56 Most Common Phobias
Acrophobia
Fear of heights. For some people, this can look like the uncontrollable urge to get away from the height but may result in panic attacks or agitation that may impair their sense of judgment
. Agoraphobia
Fear of public spaces or crowds. We’re all pretty familiar with this one — we often see it portrayed in movies by someone who is a complete shut-in. People who have learned to control their agoraphobia might be out living everyday life but still avoid places like malls, concerts, or well-attended football games
3 Arachnophobia
Fear of spiders. A good chunk of America will say they have arachnophobia, right? Kim Kardashian West, for example, has documented her phobia on countless episodes of Keeping Up With The Kardashians
. Astraphobia
Fear of thunder and lightning. Next time your dog sidles up to you in the middle of a storm, you can diagnose him with this one
. Autophobia
Fear of being alone. Most of us dread the thought of dying alone but still relish a bit of alone time from time to time. This is a much more severe situation — if you have autophobia you probably never, ever want to be alone
. Claustrophobia
Fear of confined or crowded spaces. This most often presents itself during elevator rides or CT scans. But, it often affects people on planes, too
. Hemophobia
Fear of blood. If you pass out at the sight of having your blood taken or your kid’s bloody scraped knee, you might have hemophobia
. Hydrophobia
Also known as aquaphobia, this phobia presents as the fear of water. This is a confusing one and can take varying forms in different people. If you have hydrophobia, are you so terrified of water that you don’t even take baths or showers… or just don’t like to have the water hit your face? Or are you just overcome with dread at the sight of larger bodies of water
. Ophidiophobia
Fear of snakes. Granted snakes have a tendency to freak many people out, but people with this phobia sometimes can’t even look at photos of this scaly critter
. Pteromerhanophobia/Aerophobia
Fear of flying. There are actually several names for the fear of flying. That’s partly because there are so many ways to be afraid of flying. Are you fine in a helicopter or on a trapeze but hate riding in a plane? Or do you only hate flying in airplanes? Depending on your answers, you could be diagnosed in various ways
. Trypanophobia
Fear of needles or injections. This can also sometimes present similarly to “Aichmophobia” which is the fear of needles or pointed objects
. Zoophobia
Fear of animals. Can you imagine a life without animals? Probably not. For people with zoophobia, though, imagining a life with animals is downright terrifying
Unique And Weird Phobias
Achluophobia — Fear of darkness
Alektorophobia — Fear of chickens
Anthophobia — Fear of flowers
Aphenphosmphobia — Fear of being touched
Ataxophobia — Fear of disorder or untidiness
Atelophobia — Fear of imperfection
Atychiphobia — Fear of failure
Barophobia — Fear of gravity
Bathmophobia — Fear of stairs or steep slopes
Batrachophobia — Fear of amphibians
Bacteriophobia — Fear of bacteria
Bibliophobia — Fear of books
Belonephobia — Fear of pins and needles
Botanophobia — Fear of plants
Catagelophobia — Fear of being ridiculed
Catoptrophobia — Fear of mirrors
Chionophobia — Fear of snow
Cryophobia — Fear of ice or cold
Cacophobia — Fear of ugliness
Chionophobia — Fear of snow
Chromophobia — Fear of colors
Chronomentrophobia — Fear of clocks
Coulrophobia — Fear of clowns
Cyberphobia — Fear of computers
Cynophobia — Fear of dogs
Dendrophobia — Fear of trees
Dentophobia — Fear of dentists
Domatophobia — Fear of houses
Dystychiphobia — Fear of accidents
Ecophobia — Fear of the home
Elurophobia — Fear of cats
Entomophobia — Fear of insects
Ephebiphobia — Fear of teenagers
Equinophobia — Fear of horses
Gamophobia — Fear of marriage
Genuphobia — Fear of knees
Glossophobia — Fear of speaking in public
Gynophobia — Fear of women
Heliophobia — Fear of the sun
Herpetophobia — Fear of reptiles
Hydrophobia — Fear of water
Hypochondria — Fear of illness
Iatrophobia — Fear of doctors
Insectophobia — Fear of insects
Koinoniphobia — Fear of rooms full of people
Leukophobia — Fear of the color white
Lilapsophobia — Fear of tornadoes and hurricanes
Lockiophobia — Fear of childbirth
Mageirocophobia — Fear of cooking
Megalophobia — Fear of large things
Melanophobia — Fear of the color black
Microphobia — Fear of small things
Mysophobia — Fear of dirt and germs
Octophobia — Fear of the figure 8
Onomatophobia — Fear of names
Pogonophobia — Fear of beards
Papyrophobia – Fear of paper
Pathophobia – Fear of disease
Pedophobia – Fear of children
Philematophobia – Fear of Kissing
Philophobia – Fear of love
Phobophobia – Fear of phobias
Podophobia – Fear of feet
Porphyrophobia – Fear of the color purple
Pteridophobia – Fear of ferns
Pyrophobia – Fear of fire
Samhainophobia – Fear of Halloween
Scolionophobia – Fear of school
Scoptophobia – Fear of being stared at
Selenophobia – Fear of the moon
Sociophobia – Fear of social evaluation
Somniphobia – Fear of sleep
Tachophobia – Fear of speed
Taphephobia – Fear of being buried alive
Tapinophobia – Fear of being contagious
Taurophobia – Fear of bulls
Technophobia – Fear of technology
Teleophobia – Fear of definite plans
Testophobia – Fear of taking tests
Thalassophobia – Fear of the sea
Thanatophobia – Fear of death or dying
Theatrophobia – Fear of theaters
Thermophobia – Fear of heat
Tocophobia – Fear of childbirth
Tonitrophobia – Fear of thunder
Toxiphobia – Fear of poison
Traumatophobia – Fear of injury
Tremophobia – Fear of trembling
Trichopathophobia – Fear of hair disease
Trichophobia – Fear of loose hair
Triskaidekaphobia – Fear of the number
Trypophobia – Fear of Holes
Turophobia – Fear of cheese
Vaccinophobia – Fear of vaccinations
Venustraphobia – Fear of beautiful women
Verbophobia – Fear of words
Verminophobia – Fear of germs
Vestiphobia – Fear of clothing
Virginitiphobia – Fear of rape
Vitricophobia – Fear of stepfathers
Walloonophobia – Fear of the Walloons, an ethnic group native to Belgium
Wiccaphobia – Fear of witches and witchcraft
Xenophobia – Fear of strangers or foreigners
The Best Ways To Cope With Fear Of Sex (Genophobia)
Romantic relationships have a lot of different moving parts, each of which has its own place and importance. Sexual intimacy is an important aspect of many romantic relationships, drawing couples closer and helping them bond more deeply. For some people, a fear of sex, or genophobia, can impact their ability to enjoy physical closeness in this way, regardless of how much they care for their partner. In this article, we’ll talk about what a fear of sexual intimacy is, as well as the symptoms, possible causes, and coping techniques to help you form a healthy romantic relationship with someone
The Fear Of Sex And How To Cope
Having a fear of sex is clinically referred to as genophobia (also known as coitophobia).“Geno” in the word means “offspring.” Genophobia can make people not want to engage in certain kinds of sexual intercourse, or any type of sexual acts whatsoever in some cases. Though genophobia isn’t listed in the DSM-5, it falls under the category of anxiety disorders and, more specifically, phobias. Other phobias besides genophobia can make closeness difficult for certain people. Specific phobias include gymnophobia, when you’re scared of nudity, or philophobia when you’re scared of love
Though having some apprehension or nerves is normal when engaging in sexual activity, intense feelings of anxiety should not be overlooked. People with genophobia may have panic attacks or feelings of dread when they’re confronted with a sexual situation or even when they think of the idea of sex.Sex is meant to be enjoyed by everyone involved. It’s important that you feel safe and comfortable with your partner and be able to experience physical intimacy without being afraid
If you’re afraid of sex, it may be difficult to cope with the demands that romantic relationships often present. Genophobia can often be managed by seeking therapy, getting prescription medications, or a combination of both. Though physical intimacy may be challenging to experience, it is something you can begin to overcome with therapy
Symptoms Of Genophobia
Symptoms of any specific phobia can vary from person to person. However, you may experience all or some of the following
Increased heartbeat
Shortness of breath
Crying
A strong avoidance of romantic relationships
Irritability
Intense fear
Insomnia
Panic attacks or anxiety
The Causes Of Genophobia
With many fears, there is often some trauma that gives rise to the development of fear. Some possible experiences and situations that may lead to a fear of sexual intimacy include
Sexual Assault: Sexual assault can be a very emotionally traumatizing event. When consent is taken out of any sexual activity, you may feel violated. Survivors of sexual assault or traumatic sexual encounters may find that they struggle to trust romantic partners or have strong aversions to physical intimacy. Try as they may, they cannot stop being afraid of sex
According to the American Psychological Association, everyone handles the aftermath of sexual violence differently. Some people may become more promiscuous to cope with their trauma, while others may do the opposite and experience a decrease in their sexual desire. If you’re a survivor of sexual assault, you may become less trusting of people or develop genophobia. Even if a future encounter is consensual, you may feel wrong or worry that you could find yourself in the same situation
If you’ve experienced sexual abuse, seeing a therapist can help you process the experience in a safe space. With the right resources, healing is possible. You can also reach out to speak to a representative at the National Sexual Assault Hotline (1-800-656-4673). It’s free and could be a powerful step in moving forward. Though it can be challenging to speak about your sexual assault, it may allow you to start moving forward in your life
Childhood Trauma: You may not even remember the experience in detail but might still have an unconscious fear of sex because of it. Childhood trauma looks different for everyone. It can be emotional, verbal, sexual, physical, or psychological. You may have been put into situations or had experiences that made you uncomfortable. Abuse or neglect during childhood could also lead to sexual anxiety or genophobia, among other things
Sexual Abuse: A parent, partner, or stranger may have directly perpetrated sexual abuse on you, causing you to fear having sex. This is a valid fear that can cause feelings of emotional stress and anxiety well into adulthood for people that have not sought treatment
Think about your childhood. Is there any event that could have been the catalyst for your genophobia? You may have mentally blocked it off, or you may have to do a little mental digging. Even one incident can cause you to fear physical intimacy. A therapist can help you recognize, cope with, and recover from painful memories
There are other reasons a person may have some fear around sexual intercourse or physical intimacy, including
Insecurity: Anyone can feel insecure about their bodies. Both men and women can have body image issues, which can lead to sexual performance anxiety. Being naked around a person is an intimate thing and having some fear about how they will perceive your body is common. A partner may not offer the proper support because they don’t understand where the feelings are coming from. However, people with genophobia think about these insecurities constantly, and they will often be at the forefront of their minds as they’re having sex. A person may also have insecurities around the fear of pregnancy even if they are using birth control
Religious Upbringing: Sex is a taboo topic in many religions. If you were raised to believe that sex should only be reserved for procreation and not pleasure, it might be difficult to dispel those beliefs for yourself. Many religious organizations do not offer sufficient support for people experiencing sexual intimacy problems. Even if you don’t participate in that religion anymore, you may still have those thoughts and fears when you’re in an intimate situation even if it is with someone you have an emotional connection with
Different Fears: Sometimes, genophobia can be the byproduct of another fear. For example, you may have a fear of nudity or fear of contracting an STD. There may be a strong fear of becoming pregnant or a fear of touching — the list goes on
Other Mental Health Issues: Mental disorders (or mental illnesses) could also lead to fear of physical acts and impaired sexual relationships. Examples include generalized anxiety disorder, eating disorders, and body dysmorphia
Painful Sex: Feeling pain during sexual intercourse (dyspareunia) is common but not natural. Sex should not be painful. If you have developed an extreme aversion to sex due to genital pain, it is important to seek professional medical advice to rule out health problems such as infections, STIs, or hormonal problems
How Do You Move Forward With Genophobia
There is no magic pill to overcome genophobia. Like most specific phobias, it takes time and effort to work through them. Some people never completely get over it but can manage it and maintain a healthy sex life. Here are some ways you can begin to recover from genophobia
Find The Reason: Look at the common causes of genophobia listed above. Have you had any experience or insecurity that could be the cause of your fear? You may also want to reflect on what seems to trigger your fears and keep a record of how certain situations involving sex affect you. The better you understand your fears, the sooner you can begin to conquer them and get the necessary support
Overcome Insecurities: If you feel like the reason for your genophobia is because of your insecurities, try working on self-acceptance and self-love. If it’s something beyond your control, surround yourself with people who won’t put you down for your insecurity. Talk to others who may have the same insecurities and open up to your partner about your insecurities and weaknesses. By having an open line of communication, the two of you can work together to help make you feel more comfortable in intimate situations
Get To Know Your Body: Sometimes, you may want to know your own body better. What makes it feel good, what are your turn-ons, and what elevates your sexual desire? This can help quell your fears, as you’ll know more about what feels good for you. You can also try a guided meditation to help you relax and get in tune with how your body feels and how you feel about your body image. Working with a therapist can help you become more comfortable in your skin and help you explore your relationship with your body image
Find Someone Who Knows Your Trauma: If your genophobia is due to past trauma, make sure your partner knows about it. It’s important to establish healthy communication, and if there’s anything that makes you feel uncomfortable, let them know. Having someone you can trust and communicate with can make a huge difference in recovering from past traumas and help ensure you enjoy the sexual activity you engage in
Online Therapy With BetterHelp
Overcoming specific phobias, like genophobia, may feel more difficult to do on your own. Enlisting the help of a licensed therapist can move the process along so that you can recover with greater ease and productivity. BetterHelp is an online therapy platform that offers counseling services for a variety of issues, including phobias
Getting advice from your friends or loved ones can be helpful, but guidance from a licensed therapist can help you get to the root cause of the problem and begin to heal from it. If you’ve experienced trauma in the past, a mental health professional can assist you in coping with and moving forward from it. While it may feel challenging to talk to a therapist about such sensitive topics at first, they are there to help you without judgment
