In the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM–5), phobias are categorized into five broad categories: animals, natural environment, blood-injection-injury, situational, and other. Specifically, phobias involve fear or anxiety about a specific object or situation. The phobic situation or object provokes immediate fear or anxiety, and the triggering activity is usually avoided or endured with intense fear or anxiety, which, consequently, can impair daily life functioning.
For instance, Glossophobia (fear of speaking) was once the most common phobia in the US. However, Ophidiophobia (fear of snakes) has since taken its place. The top ten phobias in the US, in no particular order, are: Ophidiophobia, Acrophobia, Glossophobia, Trypanophobia, Claustrophobia, Agoraphobia, Aquaphobia, Aerophobia, Mysophobia, and Astraphobia. Treatment for these phobias mainly includes Exposure Response Prevention and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy.
Common Phobias
1. Ophidiophobia: Fear of Snakes
A fear of snakes is common in the United States, with about 51% fearing snakes and 32% suffering from severe ophidiophobia. It is the most prevalent subcategory of herpetophobia (fear of reptiles). This fear often develops in childhood but can also be innate. Research suggests the brain is evolutionarily conditioned to be cautious around snakes due to their historical threat to humans.
2. Acrophobia: Fear of Heights
One in fifteen people have acrophobia, a fear of heights and falling from elevated places, even places that are not that high. This makes a person extremely nervous and agitated when in an elevated position, and they may also have a panic attack when stuck in such a situation. As a result, a person with this fear may completely avoid visiting top floors of buildings or even crossing bridges. People believe that acrophobia is built-in our system from the time of primitive humans who had a survival instinct to avoid high areas.
3. Glossophobia: Fear of Public Speaking
Studies show that the fear of public speaking, once the top fear among Americans, now ranks lower. About 17% of US natives fear speaking in a crowd. However, making a speech can cause anxiety due to fear of embarrassment.
Symptoms of glossophobia include a weak voice, stuttering, dry mouth, sweating, shaking, flushed skin, and increased heartbeat. This fear can be genetic or learned from past experiences.
4. Trypanophobia: Fear of Needles
Trypanophobia is characterized by fear of medical procedures involving needles, including vaccinations and drawing blood for tests. It is characterized by nervousness, shaking, sweating, and panic attacks when a person is exposed to needles.
5. Claustrophobia: Fear of Being Enclosed in Small Spaces
People suffering from claustrophobia are afraid of being trapped in enclosed spaces and they believe that they will suffocate to death. Only 2% of affected people seek treatment for this phobia. It can be triggered by trains, automatic car wash, crowded areas, elevators or tunnels, and a person will undergo the same symptoms as that of other phobias when triggered.
6. Agoraphobia: Fear of Open Spaces/Crowded Places:
Two out of 100 Americans are afraid of crowded places. Their condition prevents them from visiting theaters, malls, or other jam-packed areas. This person is afraid of getting into situations from which they won’t be able to get out. The fear becomes a vicious cycle in which the mere thought of having a panic attack in a crowd can lead to a panic attack. A common symptom for this phobia is depression.
7. Aquaphobia: Fear of Drowning
As the name indicates, aquaphobia is the fear of drowning and eventually dying in water. A majority of people suffering from this phobia are non-swimmers who then avoid getting in pools, lakes, or the ocean. This phobia may also include being afraid of sea creatures like snakes or sharks, or a fear of suffocating underwater.
8. Aerophobia: Fear of Flying
Aerophobia affects 6.5% of the world’s population and is linked with claustrophobia and agoraphobia. Aerophobic individuals completely avoid traveling by air. These individuals may experience extreme stress by even the mere thought of flight. This phobia can largely affect a person’s social and professional life.
9. Mysophobia: Fear of Germs
Mysophobia is an extreme fear of germs, and it is closely related to OCD. Most people suffer from both mysophobia and OCD, which might make them indulge in excessive bathing and hand washing. This person will avoid social gatherings or guests at their own place to minimize contact with germs. A common symptom of this phobia is isolation, which might make the individual susceptible to agoraphobia, as well as other anxiety disorders.
10. Astraphobia: Fear of Thunder and Lightning
Storms occur almost in all parts of the world, and they can be debilitating for astraphobic individuals. This fear starts from childhood and persists through adulthood. Nearly 2% of Americans are affected by astraphobia.
How Can Mental Health Therapy Help Phobic Individuals?
Therapies for individuals with various phobias are similar, focusing on managing phobias through Exposure Response Prevention and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy.
Exposure Response Prevention gradually exposes individuals to their feared object until they gain confidence. With each step, their anxiety lessens, and they learn to manage it. For example, in claustrophobia, steps might include first showing pictures of an elevator and eventually riding in one.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy teaches patients coping mechanisms to control their symptoms by changing their thoughts about the situation.
How Can You Manage Your Phobia?
Feeling anxious while speaking in public or encountering a specific animal might be common, but phobias linked to these anxieties can disable a person and confine them to their homes or rooms. If one of these phobias is affecting your social, professional, or personal life, help is available.
Individual Online Therapy in Florida, Idaho, South Carolina, and Utah
At Calming Transformations Counseling, our therapists understand life can be hard and can affect our emotional and mental health. We also serve those with anxiety, stress, depression, or relationship issues, who may be religious. Sessions can be held through online therapy in the states of Florida, Idaho, South Carolina or Utah, or walk and talk therapy in Hillsborough County, Florida. Book an appointment or contact us today to schedule a session and take the first step toward a more peaceful life.
