Phobia List

The word "phobia" comes from the Greek "phobos" which means fear. Phobias are generally divided into five types:

1. Animals (snakes, spiders, dogs)
2. Natural Environment (thunder, lightening, water)
3. Blood / Injection / Injury ( seeing blood, getting a shot, going to the dentist, or having a medical procedure)
4. Situational (high places, driving, flying)
5. Other (phobias that don't fit into any of the other four categories (fears of swallowing, blushing, or vomiting).

Anyone can make up a phobia list by taking the greek or latin root of a situation or object, and adding "phobia" to the end. This phobia list has been creatred with regard to phobias that are typically recognized by the medical profession, or phobias that our clients used to experience. It is not intended to be a complete reference.

This list is included more for entertainment purposes than anything else. Generally, speaking, finding another label to put on yourself may not be helpful. However, it can provide you with a sense of comfort in knowing that you aren't alone. And, with or without the label, the Conquer Your Phobia program can still help anyone eliminate their phobia.

Phobia List
A

Acrophobia: fear of acrobats. Just kidding. Really, it's the fear of heights. People who suffer from acrophobia may feel like they are being pulled toward the edge of a high place. This one is on the Phobia List of Top 10 most popular phobias. Acrophobia comes from the Greek word "acron," meaning height.

Aerophobia: fear of flying. This one is on the Phobia List of Top 10 most popular phobias. Did you notice the serious decline in air travel after the events of 9/11? Aerophobia also means an irrational fear of fresh air or drafts of air. Aerophobia comes from the Greek "aero," which means air or gas.

Agoraphobia: fear of public places or open areas. This one is on the Phobia List of Top 10 most popular phobias. People with agoraphobia feel anxious if they even think about being trapped in a situation where it might be difficult to leave. People with agoraphobia usually avoid the situations which trigger anxiety or panic.Agoraphobia is highly variable in severity. People with mild agoraphobia often live normal lives by avoiding anxiety-provoking situations. But, in the most severe cases, the victims may be incapacitated and never leave their house. If I work in person with someone who has agoraphobia I always make sure they are highly motivated to overcome the fear. . . I don't make housecalls! (That is a joke. . . ) Agoraphobia comes from the Greek "agora," meaning marketplace.

Agyrophobia: fear of crossing streets, highways and other thoroughfares; or fear of thoroughfares themselves. Agyrophobia comes from the Greek "gyrus" meaning turning or whirling.

Aichmophobia: fear of needles. From the Greek word "aichme," which means point. This fear can be life threatening if it prevents the sufferer from seeking needed medical attention.

Ailurophobia: fear of cats. Sufferers of ailurophobia may fear not only the scratch or bite of a cat, but also the "evil mystique" of cats as depicted in Halloween folklore and literary works. From the Greek "ailouros," meaning cat. Alternate spellings: "Aelurophobia," "elurophobia." "Galeophobia" is an alternate name for fear of cats.

Algophobia: fear of pain. Free advice: don't work with any therapist who wants to use exposure therapy for this one. Alogophobia comes from the Greek word "algos," meaning pain. I found one website where they had mislabeld algophobia as being the fear of garlic (no, really!). Maybe they have a lot of vampires as clients. The modern Greek word for garlic (according to a wikipedia article) is "skordo" so I think fear of garlic would actually be skordophobia. I'm not sure how they got that mixed up. At any rate they mentioned that working one-on-one with their trained staff, the treatment should take no more than 10 hours and cost $1,497 USD (and up).

Amathophobia: fear of dust. From the Greek "amathos," meaning sand. Mario Buatta, a well-known interior designer said "Dust is a protective coating for fine furniture."

Androphobia: fear of men. "Androphobia" is derived from the Greek "andros" (man).

Anthophobia: fear of flowers, or parts of flowers. Dating someone with anthophobia can save you a lot of money around Valentine's day, birthdays, and other holidays. "Anthophobia" is derived from the Greek word "anthos" which means flower.

Apiphobia: fear of bees. The word "apiphobia" comes from "api-" from the Greek "apis" meaning bee. Apiphobia is also called melissophobia, since "melissa" is another Greek word for bee.

Aquaphobia: fear of water. Sufferers from aquaphobia experience anxiety when in or near oceans, rivers, lakes, creeks or even a bathtub or shower. Boating and swimming are no fun. Forget scuba diving altogether. The word is from the Latin "aqua," which means water.

Arachnophobia: fear of spiders. Arachnophobia is ranked number one on the Phobia List of Top 10 most popular phobias. Some experts contend that it's really fear of the unknown, since most spiders are harmless. However, knowing that does not seem to make a difference to the level of fear experienced. "Arachnophobia" is derived from the Greek "arachne" meaning spider.

Astraphobia: fear of thunderstorms. Sufferers, when indoors, might seek shelter under a bed, in a closet or in a basement. They generally keep a watchful eye on the sky and remain alert for reports of electrical storms. "Astraphobia" is derived from the Greek "aster" meaning star . Related term: Brontophobia, which is the fear of thunder.

Autophobia: fear of loneliness, of being alone. A fear of solitude. Sufferers may worry about being ignored and unloved, or they may worry about intruders, strange noises or the possibility of developing a medical problem. Autophobia also can mean fear of oneself. The word "autophobia" is derived from the Greek word "autos," which means self.

Phobia List
B

Bacillophobia: fear of bacteria. See below.

Bacteriaphobia: fear of germs. Sufferers from bacteriaphobia experience undue anxiety even though they realize that most germs do not cause diseases. Some people with this phobia may also have Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) and to avoid germs, they may repeat cleaning rituals, such as washing their hands or face, avoid touching other people or themselves, or even various objects. "Bacteriaphobia" is derived from the Greek "bacterion" meaning staff. The Greek word for "staff" was chosen because some bacteria are rod-shaped, like a staff. Alternate spelling: Bacteriophobia. Alternate name: Bacillophobia.

Bathophobia: fear of depths. The feared object may be a long, dark hallway, a well or a deep pool or lake. "Bathophobia" is derived from the Greek "bathos" meaning depth.

Brontophobia: fear of thunder. "Brontophobia" is derived from the Greek "bronte" which means thunder. This one is on the Phobia List of Top 10 most popular phobias. A related term: Astraphobia, fear of thunderstorms.

Phobia List
C

Carcinophobia: fear of cancer. Carcinophobia is on the Phobia List of Top 10 most popular phobias. People with this phobia worry that they may develop cancer or obsess over anything that happens with their body, believing that it may be a sign of cancer. From the Greek "karkinos" which means cancer.

Chrematophobia: fear of money. Sufferers worry that they might mismanage money or that money might really be "the root of all evil." Actually, that's quite a common misunderstanding. The actual quote says the "love of money is the root of all evil." From the Greek "chrimata" which means money. A related term is chromatophobia, which may be related to he Greek word "chroma" (color) because of the brilliant colors of ancient coins--for example, gold, silver, bronze and copper.

Claustrophobia: fear of closed spaces, of being closed in or being shut in, as in elevators, tunnels, or any other confined space. Even sitting in one of the middle seats in a theatre may cause anxiety. This one is on the Phobia List of Top 10 most popular phobias. The word "claustrophobia" is derrived from the Latin "claudere," which means to shut.

Clinophobia: fear of going to bed. Sufferers worry about having nightmares or wetting the bed, and often remain awake and develop insomnia. Insomnia then can become a real threat to their well-being. "Clinophobia" is derived from the Greek "klinein" which means to bend, slope or incline, such as while sleeping.

Coitophobia: fear of sexual intercourse. Among the symptoms of coitophobia are failure to achieve an erection (erectile dysfunction) and failure to achieve orgasm (anorgasmy). "Coitophobia" is derived from the Latin "coitus," which means "to come together."

Coprophobia: fear of feces. Sufferers go out of their way to avoid coming into contact with feces or sometimes even seeing feces. "Coprophobia" is derived from the Greek "kopros," meaning dung. Alternate names: Koprophobia, scatophobia.

Cryophobia: fear of cold, including cold weather and cold objects. "Cryophobia" is derived from the Greek "kryos," which means cold or frigid. A related term is Thermophobia, fear of heat.

Cynophobia: fear of dogs. To avoid dogs sufferers may barricade yards or refuse to travel except in an enclosed vehicle. "Cynophobia" is derived from the Greek "kyon" which means dog.

Phobia List
D

Demonophobia: fear of evil supernatural beings in persons who believe such beings exist and roam freely to cause harm. Sufferers become anxious when discussing demons, when venturing alone into woods or a dark house, or when watching films about demonic possession or exorcism. "Demonophobia" is derived from the Greek "daimon," meaning deity or evil spirit.

Dentophobia: fear of dentists. This phobia can be serious because sufferers will often avoid needed medical treatment. Derrived from the Latin word "denti" which means tooth.

Dipsophobia: fear of drinking alcohol. Sufferers of dipsophobia experience undue anxiety about addiction to alcohol and the effect this addiction can have on their body. "Dipsophobia" is derived from the Greek "dipsa," meaning thirst.

Doraphobia: fear of fur. Sufferers of this fear avoid fur-bearing animals such as dogs, cats, foxes, beavers and rabbits because fur is repulsive to them. This fear is not always unfounded, for many furry animals can be carriers of rabies. The word "doraphobia" is from the Greek root "dora," meaning hide or skin.

Dysmorphophobia: Excessive dislike of a part of ones body. Also known as "bigorexia" when characterized by a person's obsession with an imagined defect in physical appearance. The word "Dysmorphophobia" is from the Greek "dys" plus "morphe," meaning "form."

Phobia List
E

Eisoptrophobia: fear of mirrors. Because this fear often is grounded in superstitions, sufferers may worry that breaking a mirror will bring bad luck or that looking into a mirror will put them in contact with a supernatural world inside the glass. "Eisoptrophobia" comes from the Greek "eis," which means into, and "optikos," which means vision, image, or sight.

Emetophobia: fear of vomiting. Sufferers are especially worried about vomiting in public and embarrassing themselves. Consequently, they often avoid office meetings, banquets, dances and other social gatherings. The anxiety produced by this phobia can cause a nervous stomach and nausea. This one is on the Phobia List of Top 10 most popular phobias. "Emetophobia" is derived from the Greek word "emetos" which means vomiting.

Entomophobia: fear of insects. To avoid insects, sufferers may frequently clean rooms and carpets, sweep hallways, spray insect-killer or seal off doors and windows. Entophobia (insect phobia) includes acarophobia (mites: scabies) and arachnophobia (fear of spiders). "Entomophobia" is derived from the Greek "entomos" which means insect.

Equinophobia: fear of horses. Sufferers of equinophobia experience undue anxiety even when a horse is known to be gentle and well trained. They usually avoid horses entirely rather than risk being kicked, bitten or thrown. They may also fear other hoofed animals such as ponies, donkeys and mules. "Equinophobia" is derived from the Latin "equus" which means horse. An alternate name for equinophobia is "hippophobia," derived from the Greek "hippos," which means horse.

Ergophobia: fear of work. This fear may actually be a combination of fears, such fear of failing at assigned tasks, fear of speaking before groups at work, or fear of socializing with co-workers. "Ergophobia" is derived from the Greek "ergon" which means work.

Erythrophobia: fear of blushing. Anxiety results from worry about being the focus of attention and the subject of embarrassment. Attempts to suppress blushing often have the opposite effect. Sufferers of erythrophobia tend to avoid social gatherings and workplace projects that require them to interact with, or speak before, groups of co-workers. "Erythrophobia" also can refer to fear of the color red because of what it may symbolize, such as blood. "Erythrophobia" is derived from the Greek "erythros" which means red.

Phobia List
F

Phobia List
G

Galeophobia: fear of sharks. Sufferers from this phobia experience anxiety even if they are safely on a boat or in an aquarium or on a beach. Tthe 1975 movie "Jaws" created a lot of galeophobs and actually caused a decline in the diving industry. The 2004 movie "Open Water" may have also contributed. Galeophobia" is derived from the Greek words "galeos" meaning a shark with markings that look like those found on a weasel. I could be mistaken (I'm not an expert on sharks or weasels) but I think I've seen more sharks with markings that do not resemble a weasel. If this wasn't actually in a medical dictionary, I would have thought it came from a Mony Python skit.

Gametophobia: fear of being married. Sufferers may fear the challenge of living with another person and the responsibility of rearing a family. Or they may worry about failing as a sexual partner. "Gamete" is derived from the Greek word "gamete" meaning wife and "gamein" which means to marry.

Gephyrophobia: fear of crossing bridges. Their fear may result partly from the fear of enclosure (claustrophobia) or the fear of heights (acrophobia). Phobic drivers may worry about being in an accident in busy traffic or losing control of their vehicles. High bridges over waterways and gorges can be especially intimidating, as can be very long or very narrow bridges. Fear of bridges is a relatively common phobia. "Gephyrophobia" comes from the Greek words "gephyra" which means bridge.

Gerascophobia: fear of growing old. Sufferers of this fear experience undue anxiety about aging even though they may be in good health--physically, economically and otherwise. They may worry about the loss of their looks, the loss of independence, inactivity after retirement, impaired mobility, the onset of disease, and confinement in a nursing home. "Gerascophobia" is derived from the Greek word "geras" which means old age.

Gymnophobia: fear of nudity. Sufferers may worry about seeing others naked or being seen naked, or both. Their fear may stem from anxiety about sexuality in general, from a fear that their bodies are physically inferior, or from a fear that their nakedness leaves their bodies--and their personalities--exposed and unprotected. "Gymnophobia" is derived from the Greek "gymnos" which means naked.

Gynephobia: fear of women. "Gynephobia" is derived from the Greek "gyne" which means woman.

Phobia List
H

Hedonophobia: fear of pleasure. Sufferers typically feel guilty about experiencing pleasure even though they usually realize rationally there is nothing at all wrong with taking pleasure. Their guilt usually arises from the fact that they are participating a pleasurable activity while others around them or in the world at large are experiencing nothing but illness, grief, economic hardship and other painful problems. Their guilt may also arise from the belief that life is best lived ascetically. "Hedonophobia" is derived from the Greek "hedone" which means pleasure or delight).

Helminthphobia: fear of being infested with parasitic worms called helminths. The eggs of these worms can contaminate air and water, particularly where hygiene is poor. They can also contaminate foods such as pork and beef as well as pets and wild animals, objects such as toilet seats, and feces (bowel waste). Pinworms, roundworms and tapeworms are examples of helminths. Sufferers of helminthphobia worry excessively about trichinosis and other helminth diseases even though proper measures may have been taken to prevent a helminth infestation. For example, they may avoid eating pork altogether even though they know such entrees as pork chops and sausage have been thoroughly cooked. "Helminthphobia" is derived from the Greek "helmins" which means worm.

Hematophobia: fear of blood. Sufferers of this very common phobia dread the sight of their own blood, the sight of the blood of another person or an animal, and sometimes printed or filmed images of blood or even thoughts of blood. Blood may remind them of their own vulnerability to injury and of the eventuality of death. "Hematophobia" is derived from the Greek "haima" which means blood. Alternate name for hematophobia: hemophobia.

Hippophobia: fear of horses. See "equinophobia."

Hydrophobia: 1. fear of water, to drink or to swim in. 2. A term once commonly used for rabies because in the later stages of that disease, the animal (or person) has difficulty swallowing and so fears a drink of water. From the Greek "hydro" which means water.

Phobia List
I, J, K, L

Wow! I didn't find any phobias in the medical dictionary starting with these 4 letters.

Phobia List
M

Melissophobia: fear of bees. See "apiphobia."

Mottephobia: fear of moths. It seems like the word originated form the Middle English word "mothe" but is probably akin the the German word "motte" which means moth. A related term is "Lepidophobia" which is the fear of butterflies.

Phobia List
N

Neophobia: Fear of anything new, of innovation, new situations, places, or things. "Neophobia" comes from the Greek "neos" meaning new.

Nyctophobia: fear of the dark. From the Greek "nyx" meaning night. Another term for fear of the dark is scotophobia.

Phobia List
O

Ornithophobia: fear of birds. Sufferers from ornithophobia experience anxiety about encountering or being attacked by birds. "Ornithophobia" is derived from the Greek word "ornithos" which means bird. I wonder how many ornithophobs were just fine until they saw the Alfred Hitchcock's movie "The Birds?"

Phobia List
P

Pedophobia: fear of babies and children. "Pedophobia" comes from the Greek word "pais" which means child.

Phonophobia: fear of sound. From the Greek word "phone" which means voice, or sound. Many children have an apparant fear of loud sounds. Usually it is more of a sensitivity than a fear, but the symptoms can be similar.

Photophobia: fear of light. This is not a very common phobia. However, the medical community does use the word to refer to an abnormal sensitivity to or intolerance of light, which can be very painful. This is not really a phobia, so, in my opinion, use of this word for light sensitivity is somewhat of a misnomer. The Greek word "phot" which means light.

Phobia List
Q, R

Phobia List
S

Sociophobia: fear of embarrassment in social situations; can have debilitating effects on personal and professional relationships. This one is on the Phobia List of Top 10 most popular phobias. Symptoms of social phobia include blushing, sweating, trembling, rapid heartbeat, muscle tension, nausea or other stomach discomfort, lightheadedness, and other symptoms of anxiety. People with this disorder tend to lead difficult and diminished lives. The emotional toll is great. Many people with social phobia have trouble reaching their educational and professional goals or even maintaining employment. In extreme cases, a person may begin to avoid all social situations and become housebound. "Sociophobia" is derived from the Latin "socius" which means companion.

Spectrophobia: fear of ghosts. Sufferers may fear going into woods, empty houses or dark places and may react with alarm at strange or unexplained noises. "Spectrophobia" is derived from the Latin "spectrum" which means appearance or apparition.

Phobia List
T

Taphephobia: fear of being buried alive. "Taphephobia" comes from the Greek "taphos" meaning grave.

Teratophobia: fear of bearing a malformed child. "Teratophobia" comes from the Greek word "teras" meaning monster

Thanatophobia: fear of death. This one is on the Phobia List of Top 10 most popular phobias. From the Greek word "Thanatos" meaning death. Also commonly referred to as Necrophobia.

Thermophobia: fear of heat, including hot weather and hot objects. To avoid heat, sufferers may live in a cold climate, wear light clothing, stay indoors on warm days, and avoid hot water and hot foods. "Thermophobia" is derived from the Greek word "therme" which means heat. The opposite of thermophobia is cryophobia, fear of the cold.

Tocophobia: fear of childbirth. "Tocophobia" comes from the Greek word "tocos" which means childbirth.

Triskaidekaphobia: fear of the number 13. Written reference to this fear dates to the late 1800s. The term triskaidekaphobia appeared in the early 1900s. "Treiskaideka" comes from the Greek word for thirteen.

Phobia List
U, V, W

Phobia List
X

Xenophobia: fear of strangers or foreigners. Derrived from the Latin word "xenos" which means stranger.

Phobia List
Y

Phobia List
Z

Zoophobia: fear of animals. "Zoo" is from the Greek word meaning "living being."