15 Of The Most Common Phobias Terrorizing People Today

Every single one of us is afraid of something, whether it be spiders, snakes or small spaces. Some people are a little more terrified of specific things, such as spiders or clowns, but there are some that are so common that most people can attest to being afraid when the time comes. Here are 15 of the most common fears that make people incapable of providing speech, movement, or dry pants at the end of the day.

Arachnophobia

Arachnophobia is an incredibly common fear. There are millions of people around the world who are simply terrified of the smallest of spiders. This fear is said to be most common within women than men, but there are plenty of men terrified of the eight-legged creatures.

Ophidiophobia

Ophidiophobia is the fear of snakes. This particular fear is said to be attributed to evolutionary causes within the human body, personal experiences, or cultural influences. Snakes are an incredibly common fear. The slithering little beats tend to appear where you least expect them to.

Acrophobia

Acrophobia is the fear of heights, another incredibly common fear that plagues millions. The fear of heights tends to lead to anxiety attacks in most people who experience it, and these individuals avoid high places as often as possible. Tall buildings, elevators, and the such are horrible places for someone suffering from Acrophobia.

Agoraphobia

Most people think of agoraphobia being afraid of small spaces, but it’s actually the fear of situations where escape is difficult. This fear includes crowded areas, wide open spaces, or any situation that could ultimately lead to a panic attack for the individual. People with known panic disorders tend to develop agoraphobia in their lifetime.

Nyctophobia

Nyctophobia could be one of the most common fears to have ever developed within human kind. This is the fear of the dark. A terrorizing feeling that leads many to develop a disfigured thought process of what could be happening when they are within a dark environment. Panic attacks are quite common in those who suffer from nyctophobia.

Gerontophobia

Gerontophobia is most common in those within the middle years of their life. This is a fear of growing old, or a hatred/fear of the elderly. It is mostly referred to as an unreasonable fear of the elderly, as most people with it hate the idea of getting to those older years themselves.

Glossophobia

Everyone, except for the most charismatic individuals around, tend to have a slight fear of public speaking. However, those with this phobia tend to become crippled by it and have anxiety attacks with even the thought of getting in front of a crowd to speak.

Astraphobia

Astraphobia, or the fear of thunder and lighting, is most common with young children, though it can be present in people of all ages. Thunder and lightning storms tend to leave these individuals with a crippling fear or panic attack, unfortunately.

Trypanophobia

Trypanophobia is one most people may not have heard called by its official name. However, this is the fear of injections, or needles. This type of fear is common in those who try to avoid situations, such as a doctor’s visit, as often as possible.

Pteromerhanophobia

Pteromerhanophobia is the fear of flying, another incredibly common phobia. Exposure therapy is said to be the best option when trying to cure someone of these fear. The individual will gradually be introduced to flying, which should cure them of the problem.

Mysophobia

Mysophobia is the fear of germs or dirt. This is one most people probably know of someone in their lives dealing with the particular phobia. It tends to stem from OCD – obsessive compulsive disorder – though it can develop through other cases, too.

Fear of Intimacy

This particular fear may be most attributed to teenagers, but older individuals also experience the problem, too. Being emotionally or physically close to another individual can make a lot of people stop dead in their tracks. It can hurt their relationships in the long run, so getting past it is something most should strive for.

Thanatophobia

Thanatophobia is the fear of death, an incredibly complicated phobia for many. Most people are afraid of dying. However, those with this phobia tend to allow the fear to affect their daily lives, making it hard to enjoy everything going on around them. It is a crippling phobia.

Monophobia

Monophobia is the fear of being alone. Some people tend to be afraid of being apart from a particular loved one, while some fear living alone or being out in the world along. Others are afraid of being home alone. Some may consider this rare, but it actually happens more often than many may think.

Kakorrhaphiophobia

Kakorrhaphiophobia has the most confusing name of any phobia currently listed here. However, the fear of failure is actually a really common one in those who appear goal-oriented. Always striving to be the best or better than others and achieving goals can leave those experiencing this phobia with anxiety.