Diokophobia (Pronounced DEE-Oh-Koh POH-Bee-Uh) is the irrational and extreme fear of being chased. It is the action of being chased by someone or something that frightens you, perhaps to the point of freezing, curling up defensively, or lashing out (verbally or physically).
A person with social anxiety disorder feels symptoms of anxiety or fear in situations where they may be scrutinized, evaluated, or judged by others, such as speaking in public, meeting new people, dating, being on a job interview, answering a question in class, or having to talk to a cashier in a store.
To a certain degree, it's natural to fear intruders but in scelerophobia, this fear is extreme.
Fear of evil spirits is termed "demonophobia," a word derived from the Greek "daimon" (deity, evil spirit) and "phobos" (fear). "Daimon" also gives us the English word "demonize," a verb widely used today to brand a person, such as a political opponent, as unfit or untrustworthy.
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.
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.
Panphobia, omniphobia, pantophobia, or panophobia is a vague and persistent dread of some unknown evil. Panphobia is not registered as a type of phobia in medical references.
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.
Scolionophobia is the extreme fear of school. It's not a formal diagnosis, but many experts treat it like a specific phobia. Some children who have scolionophobia become physically ill at the thought of going to school. They may miss a significant amount of school for vague or unexplained reasons.
Arachibutyrophobia is the fear of having peanut butter stuck to the roof of your mouth. Arachibutyrophobia is a rare phobia that involves a fear of getting peanut butter stuck to the roof of your mouth.
“You may suffer from Scopophobia if you consistently fear being observed by others and experience intense desire to avoid or escape the spotlight,” says Taylor Hudd, Anxiety Researcher at the University of Waterloo.
Bibliophobia is an intense fear of books. The condition is a specific phobia (fear), which is a type of anxiety disorder. A person with bibliophobia might fear all books or only a specific kind, such as textbooks or children's books.
Autophobia, or monophobia, makes you feel extremely anxious when you're alone. This fear of being alone can affect your relationships, social life and career. You may also have a fear of abandonment that stems from a traumatic childhood experience.
What is gynophobia? Gynophobia is a specific phobia characterized by an abnormal fear of women. Specific phobias are a type of anxiety disorder and one of the most common mental health conditions.
If you feel like you're always being watched, it may be a sign of paranoia. Paranoia is an unreasonable fear or distrust of others. People with paranoia may think that others are constantly trying to harm them or monitoring their every move. This can lead to feelings of isolation, anxiety, and fear.
We rely on our visual system to help protect us from harm," Martin Antony, professor of psychology at Ryerson University in Toronto, said in the report. Stressful or traumatic events, genetics or children being around anxious or overprotective caregivers can increase the risk of being scared of the dark.
Most of the time, I see fear of the dark start to appear around 2-2.5 years or older. As a toddler's imagination begins to really develop rapidly between 2 and 3 years old, the line between fantasy and reality is blurred, and this is when we see the first fears of the dark begin.
Because megalophobia itself isn't treated as a standalone distinct condition by psychiatrists, it means there isn't any formal data on how common it is. However, anecdotally, it's clear that a significant number of people around the world identify with the condition – for instance, there's a Reddit dedicated to it.
Pediophobia is the fear of inanimate objects that appear human and may include doll-like figurines, mannequins, wax figures, or ventriloquist dummies. It is a type of specific phobia, and symptoms include panic attacks, difficulty sleeping, when in the presence of dolls or doll-like objects.
Podophobia is an intense fear of feet. Someone with the condition might be scared of their own feet or other people's feet. If your fear prevents you from enjoying everyday activities, or if it affects your ability to function at work, school or in social situations, it's time to get help.
Pogonophobia is a severe fear of beards, but can also include mustaches, goatees or other types of facial hair. The condition can make it difficult to function in a lot of social situations where people may have beards. Psychotherapy and exposure therapy are treatment options that offer help.
2. Hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia (36 letters)
A note from Cleveland Clinic. Trypophobia refers to disgust or fear of a pattern of holes. Seeing clusters of holes in foods, flowers and everyday items like sponges can trigger feelings of revulsion. Trypophobia is gaining recognition as an anxiety problem that can affect quality of life.