Prevalence of Specific Phobia Among Adults An estimated 12.5% of U.S. adults experience specific phobia at some time in their lives.
About 19 million Americans have one or more phobias that range from mild to severe. Phobias can happen in early childhood. But they are often first seen between ages 15 and 20.
The most common phobia is specific phobias. Around 7.7% to 12.5% of the population will experience a specific phobia in their lifetime.
1) Arachnophobia – fear of spiders
Arachnophobia is the most common phobia – sometimes even a picture can induce feelings of panic. And lots of people who aren't phobic as such still avoid spiders if they can.
It's important to know that phobias are common. (Having a phobia doesn't mean you're crazy!) It also helps to know that phobias are highly treatable. No matter how out of control it feels right now, you can overcome your anxiety and fear and start living the life you want.
What Does It Mean to Fear Long Words? Hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia is the fear of long words. Understanding the phobia can help you overcome it and live a fulfilling life. Hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia is one of the longest words in the dictionary, and ironically, it means the fear of long words.
As we age, we produce much less adrenaline, which can cause racing hearts and dizziness. This means the intense fears we may have experienced in youth no longer trouble us as much. However, older people often experience a greater sense of vulnerability, so things like heights or big crowds become more of an issue.
While the scariest phobia is subjective, one phobia that can cause significant distress is phasmophobia, or fear of the supernatural or ghosts. Research from 2018 indicates that fear of the supernatural is associated with several distinct symptoms such as: nighttime panic attacks.
550+ Types of Phobias A to Z
Essentially, any object, activity, or situation can become a phobia if associated with a traumatic experience or irrational idea gripped by emotion.
Phobophobia is a fear of being afraid. You might be scared of the physical symptoms that come with fear, or feel worried that you could develop a phobia. Many people with phobophobia already have other phobias or mental health disorders. If you think you may have a specific phobia, talk to your healthcare provider.
There are more than 400 phobias. You can have a phobia of pretty much anything, but there are over 400 recognised phobias out there! Some, however, are much more common than others.
a phobia may be associated with a particular incident or trauma. a phobia may be a learned response that a person develops early in life from a parent or sibling (brother or sister) genetics may play a role – there's evidence to suggest that some people are born with a tendency to be more anxious than others.
Nyctophobia is very common, especially among children. Some researchers estimate that nearly 45% of children have an unusually strong fear of some kind. Fear of the dark is one of the most common fears among kids between 6 and 12 years old. Kids usually outgrow nyctophobia by adolescence, but not always.
Phobias persist for several years or even decades in 10–30% of cases, and are strongly predictive of onset of other anxiety, mood, and substance-use disorders.
According to Forbes Magazine, the number one fear for the average person is that of public speaking. The second fear is death... So maybe you feel more relieved now, knowing that most people would rather die than give a presentation in front of a crowd...
Eisoptrophobia is an unhealthy fear of mirrors. Some people fear mirrors due to self-image issues. People may also avoid mirrors because they distort the way an object looks. This phobia leads to lifestyle changes that enable people to avoid mirrors.
Women develop specific phobias roughly twice as frequently as men. In addition, women tend to predominate in certain phobia categories.
Almost all phobias can be successfully treated and cured. Treating simple phobias involves gradually becoming exposed to the animal, object, place or situation that causes fear. This is known as desensitisation or self-exposure therapy.
Causes may include: Bad experiences. Many phobias start because of a bad experience or panic attack related to a specific object or situation.
2. Hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia (36 letters) The second longest word on our list is Hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia. Hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia is the name for the fear of long words, how ironic!
Aequeosalinocalcalinoceraceoaluminosocupreovitriolic. This is the longest word in English which is composed of seven words. This 52-letter word was coined by Dr. Edward Strother to describe the spa waters in Bath, England.