Phobias Phobias Fear of skin infestation by mites and ticks ACEROPHOBIA Fear of darkness (also NYCTOPHOBIA) ACOUSTICOPHOBIA Fear of flying; fear of drafts or fresh air AGORAPHOBIA Fear of pointed objects (also AICHUROPHOBIA) AILUROPHOBIA Fear of cats (also AELUROPHOBIA, ELUROPHOBIA, & GATOPHOBIA) ALBUMINUROPHOBIA Fear of albumin in one's urine as a sign of kidney disease ALEKTOROPHOBIA Fear of pain (also ODYNOPHOBIA, ODYNEPHOBIA) AMATHOPHOBIA Fear of being in or riding in vehicles (also OCHLOPHOBIA) AMYCHOPHOBIA Fear of men; hatred of men ANEMOPHOBIA Fear of drafts or winds ANGINAPHOBIA Fear or hatred of England and English things ANTHOPHOBIA Fear of people (also ANTHROPOPHOBIA) ANTLOPHOBIA Fear of touching or being touched (also HAPHEPHOBIA,HAPTE

PHOBIA) APIPHOBIA Fear of peanut butter sticking to the roof of one's mouth ARACHNEPHOBIA Fear of spiders (also ARACHNOPHOBIA) ASTHENOPHOBIA Fear of being struck by lightning (also CERAUNOPHOBIA,KERAUNOPHOBIA) ASTROPHOBIA Fear of disorder (also ATAXOPHOBIA) ATELOPHOBIA Fear of being by oneself (also EREMIOPHOBIA, EREMOPHOBIA, MONOPHOBIA) BACILLOPHOBIA Fear of germs (also BACTERIOPHOBIA, MICROBIOPHOBIA, BACILLIPHOBIA) BALLISTOPHOBIA Fear of frogs and toads BELONEPHOBIA Fear of pins and needles (also BELONOPHOBIA) BIBLIOPHOBIA Fear of demons and goblins BOTANOPHOBIA Fear of plants and flowers BROMIDROSIPHOBIA Fear of having an unpleasant body odor BRONTOPHOBIA Fear of thunder and thunderstorms CAINOPHOBIA Fear of novelty (also CAINOTOPHOBIA) CANCER

OPHOBIA Fear of cancer (also CARCINOMATOPHOBIA) CARDIOPHOBIA Fear or dislikes of Celts CENOPHOBIA Fear of open spaces (also KENOPHOBIA) CERAUNOPHOBIA Fear of being struck by lightning CHAETOPHOBIA Fear of money and wealth (also CHROMETOPHOBIA) CHROMOPHOBIA Fear of food (also SITOPHOBIA, SITIOPHOBIA) CLAUSTROPHOBIA Fear of being in closed or narrow places CLEPTOPHOBIA Fear of falling down stairs CLINOPHOBIA Fear of going to bed CNIDOPHOBIA Fear of sexual intercourse (also CYPRIDOPHOBIA, GENOPHOBIA) COMETOPHOBIA Fear of cliffs and precipices CREMOPHOBIA Fear of ice or frost CRYSTALLOPHOBIA Fear of glass (also HYALOPHOBIA) CYMOPHOBIA Fear of venereal disease (also VENEREOPHOBIA) DEIPNOPHOBIA Fear of dining and dinner conversation DEMONOPHOB

IA Fear or dislike of crowds DENDROPHOBIA Fear of skin disease (also DERMATOPATHOPHOBIA) DIABETOPHOBIA Fear of school (also SCHOLIONOPHOBIA) DIKEPHOBIA Fear of fur and animal skins DROMOPHOBIA Fear of home and home surroundings (also OECOPHOBIA, OIKOPHOBIA) EISOPTROPHOBIA Fear of termites (also ISOPTEROPHOBIA) ELECTROPHOBIA Fear of being by oneself EREUTHOPHOBIA Fear of work (also PONOPHOBIA) ERGOPHOBIA Fear of sexual feelings and the physical expression of them ERYTHROPHOBIA Fear of the color red; fear of blushing EUPHOBIA Hatred of France and French things (also GALLOPHOBIA) FRIGOPHOBIA Fear of cold (also PSYCHROPHOBIA) GALEOPHOBIA Fear of France and French things GAMOPHOBIA Fear or hatred of Germany (also TEUTOPHOBIA, TEUTONOPHOBIA) GEUMOPHOBIA Fear of tastes

 or flavors (also GEUMATOPHOBIA) GLOSSOPHOBIA Fear of speaking in public or of trying to speak GRAPHOPHOBIA Fear or dislike of white strangers GYMNOPHOBIA Fear or hatred of women (also GYNOPHOBIA) HAGIOPHOBIA Fear of holy objects, holy people, and saints HAMARTOPHOBIA Fear of error or sin HAPHEPHOBIA Fear of becoming infested with worms HEMATOPHOBIA Fear of blood (also HEMOPHOBIA) HERPETOPHOBIA Fear of reptiles and amphibians HIEROPHOBIA Fear of water; fear of rabies HYGROPHOBIA Fear of liquids, especially wine or water HYLEPHOBIA Fear of responsibility (also HYPEGIAPHOBIA) HYPNOPHOBIA Fear of high places (also HYPSOPHOBIA) IATROPHOBIA Fear of going to the doctor ICHTHYOPHOBIA Hatred of Jews and Jewish culture (also JUDEOPHOBIA) KAKORRHAPHIOPHOBIA Fear of failure or defeat (also KAKORR

APHIAPHOBIA) KATAGELOPHOBIA Fear of thunder and lightning KINESOPHOBIA Fear of thieves (also CLEPTOPHOBIA) KOPOPHOBIA Fear of mental or physical examination LALIOPHOBIA Fear of speaking (also LALOPHOBIA) LEPROPHOBIA Fear of leprosy (also LEPRAPHOBIA) LEVOPHOBIA Fear of objects on the left side of the body LIMNOPHOBIA Fear of darkness or dark places LYSSOPHOBIA Fear of going insane (also MANIAPHOBIA) MAIEUSIOPHOBIA Fear of meteors and meteorites MICROPHOBIA Fear of germs (also SPERMOPHOBIA) MISOPHOBIA Fear of being contaminated by dirt (also MUSOPHOBIA, RHYPOPHOBIA) MOLYSOMOPHOBIA Fear of infection (also MYSOPHOBIA) MONOPATHOPHOBIA Fear of sickness in a specific part of the body MONOPHOBIA Fear of one thing or of being alone MOTORPHOBIA Fear of dislike of motor vehicles MUSICOPHOBIA

 Fear of making false statements NEBULAPHOBIA Fear of clouds (also NEPHOPHOBIA) NECROPHOBIA Fear of corpses and the dead NEGROPHOBIA Fear or dislike of Negroes NEOPHOBIA Fear of contracting disease (also PATHOPHOBIA) NUCLEOMITAPHOBIA Fear of death by nuclear weapons NUDOPHOBIA Fear of nakedness (also NUDIPHOBIA) NYCTOPHOBIA Fear of darkness or the night OCHLOPHOBIA Fear of teeth, especially the teeth of animals ODYNOPHOBIA Fear of pain (also ALGOPHOBIA, ODYNEPHOBIA) OENOPHOBIA Hatred/dislike of wine (also OINOPHOBIA) OIKOPHOBIA Fear of smells (also OSMOPHOBIA) OMBROPHOBIA Fear of hearing a specific name, word, or phrase OPHIDIOPHOBIA Fear of opening one's eyes ORNITHOPHOBIA Intense dislike of body odors OURANOPHOBIA Fear of children or dolls (also PEDIOPHOBIA, PEDIPHOBIA) PANOPH

OBIA Fear of everything or a nonspecific fear (also PANPHOBIA, PANTAPHOBIA) PAPAPHOBIA Fear or dislike of the pope and the papacy PARALIPOPPHOBIA Fear of neglect of some duty PARAPHOBIA Fear of parasites (also PHTHIRIOPHOBIA) PARTHENOPHOBIA Fear of virgins or young women PATHOPHOBIA Fear of diseases and germs PATROIOPHOBIA Fear of sinning (also PECCATOPHOBIA) PEDICULOPHOBIA Fear of eating or swallowing PHARMACOPHOBIA Fear of drugs or medicines PHASMOPHOBIA Fear of philosophy or philosophers PHOBOPHOBIA Fear of eye pain caused by light PHOTOPHOBIA Fear of tuberculosis (also TUBERCULOPHOBIA) PLACOPHOBIA Fear or dislike of politicians POLYPHOBIA Fear of fatigue, especially from overworking PORPHYROPHOBIA Hatred of the color purple POTAMOPHOBIA Fear of rivers and running water POTOPHOBIA Intense dislike of protein foods PSYCHOPHOBIA Fear or intense dislike of Russia and

 Russian things SATANOPHOBIA Fear of scabies; fear of itching SCATOPHOBIA Fear of excrement; fear of using obscene language SCHOLIONOPHOBIA Fear of school (also DIDASKALEINOPHOBIA) SCIAPHOBIA Fear of shadows (also SCIOPHOBIA) SCOLECIPHOBIA Fear of worms (also VERMIPHOBIA) SCOPOPHOBIA Fear of being looked at (also SCOPTOPHOBIA) SCOTOPHOBIA Fear of railroads or of traveling on trains SIDEROPHOBIA Fear of China and Chinese people SITOPHOBIA Fear of food (also CIBOPHOBIA) SPRECTROPHOBIA Fear of specters or phantoms SPERMOPHOBIA Fear of attempthing to stand or walk (also STASIPHOBIA) STENOPHOBIA Fear of becoming infected with syphilis (also SYPHILOPHOBIA) TABOPHOBIA Fear of being buried alive; fear of graves (also TAPHOPHOBIA) TAPINOPHOBIA Fear of using the telephone TERATOPHOBIA Fear of monsters or giving

 birth to a monster THAASOPHOBIA Fear of performing on stage; fear of certain places and situations TOXICOPHOBIA Fear of poisoning (also TOXIPHOBIA) TRAUMATOPHOBIA Fear of war or physical injury TREMOPHOBIA Fear of trichinosis (also TRICHOPHOBIA, & TRICHOPATHOPHOBIA) TRYPANOPHOBIA Fear of inoculation, injection (also VACCINOPHOBIA) VENEREOPHOBIA Fear of worms (also SCOLECIPHOBIA) XENOPHOBIA Fear of strangers of foreigners (also ZENOPHOBIA) XYLOPHOBIA <!--webbot bot="HTMLMarkup" endspan --> <a href="" target="_top"><img width="468" height="60" border="0" ismap alt src=""></a><!--webbot bot="HTMLMarkup" startspan --> [ Home ] [ Therapist Link ] [ Self Help ] [ Psychology 101 ] [ Interactive ] [ Bookstore ] Send mail to the webmaster@PlanetPsych.com with questions or comments about this web site.

All information contained in this site is intended for educational and entertainment purposes only. No claims are made to offer diagnosis or treatment of any condition. If diagnosis or treatment is desired, we recommend that you consult an appropriate professional. Check the Therapist Directory to find one near you. Copyright � 1999-2006 PlanetPsych.com The Phobia List Amaxophobia- Fear of riding in a car. Ambulophobia- Fear of walking. Amychophobia- Fear of scratches or being scratched. Anablephobia- Fear of looking up. Ancraophobia- Fear of wind. (Anemophobia) Androphobia- Fear of men. Anemophobia- Fear of air drafts or wind.(Ancraophobia) Anginophobia- Fear of angina, choking or narrowness. Anglophobia- Fear of England or English culture, etc. Angrophobia - Fear of anger or of becoming angry. Ankylophobia- Fear of immobility of a joint. Anthrophobia or Anthophobia- Fear of flowers. Anthropophobia- Fear of people or society. Antlophobia- Fear of floods. Anuptaphobia- Fear of staying single. Apeirophobia- Fear of infinity.

Aphenphosmphobia- Fear of being touched. (Haphephobia) Apiphobia- Fear of bees. Apotemnophobia- Fear of persons with amputations. Arachibutyrophobia- Fear of peanut butter sticking to the roof of the mouth. Arachnephobia or Arachnophobia- Fear of spiders. Arithmophobia- Fear of numbers. Cainophobia or Cainotophobia- Fear of newness, novelty. Caligynephobia- Fear of beautiful women. Cancerophobia or Carcinophobia- Fear of cancer. Cardiophobia- Fear of the heart. Carnophobia- Fear of meat. Catagelophobia- Fear of being ridiculed. Catapedaphobia- Fear of jumping from high and low places. Cathisophobia- Fear of sitting. Cenophobia or Centophobia- Fear of new things or ideas. Ceraunophobia or Keraunophobia- Fear of thunder and lightning.(Astraphobia, Astrapophobia) Chaetophobia- Fear of hair. Cheimaphobia or Cheimatophobia- Fear of cold.(Frigophobia, Psychophobia) Chemophobia- Fear of chemicals or working with chemicals.

Cherophobia- Fear of gaiety. Chiraptophobia- Fear of being touched. Chirophobia- Fear of hands. Cholerophobia- Fear of anger or the fear of cholera. Chorophobia- Fear of dancing. Chrometophobia or Chrematophobia- Fear of money. Chromophobia or Chromatophobia- Fear of colors. Chronophobia- Fear of time. Cibophobia- Fear of food.(Sitophobia, Sitiophobia) Claustrophobia- Fear of confined spaces. Cleithrophobia or Cleisiophobia- Fear of being locked in an enclosed place. Cleptophobia- Fear of stealing. Climacophobia- Fear of stairs, climbing, or of falling downstairs. Clinophobia- Fear of going to bed. Clithrophobia or Cleithrophobia- Fear of being enclosed. Cnidophobia- Fear of stings. Decidophobia- Fear of making decisions. Defecaloesiophobia- Fear of painful bowels movements. Deipnophobia- Fear of dining or dinner conversations. Dementophobia- Fear of insanity. Demonophobia or Daemonophobia- Fear of demons. Demophobia- Fear of crowds.

(Agoraphobia) Dendrophobia- Fear of trees. Dermatophobia- Fear of skin lesions. Dermatosiophobia or Dermatophobia or Dermatopathophobia- Fear of skin disease. Dextrophobia- Fear of objects at the right side of the body. Diabetophobia- Fear of diabetes. Didaskaleinophobia- Fear of going to school. Dikephobia- Fear of justice. Dinophobia- Fear of dizziness or whirlpools. Diplophobia- Fear of double vision. Dipsophobia- Fear of drinking. Dishabiliophobia- Fear of undressing in front of someone. Disposophobia- Fear of throwing stuff out. Hoarding. Domatophobia- Fear of houses or being in a house.(Eicophobia, Oikophobia) Doraphobia- Fear of fur or skins of animals. Doxophobia- Fear of expressing opinions or of receiving praise. Dromophobia- Fear of crossing streets. Dutchphobia- Fear of the Dutch. Dysmorphophobia- Fear of deformity. Hagiophobia- Fear of saints or holy things. Hamartophobia- Fear of sinning.

Haphephobia or Haptephobia- Fear of being touched. Harpaxophobia- Fear of being robbed. Hedonophobia- Fear of feeling pleasure. Heliophobia- Fear of the sun. Hellenologophobia- Fear of Greek terms or complex scientific terminology. Helminthophobia- Fear of being infested with worms. Hemophobia or Hemaphobia or Hematophobia- Fear of blood. Heresyphobia or Hereiophobia- Fear of challenges to official doctrine or of radical deviation. Herpetophobia- Fear of reptiles or creepy, crawly things. Heterophobia- Fear of the opposite sex. (Sexophobia) Hexakosioihexekontahexaphobia- Fear of the number 666. Hierophobia- Fear of priests or sacred things. Hippophobia- Fear of horses. Hippopotomonstrosesquipedaliophobia- Fear of long words. Hobophobia- Fear of bums or beggars. Hodophobia- Fear of road travel. Hormephobia- Fear of shock. Homophobia- Fear of sameness, monotony or of homosexuality or of becoming homosexual. Hoplophobia- Fear of firearms.

Hydrargyophobia- Fear of mercurial medicines. Hydrophobia- Fear of water or of rabies. Hydrophobophobia- Fear of rabies. Hyelophobia or Hyalophobia- Fear of glass. Hygrophobia- Fear of liquids, dampness, or moisture. Hylephobia- Fear of materialism or the fear of epilepsy. Hylophobia- Fear of forests. Hypengyophobia or Hypegiaphobia- Fear of responsibility. Hypnophobia- Fear of sleep or of being hypnotized. Hypsiphobia- Fear of height. Iatrophobia- Fear of going to the doctor or of doctors. Ichthyophobia- Fear of fish. Illyngophobia- Fear of vertigo or feeling dizzy when looking down. Iophobia- Fear of poison. Isolophobia- Fear of solitude, being alone. Isopterophobia- Fear of termites, insects that eat wood. Ithyphallophobia- Fear of seeing, thinking about or having an erect penis. Metrophobia- Fear or hatred of poetry. Microbiophobia- Fear of microbes. (Bacillophobia) Microphobia- Fear of small things.

Misophobia or Mysophobia- Fear of being contaminated with dirt or germs. Mnemophobia- Fear of memories. Molysmophobia or Molysomophobia- Fear of dirt or contamination. Monophobia- Fear of solitude or being alone. Monopathophobia- Fear of definite disease. Motorphobia- Fear of automobiles. Musophobia or Muriphobia- Fear of mice. Mycophobia- Fear or aversion to mushrooms. Mycrophobia- Fear of small things. Myctophobia- Fear of darkness. Mythophobia- Fear of myths or stories or false statements. Myxophobia- Fear of slime. (Blennophobia) Nebulaphobia- Fear of fog. (Homichlophobia) Necrophobia- Fear of death or dead things. Nelophobia- Fear of glass. Neopharmaphobia- Fear of new drugs. Neophobia- Fear of anything new. Nephophobia- Fear of clouds. Noctiphobia- Fear of the night. Nomatophobia- Fear of names. Nosophobia or Nosemaphobia- Fear of becoming ill. Nostophobia- Fear of returning home. Novercaphobia- Fear of your step-mother.

Nucleomituphobia- Fear of nuclear weapons. Nudophobia- Fear of nudity. Nyctohylophobia- Fear of dark wooded areas or of forests at night Nyctophobia- Fear of the dark or of night. If you appreciate the Phobia List, please help support it. Obesophobia- Fear of gaining weight.(Pocrescophobia) Ochlophobia- Fear of crowds or mobs. Ochophobia- Fear of vehicles. Octophobia - Fear of the figure 8. Odontophobia- Fear of teeth or dental surgery. Odynophobia or Odynephobia- Fear of pain. (Algophobia) Oenophobia- Fear of wines. Oikophobia- Fear of home surroundings, house.(Domatophobia, Eicophobia) Olfactophobia- Fear of smells. Ombrophobia- Fear of rain or of being rained on. Ommetaphobia or Ommatophobia- Fear of eyes. Omphalophobia- Fear of belly buttons. Oneirophobia- Fear of dreams. Oneirogmophobia- Fear of wet dreams. Onomatophobia- Fear of hearing a certain word or of names. Ophidiophobia- Fear of snakes.

(Snakephobia) Ophthalmophobia- Fear of being stared at. Opiophobia- Fear medical doctors experience of prescribing needed pain medications for patients. Optophobia- Fear of opening one's eyes. Ornithophobia- Fear of birds. Osmophobia or Osphresiophobia- Fear of smells or odors. Ostraconophobia- Fear of shellfish. Peladophobia- Fear of bald people. Pellagrophobia- Fear of pellagra. Pentheraphobia- Fear of mother-in-law. (Novercaphobia) Phagophobia- Fear of swallowing or of eating or of being eaten. Phalacrophobia- Fear of becoming bald. Phallophobia- Fear of a penis, esp erect. Pharmacophobia- Fear of taking medicine. Phasmophobia- Fear of ghosts. Phengophobia- Fear of daylight or sunshine. Philemaphobia or Philematophobia- Fear of kissing. Philophobia- Fear of falling in love or being in love. Philosophobia- Fear of philosophy. Photoaugliaphobia- Fear of glaring lights. Photophobia- Fear of light. Phonophobia- Fear of noises or voices or one's own voice; of telephones.

Phronemophobia- Fear of thinking. Phthiriophobia- Fear of lice. (Pediculophobia) Phthisiophobia- Fear of tuberculosis. Sarmassophobia- Fear of love play. (Malaxophobia) Satanophobia- Fear of Satan. Scatophobia- Fear of fecal matter. Scelerophibia- Fear of bad men, burglars. Sciophobia Sciaphobia- Fear of shadows. Scoleciphobia- Fear of worms. Scopophobia or Scoptophobia- Fear of being seen or stared at. Scotomaphobia- Fear of blindness in visual field. Scotophobia- Fear of darkness. (Achluophobia) Scriptophobia- Fear of writing in public. Selachophobia- Fear of sharks. Selaphobia- Fear of light flashes. Selenophobia- Fear of the moon. Seplophobia- Fear of decaying matter. Sesquipedalophobia- Fear of long words. Sexophobia- Fear of the opposite sex. (Heterophobia) Siderodromophobia- Fear of trains, railroads or train travel. Siderophobia- Fear of stars. Sinistrophobia- Fear of things to the left or left-handed.

Sinophobia- Fear of Chinese, Chinese culture. Sitophobia or Sitiophobia- Fear of food or eating. (Cibophobia) Snakephobia- Fear of snakes. (Ophidiophobia) Soceraphobia- Fear of parents-in-law. Social Phobia- Fear of being evaluated negatively in social situations. Sociophobia- Fear of society or people in general. Somniphobia- Fear of sleep. Soteriophobia - Fear of dependence on others. Spacephobia- Fear of outer space. Spectrophobia- Fear of specters or ghosts. Spermatophobia or Spermophobia- Fear of germs. Spheksophobia- Fear of wasps. Stasibasiphobia or Stasiphobia- Fear of standing or walking. (Ambulophobia) Staurophobia- Fear of crosses or the crucifix. Stenophobia- Fear of narrow things or places. Stygiophobia or Stigiophobia- Fear of hell. Suriphobia- Fear of mice. Taeniophobia or Teniophobia- Fear of tapeworms. Taphephobia Taphophobia- Fear of being buried alive or of cemeteries. Tapinophobia- Fear of being contagious.

Taurophobia- Fear of bulls. Teleophobia- 1) Fear of definite plans. 2) Religious ceremony. Telephonophobia- Fear of telephones. Teratophobia- Fear of bearing a deformed child or fear of monsters or deformed people. Testophobia- Fear of taking tests. Tetanophobia- Fear of lockjaw, tetanus. Teutophobia- Fear of German or German things. Textophobia- Fear of certain fabrics. Thaasophobia- Fear of sitting. Thalassophobia- Fear of the sea. Thanatophobia or Thantophobia- Fear of death or dying. Theatrophobia- Fear of theatres. Theophobia- Fear of gods or religion. Thermophobia- Fear of heat. Tocophobia- Fear of pregnancy or childbirth. Tomophobia- Fear of surgical operations. Tonitrophobia- Fear of thunder. Topophobia- Fear of certain places or situations, such as stage fright. Toxiphobia or Toxophobia or Toxicophobia- Fear of poison or of being accidently poisoned. Traumatophobia- Fear of injury. What Causes Fear? What Causes Fear? A potential for pain, or an unrecognizable event, causes fear.

The amygdalae, organs in the limbic system, detect such possibilities and send the signals which generate the fear emotion, which sets off avoidance activities. Unlike the rational brain, emotions trigger a variety of instinctual attitudes and behaviors. Each such emotion is chosen by the limbic brain to meet a particularly demanding contingency in life. The anger emotion switches on attitudes and behaviors which support confrontation. Fear, on the other hand, responds to danger by recalling fearful images, preparing the body for flight and by signaling avoidance activity, directing the muscles to freeze, or flee. Fear acts instantly. It will stiffen your muscles before you can walk to the edge of a precipice. While fear signals act swiftly to avoid danger, they intensify when danger is unavoidable. In such situations, fear signals inhibit conscious thinking and set off subconscious searches for escape routes, while preparing the body to freeze, flee, or to defend itself. Those subconscious searches flash images of the results of failure. A lack of escape avenues intensifies the fear emotion. Together, the recalled images, the urges to escape and the bodily preparations for stress feel unpleasant. Fear, triggered by the amygdala, is one of nature's earliest survival mechanisms.

A large part of fear is a response to the horror of painful experiences in life. Fear generates a chain of biological events in the body, which engulf the mind. Persistent attacks of fear lead to many health issues. Fear is caused by historically harmful events, pain experiences and the unknown. Fear begins with the startle response. Fear is essentially an outdated response in the modern world. Fear leads to many subconscious behaviors. Scientists have discovered chemicals, which may, one day, mitigate the effects of excessive fear. Self awareness is the key to dealing with fear. What Causes Fear – An Evolutionary Survival Mechanism During the early beginnings of life, nature developed the amygdalae as special purpose organs in the brain to remember and respond to danger signals. They become sensitive to sensory signals, which accompanied past painful events. Such sensitivity in the amygdalae of animals has been extensively verified. In typical experiments, a rat is exposed to a painful foot shock accompanied by a sound. Later, when the sound alone is heard, its amygdalae will fire fear signals. Such painful experiences were seen to develop “speed dial ( LTP ) circuits,” which later responded instantly to the related sound signal. The organs became over sensitive to such signals.

As essential as the vertebrae, these organs were early components of the brains of fishes, amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals. As the primary defense response mechanism, the amygdalae recognized danger patterns and impelled animals to fight, freeze, or escape. What Causes Fear – Terror & Horror Fear is expressed at increasing levels as worry, anxiety, dread, terror and panic. These levels are determined by the imminence of danger. Worry and anxiety are triggered by the anticipation of being harmed in the future. Dread, terror and panic concern the immediate present. At the highest levels, terror and panic overwhelm people, causing them to make irrational choices. While terror is an apprehension of impending danger, horror is a sickening and painful experience. Horror is the emotion, which lays the foundations for the amygdalae to sense the backgrounds of painful events. The amygdalae remember the images, sounds, words and situations, which accompanied the horror of injury, ridicule, social rejection, loss of loved ones, or career failure. Subsequently, the detection of any related signals trigger fear, often without the person knowing the cause of her fear.

What Causes Fear – Bodily Responses On receiving fear signals from the amygdalae, the hypothalamus, acts reflexively to control the reproductive, vegetative, endocrine, hormonal, visceral and autonomic functions of the body. Breathing, digestion, blood circulation, brain activity and body fluid flows are instantly affected. The signals from the amygdalae dilate pupils and increase brain wave frequency. They make hairs stand on end. They reduce saliva, drying the mouth. They cause sweating and a decrease in skin resistance. They decrease peripheral blood flow and cause hands to become cold. The signals speed breathing and dilate bronchial tubes to allow more air to the lungs. They tighten stomach muscles, slow digestion and close down the excretory system. They increase acids in the stomach, causing diarrhoea. The signals travel to the adrenal gland, which produces cortisol, causing an increase in glucose production to provide additional fuel for the muscles and brain to deal with the potential stress. The signals increase blood pressure, release sugar into the blood and increases the tendency for blood clotting. The signals increase red blood cells. They tense postural muscles, causing hand and body tremors. They dilate blood vessels to skeletal muscles to allow greater blood flow.

They slow the working of the immune system. The amygdalae trigger a chain of biological events and engulf the mind in the fear emotion, even before the conscious mind can assess the situation. In the modern world, such persistent fear signals are not set off by real physical danger. They are triggered by an instinctive brain, which tries to overcome social and career issues by foolishly preparing the body to freeze, flee or defend itself. What Causes Fear – Long Term Effects A persistent lack of escape routes from danger lead to the insistent fear signals of anxiety, which raise heart rate and blood pressure over time. Such conditions are believed to lead to heart palpitations, fatigue, nausea, chest pain, shortness of breath, stomach aches, or headaches. Escalating fear signals trigger panic attacks, which have indications similar to the symptoms of heart attacks. Anxiety over the years has been linked to health issues, including arthritis, migraines, allergies, stomach ulcers and thyroid disease. What Causes Fear – Inherited, Acquired & The Unknown The amygdala triggers fear signals, which drive you to escape from danger. It responds to three types of events. The first inherited set of circuits fire on identifying historically harmful events.

The second group of neurons develop LTP circuits, which learn to fire on identifying events, which accompanied painful experiences. The last group of circuits trigger fear, when the system is unable to identify the impact of an event. What Causes Fear – Historic Triggers Over millions of years, nature has assembled in the amygdala a memory for harmful events. On recognizing signals of such events, the amygdala instinctively responds by triggering fear. So, most people have an inherited fear of falling, of being suffocated in enclosed spaces, of drowning in water and of being attacked by rats, cockroaches, or snakes. Even stage fright and a fear of public speaking originate from an instinctive fear of becoming a focus of attention of predators. The fear responses of the amygdala for such events are often accompanied by the startle response. What Causes Fear – Pain Experiences Over a lifetime, the amygdala builds an additional sensitivity to pain experiences. Pain may have been caused by physical injury, painful confrontations, loss of loved ones, loss of social status, or through social rejection. Mirror neurons also trigger pain within us, on seeing the painful experiences of others.

Whenever such pain has been experienced, the amygdala stores memories of the related sensory signals. Fear can be triggered by the fleeting image of an angry face. People suffer fears of failing, of being ridiculed, of the loss of loved ones. If a person suffered trauma, when left alone as a child, she may fear loneliness. What Causes Fear – The Unknown Without the actual experience of such events, people fear death, nuclear wars, terrorism, or even threatened changes in their work environments. The inability to identify the significance of an event also triggers fear. Archy de Berker reports on the role of uncertainty in triggering fear. He tracked stress levels in subjects by measuring changes in pupil diameter, directly linked to the release of the stresss hormone noradrenaline in the brain. He discovered that pain and uncertainty have roughly equal roles to play in stress. Subjects felt less fear when they knew that they were going to suffer pain than when they did do not know whether they would escape the pain experience. When fear envelops you for a reason you are unable to fathom, it is useful to list the issues, which bother you. You will find that by locating the cause of such fear and facing up to it will free you from the emotion.

Even accepting uncertainty as an inevitable facet of your environment will also reduce your fear. What Causes Fear – The Startle Response Fear begins with the startle response . It is the fastest response (20 milliseconds) of the mind to danger through a direct amygdala fear pathway as reported by Joseph E. LeDoux. He identified a second route (300 milliseconds) through the reasoning processes of the cortex, which can proceed to still a sudden onset of fear. Mere movements, sounds or images can trigger the fearful startle response. The reflex is present from birth. When a newborn senses a possibility of falling, her back arches and her arms and legs flail out. Doctors test the reflex to be sure of an infant's nervous system by simulating a sense of falling by allowing its head to drop slightly. The startle signals from the amygdala activates the sympathetic system, which heightens emotional arousal. Later, the cortical signals may energize the parasympathetic system, dampening down emotional tension. Unthinking fear set off by the startle response may be stilled by the reasoned cortical signals, such as when a coiled snake is identified to be just a garden hose.

What Causes Fear – An Outdated Response While physical danger was ever present in the primitive world, it is less relevant today. Unfortunately, while justified by a tiger in the vicinity, fear responses are unsuitable and unhealthy for a person facing career problems. The possibility of dismissal from work requires a calm and collected reaction. Fear triggers images of unpaid bills and sets off a tightness in your chest, which serve no useful purpose. If a solution to the problem was available to you, you would immediately know it. Worry and anxiety set off by fear rarely find solutions, but affect your health. Except for avoiding sudden physical injury, fear is an irrelevant animal response. The cause of such fear is a primitive neural signal from the amygdala, which can be stilled through the practice of self awareness . What Causes Fear – Subconscious Avoidance In the instant in which an animal senses danger, its mind identifies a course of action – possibly to slip under a rock. Fear is a creative process, which subconsciously searches your mind for ways to escape pain. Your impulsive decisions, when triggered by fear, may not present you with any conscious awareness of the particular pain that you wish to avoid.

Pain is triggered by many social emotions, including sadness, disgust, contempt, embarrassment, guilt, and shame. A fear of being ridiculed can make a person decide not to take part in conversation. Fear of experiencing the fear emotion may make a person avoid challenging assignments. What Causes Fear – Chemical Links Fear is triggered within the amygdalae, because its nerve junctions develop special sensitivity to particular sensory signals. Even faint sounds may trigger unbearable fear reactions for patients suffering post-traumatic stress syndrome. Richard Huganir discovered that timely manipulation of specific molecules which regulate synaptic plasticity in the amygdalae of animals can remove the fear response. He identified an unusual protein, which appeared in the amygdala of animals, which had been conditioned to respond to sounds accompanying a foot shock. That molecule, which remained for only a few days, appeared to strengthen the fear circuits in the amygdalae. When the researchers eliminated the protein during this period, the animals permanently lost those induced fearful memories. A combination of behavioral and pharmacological therapies aimed at those molecular targets may one day be used to help patients. Scientist from Zurich also found that the hormone oxytocin related to stress and sex also reduced amygdalae activity.

What Causes Fear – Dealing With Fear Self awareness can reduce the causes of fear. The intense activity in the amygdalae, which causes the fear experience, can be reduced by the attention center of the brain – the rostral anterior cingulate cortex (rACC). Columbia University researchers observed that when fear stimuli was perceived consciously, rACC acted to dampen down amygdalae activity. Self awareness and a few mind control practices can make the global effect of fear visible and so still its impact. For normal people, conscious awareness and acceptance of the fear experience will still amygdala activity. With the conviction that fearlessness can become an acquired habit, the practice of self awareness can bring a calm and still mind. Creative management requires alertness, not fear. Fear tends to paralyze. Every vista appears dangerous and threatening. In any threatening situation, you can only do one of three things. Do something about it, avoid it, or live with it. A quiet evaluation will define your response and still the fear. The awareness of danger will still be present. Common sense appears, when fear is stilled. It is the ability to take those calculated risks, which make a project successful.

This page was last updated on 01-Apr-2016 Bromidrophobia - Causes, Symptoms, and Complications Bromidrophobia - Causes, Symptoms, and Complications Search the site Bromidrophobia - Causes, Symptoms, and Complications The Fear of Emitting Body Odors By Lisa Fritscher Updated September 06, 2016 Bromidrophobia may be the result of today’s emphasis on cleanliness that has led us to believe that bodily scents are dirty or taboo. This mental health issue can lead to an unhealthy obsession with ensuring that our regular odors are removed or masked. Bromidrophobics can also have a fear of others' body odors. Causes of Bromidrophobia Good hygiene reduces risks of disease transmission and infection. Regular washing along with sterilizing procedures when appropriate (operating rooms, piercing equipment, etc.), is important for good health. However, like mysophobia , or fear of germs, bromidrophobia takes cleanliness too far. Bromidrophobia may be linked with obsessive-compulsive disorder or OCD. In OCD , however, the compulsion is the washing itself. In bromidrophobia, the focus is on removing perceived odors.

The difference is subtle, but important, and is best diagnosed by a trained clinician. Body Odor Is Natural Human beings, like animals, emit natural scents from our bodies. In a healthy person with reasonable hygiene, these odors are not offensive. In fact, these odors contain pheromones, which act as chemical communicators. Insects and other animals rely largely on pheromones to stimulate a wide range of behaviors. In humans, these chemicals seem to play a role in sexual attraction , although some research disputes this effect. Today, advertising and social conditioning teach us that it's best to smell like soap, shampoo, and deodorant, which makes it is easy to develop the belief that any natural bodily scent is “bad” or “dirty” and you should mask it. In reality, it is impossible and unhealthy to remove or mask every single whiff of natural odor that might emit from the human body. Therefore, bromidrophobia may result from this conflict between the “ideal” and reality. Symptoms of Bromidrophobia Most people have a routine before going out in public.

Showering, washing your hair, applying deodorant, shaving, brushing your teeth and using a favorite perfume or cologne are all normal and healthy behaviors. If you suffer from bromidrophobia, however, this is not enough. You may develop extensive hygiene rituals that you obsessively follow before leaving the house. Your showers may gradually become longer and longer as you worry that you are not clean enough. Some people who suffer from bromidrophobia shower three or more times per day. Others damage their skin through excessive scrubbing and the drying effects of hygiene products. Your fear might expand past hygiene rituals and render you unable to use public restrooms due to fears of emitting odors. Women may develop a fear of being around others during their menstrual cycles. Bromidophobes of both genders carry large bags wherever they go, full of emergency supplies designed to mask any odors that might develop. Complications of Bromidrophobia Like many phobias, bromidrophobia tends to worsen over time. Eventually, you might find yourself restricting your activities.

You may: become reluctant to exercise or perform any tasks that might cause sweating refuse to go anywhere without pleasant restroom facilities where you can perform emergency odor control develop a social phobia or even agoraphobia , out of the fear that you might be in a situation where you cannot immediately attend to any possible odors Treating Bromidrophobia Because of the impact, this anxiety disorder can have on your daily life, it is very important to discuss your bromidrophobia with a qualified mental health professional. Cognitive-behavioral therapy is generally the treatment of choice. In this therapy, you will learn: healthier ways of thinking about your own body and the scents that it emits

Question: Dermatophobia is the irrational fear of disease of which part of the body?
Answer: Skin