What is a phobia? A phobia represents the irrational and persistent fear a person holds against a particular thing, living creature, or situation. Numerous people are afflicted by phobias and some of the most common such disorders include the fear of spiders or of heights.
However, there are other frequent phobias you should know about and we have compiled a list of the ten most common.
Such phobias usually develop during childhood years and are sometimes treatable or manageable through the use of various therapies. However, even though it is not necessarily a severe medical disorder, a phobia can significantly decrease the quality of life of the person living with it.
Let’s take a look at the countdown.
No. 10: Necrophobia
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Necrophobia is the fear of death in general and of any dead things. Usually, people will fear their own death the most, although corpses and mummies can also generate panic attacks (see top places to visit before you die!)
No. 9: Brontophobia
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Brontophobia represents the fear of thunderstorms and it is very common for small children, although adults can be affected by it as well. People with the disorder will often experience panic attacks during a thunderstorm.
That still doesn’t answer just what a phobia is..at least completely. Continue reading for the rest of the top 10:
No. 8: Carcinophobia
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Carcinophobia or cancerophobia is defined as an irrational fear of having cancer. Symptoms of the phobia often include sweating, irregular heart beats, and problems breathing.
No. 7: Emetophobia
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Emetophobia represent the fear of either vomiting or of being around people who do. In general, someone living with this phobia will avoid coming into contact with people who are sick.
No. 6: Acrophobia
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Acrophobia is the medical term given to the irrational fear of height. At times, this particular phobia can become extremely dangerous, as people living with it can experience the urge of throwing themselves off the high place, as a means of escaping their anxiety.
No. 5: Claustrophobia
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Claustrophobia represents the irrational fear towards a confined or enclosed space. People with the disorder may manifest panic attacks while in closed and/or crowded rooms, in elevators, or even when undergoing an MRI.
No. 4: Agoraphobia
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The term agoraphobia is derived from Greek and it literally means “fear of marketplace”. People with agoraphobia, although they do not necessarily fear social contact with others, can often times end up fearing the idea of leaving their homes or the comfort zones.
No. 3: Aviophobia
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Aviophobia represents the fear of flying or travelling by airplane. In some people, the phobia can manifest as an anxiety when travelling by plane and in some it can be so significant that the person is virtually unable to get on the plane and has to resort to other means of transportation.
No. 2: Sociaphobia
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Sometimes referred to as social anxiety or social anxiety disorder, sociaphobia is the fear of being evaluated in a negative manner in various social situations. At times, this phobia can be so severe that it affects the person’s work, social life, or school.
No. 1: Arachnophobia
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By far the most common phobia around is the fear of spiders. Arachnophobia is a lot more frequent in women, but men aren’t spared by it either. People with this phobia will feel a major discomfort in the vicinity of spiders or of signs that a spider has passed through that particular place, such as a web. They will even refuse to enter a particular room or area if they believe that a spider is located in there.
