Ten Common Phobias

I was reading my son's Blog and ran across "ophidiophobia".  Of course I didn't have a clue, so I went straight to dictionary.com to look the word up. I was easily hooked and started my journey to discover information about phobias.  Since I'm all into sharing, check out the list of common phobias.

When it comes to the 10 most common phobias, people are often surprised by the list. The 10 most common phobias can take complete control of people’s life and leave them in the midst of either an anxiety and panic attack or full of so much fear that they can not move. The 10 most common phobias are:


Arachnophobia – Probably the most recognized of the 10 most common phobias, arachnophobia is the fear of spiders. The statistics clearly show that more than 50% of women and 10% of men show signs of this leader on the 10 most common phobias list.

Social Phobia -- The second of the 10 most common phobias, is the fear of social situations. This is a very open phobia among the 10 most common phobias, in that, the definition can range based upon the person and the situation.

Aerophobia – Aerophobia, or the fear of flying, is the third of the 10 most common phobias. The fear of flying is so strong in some people that they are often unable to fly without using some form of medication before the flight.

Agoraphobia– One of the most complex of the 10 most common phobias, agoraphobia is the fear of being in a place or a situation where the person mentally feels they will not be able to get out of. Agoraphobia is one of the most serious of the 10 most common phobias and often leaves the person enclosed in their home without proper treatment.

Claustrophobia – In the middle of the 10 most common phobias, is the fear of tight places. This phobia is one of the most publicized phobias and is often used in television and movie settings as a characteristic for the actors parts.

Acrophobia – The fear of heights or high places is the sixth of the 10 most common phobias. High places can mean any situation where the ground is not within immediate reach. This can be as simple as standing on a chair or as complex and crossing a bridge in a car.

Emetophobia – This number seven of the 10 most common phobias is one of the most uncommonly recognized. Emetophobia is being afraid of vomit.

Carcinophobia – A relative newcomer to the 10 most common phobias, carcinophobia, is being afraid of cancer. People suffering from carcinophobia often choose daily activities and foods that claim to decrease the chances of contracting cancer, as well as, avoidancing any activity that may increase these chances of contracting it. This is number eight of the 10 most common phobias.

Brontophobia – Often thought of as a child’s phobia, number nine of the 10 most common phobias, is being afraid of thunderstorms. This fear is normally centered on either the lightning or the thunder side of the storm.

Necrophobia – It is last on the list 10 most common phobias. This phobia is the term used to describe two different phobias. Being afraid of dying or being afraid of dead people are both considered necrophobia.

The 10 most common phobias is a list of fears that are very real to those who suffer from them. I found that I could qualify as being fearful of four of the ten.  If you feel you have any of these phobias, a doctor may be able to help.