Everyone has fears, but phobias are specific, intense fears that cripple one’s ability to conduct activities of day-to-day life. Common phobias include fears of spiders, snakes, heights, and flying. Phobias must persist for six months or longer to be officially diagnosed.
> Nomophobia, the fear of being without your phone, may be “the phobia of the 21st century.” (More)
> About 19.2 million Americans suffer from phobias, including omphalophobia, an intense fear of the belly button. (More)
> Phobias of creepy-crawly animals, including mice, are prevalent in the US. (More)
Phobias can manifest for multiple reasons, and some research suggests that there are both environmental and genetic factors. Traumatic early life experiences can lead to phobias, as can observing others’ fears or hearing other people talk about them. Yet these types of exposures will not always result in phobia development—lifeexperiences can have different effects on different people.
> Fear or disgust related to clusters of holes and cracks, called trypophobia, may stem from evolutionary processes to help us avoid pathogens. (More)
> Recent research suggests parents should rethink their approach to phobias. (More)
> Explore what 20,000 letters to an advice columnist tell us about US anxieties and concerns. (More)
Exposure therapy, or gradually exposing oneself to the thing you’re afraid of, remains the leading phobia treatment approach, and virtual reality advances are making it more accessible. Other treatment and management options include cognitive behavioral therapy and medication to support phobia symptoms.
> Hunter Ewen helped conquer his fear of balloons, called globophobia, by training to win Guinness World Record titles for balloon inflation. (More)
Discover more:
> Apeirophobia is the fear of everlasting life, perhaps related to the brain’s inability to conceptualize something infinite. (More)
> See 16 art pieces that were inspired by or evoke elements of top phobias. (More)
> … and explore everything we learned about phobias.
