Phobias Webster’s definition of phobia is, “an exaggerated usually inexplicable and illogical fear of a particular object, class of objects, or situation.” One thing about us humans is many of us have phobias. There are all kinds of this and different degrees of how they infect people. One of the biggest phobias is the fear of death. Throughout history some people have been so concerned about this, they have tried to beat death, but I can confidently say, no one ever did. Tied in with this is the fear of aging. Again, it just continues, but science might soon be able to slow down aging and the optimistic believe some day it will be conquered which will also hopefully conquer death from aging. This was the reason Ponce De Leon was searching for the fountain of youth. Also related to the phobia of aging is the phobia of getting Alzheimer’s. As people age some get so concerned about this it becomes a phobia. These people think every little thing is a sign they are getting it. The phobia is even worse for those who have family members or friends who have gotten the disease. One of the natural signs of aging is a weaker memory and this terrifies them, because they think it is a sign they are getting the disease. Some people develop a phobia called Agoraphobia. This causes them not to want to leave their homes in the most acute cases. They develop a fear of crowded places or places they can not easily escape from. It has been estimated that about 1.7 percent of the population may have it. What a miserable life they are forced to live because of this phobia. Some of these people won’t even seek medical help because it means leaving their home. Another phobia has to do with being in social situations. It is known as social anxiety disorder. It takes place when a person develops the phobia and avoids social situations. It is different than Agoraphobia, because these people are not home bound, they just avoid many social contacts. Could it be some of the people who go on the internet and get very aggressive have this phobia, and get the idea their identity is unknown and use this fact to get even with society? Did you ever know, or hear about, some people who have a fear of certain things. There are quite a few people in the world who have a deathly fear of spiders for example. This type of phobia is known as a specific phobia. Sometimes it is not rational, and other times it could have been brought on by a childhood event or even one later in life. There are all kinds of these phobias and sometimes they are not even about living things. Specific phobias also include fear of objects or situations. Someone can be very scared of clocks for example. They might remind them of something which they would rather forget. I remember a person I met which had a fear of photographs of all things. He did have a mental problem and believed he was born from a photograph. This caused him to be remanded to a mental institution. His phobia had overtaken his entire life. Can a phobia cause a mental disease? I don’t know the answer to this with certainty, but I think it could get so bad, it would at least look like one. Some people have a phobia of being afraid to throw anything away. These people can be seen on television shows like Hoarders. They don’t even throw out their trash at times. Phobias can affect people from all walks of life, from the poorest to the richest. The Collyer brothers were two of the most famous. They lived a secluded life and their hoarding had become compulsive. You could hardly walk through any room in the house and it is said they even set up booby traps throughout the house. They both died in 1947. Somehow, they had managed to collect 140 tons of everything. One brother had even played at Carnegie Hall. One brother practiced law for years before becoming anti-social. One phobia which is surprising common is the fear of clowns. It is known as coulrophobia. It has been estimated 1.2 percent of the population has this fear. It is believe the reason so many people have this phobia is the exaggerated facial features and makeup send emotional signals which are too much for some people. It makes them feel threatened. I can’t verify this, but it has been said Johnny Depp has this phobia. Some people have a phobia which presents itself as a fear of injury. One of the most common phobias is the fear of the dentist. It has been estimated this fear haunts 36 percent of the U.S. population and 3 percent will never go to a dentist for anything. I know no one likes to go to a dentist. I have never heard anyone saying oh boy I am going to the dentist, but with some people it is an incredible, irrational fear. I knew a strapping 6 foot 4 inch man who didn’t seem to be scared of anything, and yet he was terrified of the dentist. Another phobia is the fear of being buried alive. Yes, there are actually some people who have this fear and I knew one of them. I explained to them the fact the state they were living in had embalming, so this could never happen and it seemed to calm them down. This phobia is known as Taphophobia. Amaxophobia is the fear of riding in a car. It also has other names such as Ochiophobia, Motorphobia, and Hamaxophobia. It has the effect of limiting traveling. It doesn’t seem to matter to those with it if they are passengers or drivers, they still won’t travel by car. Spectrophobia is a really strange phobia which reminds me of people in the middle ages. It is a fear of mirrors. Some people who have this phobia are afraid of the image which they may be shown in the mirror. If we go back far enough, mirrors were thought to be magical and even paranormal. One phobia which adds to the numbers of single people is Gamophobia, or the fear of marriage. It is also a fear of commitment and is real. One has to wonder how many people are affected by this phobia. There is even a very modern day phobia which has developed. It is named Nomophobia. Nomophobia is the fear of being without your phone.
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