Medically reviewed by Timothy J. Legg, PhD, PsyD — Written by Corinne O'Keefe Osborn — Updated on February 27, 2019
Unique fears
A-Z list of fears
Phobias are a type of anxiety disorder. Anxiety disorders are very common. They’re estimated to affect more than 30 percent of U.S. adults at some time in their lives.
In the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5), the American Psychiatric Association outlines several of the most common phobias.
Agoraphobia, a fear of places or situations that trigger fear or helplessness, is singled out as a particularly common fear with its own unique diagnosis. Social phobias, which are fears related to social situations, are also singled out with a unique diagnosis.
Specific phobias are a broad category of unique phobias related to specific objects and situations. Specific phobias affect an estimated 12.5 percent of American adults.
Phobias come in all shapes and sizes. Because there are an infinite number of objects and situations, the list of specific phobias is quite long.
According to the DSM, specific phobias typically fall within five general categories:
These categories encompass an infinite number of specific objects and situations.
There’s no official list of phobias beyond what’s outlined in the DSM, so clinicians and researchers make up names for them as the need arises. This is typically done by combining a Greek (or sometimes Latin) prefix that describes the phobia with the -phobia suffix.
For example, a fear of water would be named by combining hydro (water) and phobia (fear).
There’s also such a thing as a fear of fears (phobophobia). This is actually more common than you might imagine.
People with anxiety disorders sometimes experience panic attacks when they’re in certain situations. These panic attacks can be so uncomfortable that people do everything they can to avoid them in the future.
For example, if you have a panic attack while sailing, you may fear sailing in the future, but you may also fear panic attacks or fear developing hydrophobia.
Studying specific phobias is a complicated process. Most people don’t seek treatment for these conditions, so cases largely go unreported.
These phobias also vary based on cultural experiences, gender, and age.
A 1998 survey of more than 8,000 respondents published in the British Journal of Psychiatry found that some of the most common phobias include:
Specific phobias tend to be incredibly specific. Some so much so that they may only affect a handful of people at a time.
These are difficult to identify because most people don’t report unusual fears to their doctors.
The sum of all fears so far
Phobias are treated with a combination of therapy and medications.
If you’re interested in finding treatment for your phobia, you should make an appointment with a psychologist or qualified mental health professional.
The most effective treatment for specific phobias is a type of psychotherapy called exposure therapy. During exposure therapy, you work with a psychologist to learn how to desensitize yourself to the object or situation that you fear.
This treatment helps you change your thoughts and feelings about the object or situation, so that you can learn to control your reactions.
The goal is to improve your quality of life so that you’re no longer hindered or distressed by your fear.
Exposure therapy isn’t as scary as it may sound at first. This process is done with the help of a qualified mental health professional, who knows how to guide you slowly through increasing levels of exposure coupled with relaxation exercises.
If you fear spiders, you will begin by simply thinking of spiders or situations where you may encounter one. Then you may progress to pictures or videos. Then perhaps go to a place where spiders may be, such as a basement or wooded area.
It will take some time before you’ll actually be asked to look at or touch a spider.
Your doctor may recommend certain anxiety-reducing medications that can help you through exposure therapy. While these medications aren’t exactly a treatment for phobias, they can help make exposure therapy less distressing.
Medications that may help reduce uncomfortable feelings of anxiety, fear, and panic include beta-blockers and benzodiazepines.
While phobias can be extremely uncomfortable and challenging, therapy and medication can help. If you think you may have a phobia that’s causing a disruption in your life, speak with your doctor for an evaluation and treatment options.
If you have aquaphobia, or the fear of water, you live with a persistent and abnormal amount of fear that prevents you from getting close to water.
Trypanophobia is defined as an extreme fear of medical procedures involving injections or hypodermic needles.