A specific phobia is an irrational fear of specific objects or situations.
Specific phobias, as a group, are among the most common anxiety disorders but are often less troubling than other anxiety disorders. During any 12-month period, about 13% of women and 4% of men have a specific phobia.
Some specific phobias cause little inconvenience, while others severely interfere with functioning. For example, a city dweller who is afraid of snakes may have no trouble avoiding them.
However, a city dweller who fears small, closed places such as elevators may encounter them frequently.
Some specific phobias, such as fear of large animals, the dark, or strangers, begin early in life.
Many such phobias stop as people get older.
Other phobias, such as fear of rodents, insects, storms, water, heights, flying, or enclosed places, typically develop later in life.
At least 5% of people are to some degree phobic about blood, injections, or injury. These people can actually faint because of a decrease in heart rate and blood pressure, which does not happen with other phobias and anxiety disorders.
Many people with other phobias and anxiety disorders hyperventilate. Hyperventilating can cause them to feel as though they might faint, although they virtually never faint.
Some Common Phobias
Acrophobia
Fear of heights
Amathophobia
Fear of dust
Astraphobia
Fear of thunder and lightning
Aviophobia
Fear Of Driving
Fear Of Public Speaking
Fear of flying
Belonephobia
Fear of needles, pins, or other sharp objects
Brontophobia
Fear of thunder
Claustrophobia
Fear of confined spaces
Eurotophobia
Fear of female genitals
Gephyrophobia
Fear of crossing bridges
Hydrophobia
Fear of water
Odontiatophobia
Fear of dentists
Phartophobia
Fear of passing gas in a public place
Phasmophobia
Fear of ghosts
Phobophobia
Fear of having fears or developing a phobia
Spargarophobia
Fear of asparagus
Triskaidekaphobia
Fear of all things associated with the number thirteen
Trypanophobia
Fear of injections
Zoophobia
Fear of animals (usually spiders, snakes, or mice)
These are some phobias and there are over 500 named phobias. Most are extremely rare