttons. A person suffering from omphalophobia will strictly avoid touching their own bellybuttons and will make all efforts to avoid seeing others’. Omphalophobia may be caused by an unresolved childhood trauma in which the phobic had a negative or painful experience with their own bellybutton, possibly an infection or injury. It may also stem from a childhood assumption that bellybuttons are weak spots or entry points into the body, which makes them dangerous. In that case, an omphalophobia will likely fear their own mortality or the fragility of their own body.

Ichthyophobia | Fear of Fish

Ichthyophobia (from the Greek ichthys meaning “fish”) is an irrational fear of fish. A person suffering from ichthyophobia is afraid of eating, seeing, touching, or even smelling fish. Ichthyophobes may avoid swimming in fresh water for fear of encountering a fish. A fish does not need to be alive for the ichthyophobe to fear it. Closely related to ichthyophobia is an irrational fear of sharks, or galeophobia. The fear of fish is associated with unresolved traumatic past events in which fish played a major distressing role, such as getting bitten or stung by a fish or choking on a fish.

Clinophobia | Fear of Going to Bed or Falling Asleep

Clinophobia (from the Greek clino meaning “bed”) is an irrational fear of falling asleep or going to bed. People with clinophobia may experience restless sleeps caused by sleep terrors, bedwetting, stress, nightmares, or active sleepwalking. Some might relate the act of sleeping with death or a loss of control. This phobia is not uncommon. Sleep disorders, including sleep apnea and night terrors, may making falling asleep a terrifying experience. A medical doctor may be able to diagnose and treat an underlying sleep disorder, however, the persistent fear of going to bed may be dealt with through cognitive behavioural therapy.

Muriphobia | Fear of Mice

Muriphobia (from the Latin murine meaning “Muridae” that is the family including mice and rats) is an irrational fear of mice and/or rats. It is one of the most common phobias. A person with muriphobia will experience physical symptoms if they hear or see a mouse, dead or alive. The real or perceived evidence of a mice infestation will cause anxiety and panic. The fear of these small rodents may be related to a fear of sickness, as mice and rats are known to carry disease (such as the bubonic plague). An unresolved traumatic experience may be the underlying cause of their fear.

Ephebiphobia | Fear of Teenagers

Ephebiphobia (from the Greek ephebos meaning “adolescent”) is an irrational fear of teenagers. The fear of teenagers may not necessarily extend to the fear of children (pedophobia), and is generally related to the general nature and often exaggerated misconception of teenage behaviour. A person with ephebiphobia will have a very low opinion of a teenager’s potential and will associate them with illegal or amoral acts, such as stealing, making a lot of noise, underage drinking, damaging property, or forming gangs. An unresolved traumatic event in which a teenager or teenagers played a major distressing role may be the underlying cause for this fear.

Phallophobia | Fear of Penises or Erections

Phallophobia (from the Greek phalos meaning “penis”) is an irrational and excessive fear of penis, especially when erect. The fear of erect penises may have several underlying causes, such as unresolved traumatic events involving repeated sexual abuse or rape. Phallophobia affects all genders and may or may not have an effect on the phobic’s sexuality. In some cases, phallophobia may lead to social anxiety or loneliness or lack of intimacy. A phallophobe will take extreme measures to avoid exposure to erect penises. A man suffering from phallophobia may fear his own erect penis. Women with phallophobia may have underlying fears of intimacy, or may suffer physical pain during intercourse.

Melissophobia | Fear of Bees

Melissophobia (from the Greek melisso meaning “honey bee”) is an irrational fear of bees or getting stung. The fear of bees may or may not be influenced with an allergy to bee stings, although that could be a major factor, especially the threat of anaphylaxis. People with melissophobia will go out of their way to avoid bees, which involves staying indoors. The threat of pain from a bee sting may be an underlying cause. A melissophobe may have been stung in the past. This is a common phobia. Some melissophobes will destroy bee colonies, which has contributed to the decrease in the honeybee population.

Katsaridaphobia | Fear of Cockroaches

Katsaridaphobia (from the Greek “cockroach, roach, beetle or black beetle”) is an irrational fear of cockroaches. While most people have an aversion to cockroaches especially in their homes, people with katsaridaphobia will suffer physical symptoms and display extreme avoidance behaviours. Cockroaches leave behind droppings and noxious smells, which is associated with poor hygiene and disease. A person with katsaridaphobia will obsessively clean, disinfect, and inspect their floors, cupboards, and dark spaces for fear of contamination. As such, katsaridaphobia has a close link to obsessive compulsive disorder. An underlying fear of germs and disease may also be present, as well as the fear of the unknown.

Coprophobia | Fear of Feces

Coprophobia (from the Greek kopros meaning “dung”) is an irrational fear of feces or defecation. The person with coprophobia will go out of their way to avoid situations where animal or human feces may be present, such as parks and public washrooms. A phobic will obsessively clean their own bathroom each time they defecate, and may suffer extreme anxiety every time they need to make a bowel movement. A person with this fear may resist defecating, which could potentially lead to major health problems. Closely related to coprophobia is the fear of the germs and bacteria that are associated with feces.

Topophobia | Fear of Certain Places or Situations

Topophobia (from the Greek topos meaning “place”) is an irrational and excessive fear of certain places or situations, such as stage fright. A topophobe will have a very specific fear and will generally acknowledge their irrationality, however, are unable to stop it. Topophobia may manifest in a fear of performing or speaking to an audience. It is a type of agoraphobia, which is a fear of experiencing an embarrassing or painful situation where there is no possibility or ease of escape. Unresolved traumatic events involving a specific situation or place combined with genetic factors may be the underlying cause of topophobia.

Paraskavedekatriaphobia | Fear of Friday the 13th

Paraskavedekatriaphobia (from the Greek Paraskeví and dekatreís meaning “Friday” and “thirteen”) is an irrational fear of Friday the 13th. The fear of the 13th day falling on a Friday dates back to biblical times. The number 13 has long been considered unlucky and even evil. To this day, buildings all over the Western world have a 12th and 14th floor but not a 13th. People with paraskavedekatriaphobia will experience extreme anxiety on these days and will believe that bad or evil things will happen. Numbers have supernatural significance in other cultures, such as the number four in Japan. See also Triskaidekaphobia.

Equinophobia | Fear of Horses

Equinophobia (from the Latin equus meaning “horse”) is an irrational and extreme fear of horses and similar species, such as ponies, donkeys, jackasses, and other hoofed animals. A person with equinophobia will likely have experienced a past situation in which horses played a major distressing role, such as being thrown off, or charged at, by a horse. A horse’s size, strength, speed, and unpredictability may motivate a person’s fear. Various forms of therapy, such as cognitive behavioural therapy, will help a phobic overcome their irrational fears. An equinophobe will take all measures to avoid the presence of horses. See also Hippophobia.

Sesquipedalophobia | Fear of Long Words

Sesquipedalophobia (from Latin sesqui meaning “one and a half” and pedal meaning “foot”) is an irrational fear of long words. Ironically, the multisyllabic word itself is likely to cause the phobic to fear their own diagnosis. The fear of long words is also related to other language-based phobias, such as logophobia verbophobia, and onomatophobia. A person suffering from sesquipedalophobia will express an aversion to multisyllabic words and may experience physical symptoms of stress and panic when they read or hear long words. The cause of sesquipedalophobia likely stems from the sufferer’s poor educational background, low reading level, or dyslexia. See also hippopotomonstrosesquipedaliophobia.

Selachophobia | Fear of Sharks

Selachophobia (from the Greek selachos meaning “cartilaginous fish”) is an extreme and irrational fear of sharks. While fearing a shark attack while swimming in shark-infested waters is normal, a person with selachophobia will fear an imminent shark attack in situations where that is impossible, such as aquariums, swimming pools, or freshwater systems. A person may even experience an irrational fear stepping into bathtubs or showers because of the perceived threat of a shark attack. The fear of sharks may be instigated by fear-mongering media coverage of shark attacks or horror films, such as the widely popular Jaws. See also galeophobia.

Chionophobia | Fear of Snow

Chionophobia (from the Greek chiono meaning snow) is an irrational and extreme fear of snow and snowstorms. According to the American Meteorological Society, natural environment phobias, such as the fear of snow, rain, wind, etc.,  are the second most common subtypes of phobias. Chionophobia is closely related to phobias of cold, cold weather, or freezing temperatures. A person with chionophobia may be afraid of getting trapped in the snow, becoming snow blind from the snow’s brightness, or may have experienced a traumatic event involving snow. A person with chionophobia may suffer through extreme isolation during winter months until the snow melts.

Chiroptophobia | Fear of Bats

Chiroptophobia (from the Greek cheir meaning “hand” and pteron means “wing”) is an irrational fear of bats. While many people are uncomfortable and even squeamish in the presences of bats, someone with this phobia will be avoid all situations and places where bats might be present, such as outdoors at night. Chiroptophobia is understood through society’s common association with bats as vessels of evil, minions of witches and demons, and transmuted vampires. Bats are also night creatures and are known to spread infectious diseases, which may explain the cause of chiroptophobia in some phobics. Past experience with bats is not necessary to develop a phobia.

Ombrophobia | Fear of Rain

Ombrophobia (from the Latin ombros meaning “rain”) is an irrational fear of rain, rainfall, or rain water. Ombrophobia typically affects younger children. The fear of rain is closely linked to other weather fears, and the ombrophobe may have related phobias. Ombrophobia may be caused by a fear of acid or contaminated rain. A person with ombrophobia will take measures to avoid exposure to rain, such as staying inside to wait out precipitation. An unresolved traumatic event in which rain or inclement weather played a major distressing role, may be the underlying cause of this phobia. The fear of water may also be present.

Kenophobia or Cenophobia | Fear of Empty Spaces

Kenophobia (from the Greek keno meaning “empty”) is an irrational and excessive fear of empty spaces, such as fields, gyms, auditoriums, and sparsely furnished rooms. Other fears may be linked to kenophobia, such as the fear of loneliness or isolation. A person with kenophobia will try to avoid empty spaces at all costs, which may lead to extreme behaviours, such as hoarding. The underlying cause of kenophobia may stem from an unresolved traumatic event where the person was isolated or left alone in an empty space. Various forms of therapy will help the phobic understand and deal with their kenophobia.

Isolophobia | Fear of Solitude or Being Alone

Isolophobia (from the Latin insula meaning “island”) is the fear of being alone or fear one oneself. Isolophobia is closely related to low self-esteem and self-hatred. Mood disorders may also be present. The isolophobe will avoid all situations where being alone is possible. An extrovert, the isolophobe will go to extreme measures to prevent solitude, fearing what may happen to them when left alone. Finding distractions, such as television, books, radio, or video games may help the isolophobe cope with their phobia, however, a mental health practitioner will determine the best form of therapy. Also called autophobia, monophobia or eremophobia.

Obesophobia | Fear of Gaining Weight

Obesophobia (from the Greek obeso meaning “fat”) is an irrational and excessive fear of gaining weight. People suffering from obesophobia will obsess over the food they eat in order to ensure that no weight is gained. While obesophobia is not an eating disorder, it can, in rare cases, lead to anorexia nervosa or bulimia. In all cases, a negative relationship with food is present, and the phobic will have a skewed perception of food. As such, obesophobia is closely related to cibophobia, or the fear of food. Medical and psychological intervention is often necessary to help the phobic overcome their fear of gaining weight in order to achieve a healthier lifestyle. See also pocrescophobia.

Taphephobia or Taphophobia | Fear of Being Buried Alive

Taphephobia (from the Greek meaning “grave” or “tomb”)  is an irrational fear of being buried alive. Not so long ago, taphephobia was not an uncommon fear. Before the advances of modern medicine, many people who were comatose or gravely ill were mistakenly presumed dead and subsequently buried alive. This became so common that “safety coffins” were designed in the 18th century so that the undead occupants could ring a bell and alert someone to exhume them. The modern conception of Taphephobia is the fear of being wrongfully pronounced dead. A general fear of death or dead things may also be associated with taphephobia.

Chiroptophobia | Fear of Bats

Chiroptophobia (from the Greek cheir meaning “hand” and pteron means “wing”) is an irrational fear of bats. While many people are uncomfortable and even squeamish in the presences of bats, someone with this phobia will be avoid all situations and places where bats might be present, such as outdoors at night. Chiroptophobia is understood through society’s common association with bats as vessels of evil, minions of witches and demons, and transmuted vampires. Bats are also night creatures and are known to spread infectious diseases, which may explain the cause of chiroptophobia in some phobics. Past experience with bats is not necessary to develop a phobia.

Xanthophobia | Fear of the Color Yellow

Xanthophobia (from the Greek xanthos meaning “yellow”) is an irrational fear of the colour yellow. People with xanthophobia will have a strong physical reaction the the sight of the colour yellow, perhaps even the mention of the word. Xanthophobes will avoid flowers, signs, clothes, artwork, and food that contain yellow. Fear of yellow is also related to other colour phobias, all of which have a strong association with a traumatic event in the phobic’s life. The colour yellow has negative connotations in some cultures, and may represent for the phobic unpleasant meanings. Urinating may also trigger physical symptoms of stress and anxiety.

Pocrescophobia | Fear of Gaining Weight

Pocrescophobia (see obesophobia for Greek word origin) is an irrational and excessive fear of gaining weight. People suffering from pocrescophobia will obsess over the food they eat in order to ensure that no weight is gained. While pocrescophobia is not an eating disorder, it can, in rare cases, lead to anorexia nervosa or bulimia. In all cases, a negative relationship with food is present, and the phobic will have a skewed perception of food. As such, pocrescophobia is closely related to cibophobia, or the fear of food. Medical and psychological intervention is often necessary to help the phobic overcome their fear of gaining weight in order to achieve a healthier lifestyle. See also obesophobia.

Merinthophobia | Fear of Being Tied Up or Bound

Merinthophobia (from the Greek merintho meaning “string”) is the irrational fear of being tied up or bound. The fear of losing control and confinement are also closely associated with merinthophobia. The merinthophobe will make all efforts to avoid seeing someone bound or handcuffed, like on television or a magic show, and will experience physical symptoms if they irrationally perceive a threat of being tied up. People with merinthophobia have likely experienced a traumatic event in which they observed someone tied up or they experienced it themselves, even as a prank. Hereditary and environmental factors may also play a role in the person’s phobia.

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