When was the last time you climbed a fifty story building and looked at your street from the very top? When was the last time you sat inside your well closed home, alone? When was the last time you crossed the street? Have you been frightened by any of these experiences? There are fears everywhere, and so the medical community has interesting terms to refer to each. There are fear of loneliness, fear for great heights, fear for darkness, and fears you may think far more ridiculous, such as the fear for naked bodies and sex.
In this article, let's delve into some of the technical terms for these fears. The fear terms are suffixed by phobia, which is the Greek term for 'fear'.
As you have seen in the list, most of these fears are strange and amusing. We may doubt if they even exist. But according to psychology, there are sufferers for each of these fears.
For me, I would be frightened if I find a goliath beetle, huge praying mantis, or the mantis crab on my desk. But I would not be frightened by a scorpion or tarantula. I may be frightened by a king cobra or a lion if I am in the midst of the jungle, but not by any of them when I am at a distance. I may be frightened if I look down from the very tip of the Eiffel tower, but not if I look down from a safe helicopter. But I am happy that none of my fears is any bit irrational.
If you ponder over these things, you will know that you too inherently have several of these fears. In fact, if you try, you can fear anything. Stephen King has taught us to fear even clowns, hasn't he? So, if you imagine well, you can fear insects, obesity, week days, deep sea, your computer, wife, relatives, brother, and what not. If you ask any ordinary housewife, you will know that most of them have this strange condition of xenophobia. The root of most of the fears are our own culture, behavioral patterns, and the way we are raised.
There is not a single person walking the earth without any fear, but the ones that need an appointment with a psychologist have an irrational fear of something. There are people, who can't face a beam of light, being locked away in dark rooms for months.
As I said, I fear the mantis crab and other such ugly insects, but I don't fear them irrationally. I may scream if I find a strange salamander in my room, but I still love these animals when I watch them on TV. The one thing that I can tell you is that you can love anything you hate or fear if you choose to. You are the master of your mind, and madness is the result of losing control of it, but my belief is that you can't lose control of your brain if you don't want to.
We don't yet know if all of these terms are standard medical terms or not. If you find any inaccuracy, please let us know in the comments section. Also, don't fear to share your own secret fears.
In this article, let's delve into some of the technical terms for these fears. The fear terms are suffixed by phobia, which is the Greek term for 'fear'.
AcrophobiaFear for great heights AerophobiaFear of air drafts, flying, and some airborne substances AgateophobiaFear of insanity AgyrophobiaFear of crossing streets AilurophobiaIrrational persistent fear of cats AlgophobiaFear of pain ApiphobiaFear of bees ArachnophobiaFear of spiders ArrhenphobiaFear of men AstrophobiaFear of stars or the outer space AurophobiaFear of gold BacteriophobiaFear of bacteria BallistophobiaFear of missiles BibliophobiaFear of books BlennophobiaFear of slime BatrachophobiaFear of amphibians, such as frogs, salamanders, etc. BotanophobiaFear of plants BrontophobiaFear of lightning and thunderstorm CardiophobiaFear of the heart CarnophobiaFear of meat CaulrophobiaFear of clowns ChaetophobiaFear of hair ChiraptophobiaFear of being touched ChorophobiaFear of dancing ChrematophobiaFear of money ChromatophobiaFear of colors ChronophobiaFear of time ChronomentrophobiaFear of clocks ClaustrophobiaFear of closed spaces Cleptophobia (Kleptophobia)Fear of theft ClimacophobiaFear of climbing stairs or falling downstairs CridophobiaFear for stings CryophobiaFear for extreme coldness DecidophobiaFear for making decisions DendrophobiaFear of trees DinophobiaFear of whirlpools DipsophobiaFear of drinking alcohol EcophobiaFear of home ElectrophobiaFear of electricity EnetophobiaFear of pins EntomophobiaFear of insects EosophobiaFear of daylight or morning EquinophobiaFear of horses EremophobiaFear of being lonely ErotophobiaFear of sexuality FelinophobiaAnother term for the fear of cats FrigophobiaFear of cold things or cold drinks GamophobiaFear of marriage GerascophobiaFear of being old GerontophobiaFear of old folk or old age GymnophobiaFear of nudity Gynephobia or GynophobiaFear of women HadephobiaFear of hell HemophobiaFear of blood HerpetophobiaFear of reptiles or snakes HeterophobiaFear of the opposite sex HobophobiaFear of beggars HoplophobiaFear of firearms HydrophobiaFear of water, associated with rabies IophobiaFear of poison KenophobiaFear of empty spaces or void KeraunophobiaFear of thunderstorms and lightning KoniophobiaFear of dust KymophobiaFear of waves LeukophobiaFear of white color LogophobiaFear of words LygophobiaFear of darkness ManiaphobiaFear of insanity MechanophobiaFear of machines MegalophobiaFear of large things MelanophobiaFear of black color MethyphobiaFear of alcohol MotorphobiaFear of vehicles MottephobiaFear of moths NebulaphobiaFear of fog NecrophobiaFear of dead bodies or death NephophobiaFear of clouds NoctiphobiaFear of nights NosophobiaFear of becoming ill NudophobiaFear of nudity OenophobiaFear of wines OphidiophobiaFear of snakes OrnithophobiaFear of birds PagophobiaFear of ice PapaphobiaFear of the Pope PapyrophobiaFear of paper PedophobiaFear of children PhallophobiaFear of penis PhobophobiaFear of fears or phobias PhotophobiaFear of light PlacophobiaFear of tombstones PharmacophobiaFear of drugs PyrophobiaFear of fire RadiophobiaFear of radiation SatanophobiaFear of Satan ScopophobiaFear of being seen SelachophobiaFear of sharks SiderophobiaFear of stars SpheksophobiaFear of wasps StygiophobiaFear of hell Symbolophobia or IconophobiaFear of religious symbolism TaurophobiaFear of bulls TechnophobiaFear of technology ThalassophobiaFear of the sea TriskaidekaphobiaFear of the number thirteen UrophobiaFear of urinating VerbophobiaFear of words WiccaphobiaFear of witchcraft XenophobiaFear of strangers and foreigners ZeusophobiaFear of gods or the god ZoophobiaFear of animals |
As you have seen in the list, most of these fears are strange and amusing. We may doubt if they even exist. But according to psychology, there are sufferers for each of these fears.
For me, I would be frightened if I find a goliath beetle, huge praying mantis, or the mantis crab on my desk. But I would not be frightened by a scorpion or tarantula. I may be frightened by a king cobra or a lion if I am in the midst of the jungle, but not by any of them when I am at a distance. I may be frightened if I look down from the very tip of the Eiffel tower, but not if I look down from a safe helicopter. But I am happy that none of my fears is any bit irrational.
If you ponder over these things, you will know that you too inherently have several of these fears. In fact, if you try, you can fear anything. Stephen King has taught us to fear even clowns, hasn't he? So, if you imagine well, you can fear insects, obesity, week days, deep sea, your computer, wife, relatives, brother, and what not. If you ask any ordinary housewife, you will know that most of them have this strange condition of xenophobia. The root of most of the fears are our own culture, behavioral patterns, and the way we are raised.
There is not a single person walking the earth without any fear, but the ones that need an appointment with a psychologist have an irrational fear of something. There are people, who can't face a beam of light, being locked away in dark rooms for months.
As I said, I fear the mantis crab and other such ugly insects, but I don't fear them irrationally. I may scream if I find a strange salamander in my room, but I still love these animals when I watch them on TV. The one thing that I can tell you is that you can love anything you hate or fear if you choose to. You are the master of your mind, and madness is the result of losing control of it, but my belief is that you can't lose control of your brain if you don't want to.
We don't yet know if all of these terms are standard medical terms or not. If you find any inaccuracy, please let us know in the comments section. Also, don't fear to share your own secret fears.
very nice and informative post mate... I think you missed one.. FEAR OF MY WIFE... :)
ReplyDeleteThere are fears everywhere, and so the medical community has interesting terms to refer to each. There are fear of loneliness, fear for great heights, fear for darkness, and fears you may think far more ridiculous, such as the fear for naked bodies and sex. Liz Woods
ReplyDelete