Recently I was at my girlfriend's house when a little spider walked across the floor. All of the sudden my girlfriend jumped on the couch and started screaming. "Get him, get the spider," she yelled, she even started hyperventilating. Once she calmed down she told me she had arachnophobia. I wondered: what turns a fear into phobia?So I decide to do a little research on phobias, which is the most common mental disorder in the U.S. Believe it or not there are hundreds of them -- everything from coulrophobia, fear of clowns, to gymnophobia, fear of nudity, to emetophobia which is the fear of vomiting.
People whose fears cause any of the following -- anxiety, rapid heartbeat, shortness of breath or panic actually have a phobia. Some of the most common phobias are claustrophobia, the fear of enclosed spaces, acrophobia fear of heights and sociophobia the fear of socializing or social gatherings.
Our top searched phobia is agoraphobia which is the fear of going outside. Do you or anyone you know have a phobia? Do you know of any helpful treatments for phobia? Check out more fears by searching for phobias on AOL Search.
Top Searched Phobias on
1. Agoraphobia
2. Acrophobia
3. Claustrophobia
4. Arachnophobia
5. Emetophobia
6. Gymnophobia
7. Coulrophobia
8. Aichmophobia
9. Necrophobia
10. Sociophobia
More Sponsored Links For: anxiety disorders, manic depressive, social anxiety
posted by Heidi
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comments
My fear isn't listed here - fear of being unhealthy and overweight. I am a health nut and am lucky to be conquering my fears! Stay healthy, eat well, exercise, take supplements and conquer your fears!
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By Fear Of Obesity on Feb 29th 2008 at 4:23PM
I do not see that you wrote about the difference between a fear and a phobia. I have my own ideas about that (from personal experience) but I would like to know what your research on the topic turned up. In part, I find that there is a physical aspect to a phobia which would not be present in a simple fear--and that is that a phobic fear involves a feeling that one avoids that which is phobicised (?sp)about in a manner somewhat like the two ends of magnets that repel each other--what do you think? Another aspect of this is that the closer one gets to what causes a phobia, the level of dread increases disproportionitaly with the nearing of that which is the cause of the dread--this might have its analogy in physics in that the heat (for explanation's sake) from the sun does not simply double when the sun is half as far away as it was--it varies in some way (which I cannot recall clearly) with the distance to the sun raised to the 4th power. While one may go beyond one's fears, with a phobia, this is much more difficult to do. Even the bravest of persons frequently cannot overstep a phobia. I know a Marine who is terrified of spiders. Part resolving a phobia would be coming face to face with the aspect of what you dread (a phobia)that is is that actually disturbs you so severly. For instance, I believe that is some instances, at least, a phobia about needles is not the simple pain of the needle prick (not to be confused with the person sticking you with the needle), but rather is the dread (phobia) about having one's flesh being unable to move (locked up so to speak) because of the fact that the needle, once in position, makes normally voluntarily mobile human flesh involuntarily immobile.
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By lose weight in 08 on Mar 1st 2008 at 1:36PM
i have a fear of butterflys, not moths, just butterflys. its extreamly embarresing and everyone i know makes fun of me for it but i get so terrified i cant move i just scream, does anyone know anything i can do?
By emma on Mar 1st 2008 at 10:04PM
I am extremely alike the said girlfriend above. I'm pretty brave, but when it comes to spiders I fall apart. I'm mostly good with other bugs, but spiders, no way. Even the ones as small as a pin head, send me to jump on my bed and scream for help.
By horseluvr318 on Mar 1st 2008 at 11:39PM
ohh lordd!! I'm afraid of vomit!! i didn't know it had a name. So I researched it and it said that many people with that fear become anti-social and never eat out, may become bulimic and/or anorexic. I'm not anti-social, I love to eat out, and I'm healthy. But still I'm terrified of puke. I cry when I see it, I run away from it, And if I drink too much alcohol and MUST throw up, I puke with my eyes closed and then I cry about it.
Many say that facing your fear will cure you. But let's be honest, besides the fact that vomit is gross and it smells, that alone makes no one want to face it. But thinking it's gross and be AFRAID of it. there's NO way I will ever be able to face that fear. But I'm so tired of people making fun of me about it. I should have a normal or regular fear, like clowns, spiders, gaining weight or ANYTHING!!
ugh
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By googleking on Mar 4th 2008 at 1:11PM
Where there is Love, there cannot be Fear. Love is born of Strength and understanding. Fear is non-existent where there is Love. Fear can only arise when Love is absent with loss of balance, resulting physicallyl, mentally and above all - spiritually
By adele dancis on Mar 5th 2008 at 3:55AM
I'm afraid of moths and butterflies. I can tolerate butterflies a little better, but if a hairy dusty moth gets too close or corners me, I will cry! I'm 25 years old, so I know it's a phobia, who else cries over a harmless bug at that age but unfortunate moth-a-phobics?
By lasette on Mar 6th 2008 at 3:17PM
i hate clowns they scare the hell out of me
By itaty on Mar 6th 2008 at 8:07PM
I have a fear of butterflies and moths. I went into a butterfly house a few years ago thinking I had gotten over it, but I was so jumpy the entire time. People are mean to me about it, but I can't help it.
By Kate on Mar 6th 2008 at 8:08PM
Oohh Yah I know what thats like. I have a horrible, some people say serious case of arachnophobia. I dont know when it started but Ever since I can remember I have been terrified of Spiders....really anything with more then 6 legs.
By LilSurferGirl128 on Mar 6th 2008 at 8:13PM
I have a fear of crowded places. Its not causterphobia, i like small dark places, i just have a panic attack when in a crowd.
By Bill Thompson on Mar 6th 2008 at 8:14PM
i have a huge and unnatural fear of heights. i gave up my bunkbed when i was 11 because it was too high up for me to sleep in the top bunk. i cannot ride roller coasters without my brain flipping inside my head and having this insane fear building up inside my my body until i hyperventilate or have a nervous breakdown.
By nincompoop00100 on Mar 6th 2008 at 8:20PM
Bill- That's called "demophobia," I have it too.
By Talia on Mar 6th 2008 at 8:21PM
Geez! Theres a phobia for vomiting! Wow. Theres a phobia, I don't know what it's called put its the fear of being turned into a pumpkin!
By Jordan on Mar 6th 2008 at 8:21PM
Barack Hussein Obama is Not a Muslim,just his name is and his father.But if it quacks like a Duck and spelled like a Duck could it be a Duck.ARE YOU WILLING TO TAKE A CHANCE!!!
By John on Mar 6th 2008 at 8:25PM
So one of my good friends is afraid of Deer. She cannot stand to see a picture, but if she sees one in person she buggs out!! I feel bad for her though in the past we have laughed and thought it was stupid till we understood how deathly afraid she was. One of the rarest phobias I have seen yet.
By Samantha S. on Mar 6th 2008 at 8:25PM
I have a phobia over frogs. It is so embarrassing to be afraid of something so harmless. People always think it's funny to throw one on you and they can't understand so they are like "oh come on". I can handle any other creature imaginable but get a frog near me and I go completely berserk. I hyperventilate, throw up and am just terrified. The rest of my day is completely ruined. I wish I could do something about it. Needless to say, my friends try to make sure that a frog doesn't get near me. I can't even bring myself to say the word, I usually just refer to them as creatures and my family knows what I'm talking about.
By dstan58 on Mar 6th 2008 at 8:26PM
I have a fear of being out in the woods at night. Is can get to be a problem because I live in a woody area, a.k.a. maine. Is thier anyone else afraid of dark woods?
By kate on Mar 6th 2008 at 8:28PM