Phobias

Sufferers feel embarrassed of their fear. They are afraid the phobia means they are crazy or might become crazy. Fearing ridicule they are also afraid to let others know they have it. Remember, phobia sufferers worry incessantly about their fears. Some sufferers act nonchalantly when facing their triggers. People with aerophobia (fear of flying) often list the inconveniences of flying, i.e., hijackings, crashes, lost luggage, cost, security hassles, etc. A fighter afraid of ladders might suggest breaking through the main gate of the keep, rather then climbing over the wall. When asked, he won't say he's afraid of heights. He'll say something to the effect of, "I hate sneaking about."

Other people become anxious. They exhibit symptoms of anxiety:  sweating, nervousness, nausea, lightheadedness, dizziness, headaches, and hyperventilation. If the character has a Total intensity phobia, he might have a panic attack. The character will suddenly stiffen, faint or even become combative to get away from his fear. Usually, in a roleplaying game the situation is stressful, so a sufferer can hide his problem. However, he will relax considerably when not facing his fear. A person afraid of narrow places (stenophobia) will be nervous in a corridor, but not in the main hall and facing several guards.

Some people develop obsessive behaviours while dealing with a phobia. A construction worker with a Moderate fear of falling might obsessively check his safety harness and lines. A mysophobe may obsessively wash his hands or clean his house. A belonophobe (a person afraid of needles and pins) might be compelled to pick up any needle or pin she finds. Often, a phobia sufferer will isolate himself from others, not just situations which could cause a trigger to his fear. He will then start to become depressed because of the isolation. Phobias can also indicate an intense hatred of something. An anglophobe might hate anything and anyone British. The treatments are the same for a hatred. The game mechanics are the same. But the roleplaying aspects differ.

Common Phobias:

Acarophobia -- fear of skin infestation by mites or ticks.

Acousticophobia -- fear of noise.

Acrophobia -- fear of heights.

Aerophobia -- fear of fresh air. 

Agoraphobia -- fear of open spaces. 

Agyrophobia -- fear of crossing streets.

Aichmophobia -- fear of pointed objects.

Ailurophobia, Aelurophobia, Elurophobia -- fear of cats.

Alektorophobia, Alektrophobia -- fear of chickens.

Algophobia -- fear of pain.

Amathophobia, Koniophobia -- fear of dust.

Amaxophobia -- fear of being or riding in vehicles.

Ancraophobia -- fear of wind.

Androphobia -- fear of men.

Anginophobia -- fear of quinsy or other forms of sore throat.

Ankylophobia -- dread of stiff or immobile joints.

Anthophobia -- fear of flowers.

Anthropophobia -- fear of people, especially in groups.

Antlophobia -- fear of floods.

Apeirophobia -- fear of infinity.

Apiphobia, Apiophobia -- intense fear of bees.

Arachibutyrophobia -- fear of peanut butter sticking to the roof of the mouth.

Arachnophobia -- fear of spiders.

Asthenophobia -- fear of weakness.

Astraphobia, Astrapophobia -- fear of lightning.

Ataxiophobia, Ataxophobia -- fear of disorder.

Atelophobia -- fear of imperfection.

Atephobia -- fear of ruin.

Aulophobia -- fear of flutes.

Aurophobia -- dislike of gold.

Automysophobia -- fear or dislike of being dirty.

Autophobia -- fear of being egotistical, of referring to oneself; fear of being by oneself; fear of oneself.

Bacillophobia -- fear of missiles.

Bacteriophobia -- fear of bacteria.

Barophobia -- fear of gravity.

Bathmophobia -- dislike or fear of walking.

Bathophobia -- intense dislike of bathing; fear of depth.

Batophobia -- fear of passing high buildings.

Batrachophobia -- fear of frogs and toads.

Bdellophobia -- fear of leeches.

Belonephobia -- fear of pins and needles.

Bibliophobia -- dislike for books.

Blennophobia, Myxophobia -- fear or dislike of slime.

Bogyphobia -- dread of demons and goblins.

Bromidrosiphobia -- fear of having unpleasant body odour.

Brontophobia -- fear of thunder and thunderstorms.

Cainophobia -- fear or dislike of novelty.

Cancerphobia, Cancerophobia, Carcinomophobia, Carcinomatophobia, Carcinophobia -- fear of cancer.

Cardiophobia -- fear of heart disease.

Cathisophobia -- fear or dislike of sitting down.

Catoptrophobia -- fear of mirrors.

Celtophobia -- intense dislike of Celts.

Cenophobia, Kenophobia -- fear of crowds.

Chaetophobia, Trichophobia -- fear of hair.

Cheimaphobia, Cheimatophobia -- fear or dislike of cold.

Cherophobia -- fear of gaiety.

Chinophobia -- fear or dislike of snow.

Cholerophobia -- fear of cholera.

Chrematophobia -- fear or dislike of wealth.

Chrometophobia -- fear or dislike of money.

Chromophobia -- fear of colours.

Chronophobia -- discomfort concerning time.

Cibophobia -- fear of food.

Claustrophobia -- fear of enclosed spaces.

Clinophobia -- fear or dislike of going to bed.

Cnidophobia -- insect stings.

Coitophobia -- fear of sexual intercourse.

Cometophobia -- fear of comets.

Coprophobia -- fear of excrement/faeces.

Coulrophobia -- fear of clowns.

Cremnophobia -- fear of precipices.

Cryophobia -- fear of ice or frost.

Crystallophobia -- fear of glass, crystals.

Cyberphobia -- fear of computers.

Cymophobia -- fear of waves.

Cynophobia -- dread of dogs.

Cypridophobia -- fear of venereal disease.

Defecaloesiophobia -- fear of painful bowel movements.

Deipnophobia -- fear or dislike of dining and dinner conversation.

Demonophobia -- fear of spirits, demons.

Demophobia -- dislike of crowds.

Dermatophobia -- fear of skin disease.

Dextrophobia -- fear of objects on the right side of the body.

Dikephobia -- fear or dislike of justice.

Dinophobia -- fear of whirlpools.

Diplopiaphobia -- fear of double vision.

Dipsophobia -- fear of drinking.

Domatophobia -- fear of being in a house.

Doraphobia -- fear of contact with animal fur or skin.

Dysmorphophobia -- dread of deformity, usually in others.

Ecclesiophobia -- fear or dislike of church.

Ecophobia, Oecophobia, Oikophobia -- fear of or aversion to home surroundings.

Eisoptrophobia -- fear of mirrors.

Eleutherophobia -- fear of freedom.

Emetophobia -- fear of vomiting.

Enetophobia -- fear of needles or pins.

Entomophobia -- fear of insects.

Eosophobia -- fear of the dawn.

Ergasiophobia -- fear or dislike of work.

Ergophobia -- hatred of work.

Erotophobia -- fear of sexual feelings and their physical expression.

Eurotophobia -- fear of the colour red or fear of blushing.

Febriphobia -- fear of fever.

Galeophobia -- fear of sharks.

Gamophobia, Gametophobia -- fear or dislike of marriage.

Gephyrophobia -- fear of crossing a bridge.

Gerascophobia -- fear of growing old.

Geumophobia -- fear of tastes or flavours.

Glossophobia -- fear of speaking in public or of trying to speak.

Graphophobia -- dislike of writing.

Gymnophobia, Nudophobia -- fear of nudity.

Gynephobia, Gynophobia -- fear or hatred of women.

Hadeophobia, Stygiophobia -- fear of hell.

Hagiophobia -- dislike for saints and the holy.

Hamartophobia -- fear of error or sin.

Haptophobia, Haphophobia, Thixophobia -- fear of touch.

Harpaxophobia -- fear of robbers.

Hedonophobia -- fear of pleasure.

Heliophobia, Solophobia -- fear of sunlight; abnormal sensitivity to the effects of sunlight.

Helminthophobia -- fear of being infested with worms.

Hemaphobia, Hematophobia, Haemaphobia, Hemophobia -- fear of the sight of blood.

Herpetophobia -- fear of reptiles.

Hierophobia -- fear or dislike of sacred objects, fear of priests.

Hippophobia -- fear or horses.

Hodophobia -- fear or dislike of travel.

Homichlophobia -- fear of fog.

Homilophobia -- hatred of sermons.

Homophobia -- fear of homosexuality.

Hydrophobia -- fear of water.

Hydrophophobia -- fear of rabies.

Hygrophobia -- fear of liquids in any form, especially wine and water.

Hylephobia -- dislike for wood or woods.

Hypengyophobia -- fear of responsibility.

Hypnophobia -- fear of sleep.

Iatrophobia -- fear of going to the doctor.

Ichthyophobia -- fear of fish.

Iophobia -- fear of poisons.

Isopterophobia -- fear of termites.

Kakorrhaphiophobia -- fear of failure or defeat.

Katagelophobia -- fear or dislike of ridicule.

Keraunophobia, Ceraunophobia -- fear of thunder and lightning.

Kinetophobia -- fear or dislike of motion.

Kleptophobia, Cleptophobia -- fear of thieves or loss through thievery.

Kopophobia -- fear of fatigue.

Kopophobia -- fear of mental or physical examination.

Lachanophobia -- fear of vegetables.

Laliophobia -- fear of talking.

Lepraphobia -- fear of leprosy.

Levophobia -- fear of objects on the left side of the body.

Ligyrophobia -- fear of loud noises (such as popping balloons).

Limnophobia -- fear of lakes.

Linonophobia -- fear of string.

Logophobia -- fear or dislike of words.

Lunaphobia -- fear of the moon.

Lyssophobia -- fear of becoming insane.

Mechanophobia -- aversion to or fear of machinery.

Merinthophobia -- fear of being bound.

Metallophobia -- fear of metals.

Meteorophobia -- fear of meteors or meteorites.

Microphobia, Microbiophobia -- fear of microorganisms or germs.

Misanthropy -- a hatred of mankind; pessimistic distrust of human nature expressed in thought and behaviour.

Misophobia -- fear of dirt, especially of being contaminated by dirt.

Misogynism, Misogyny -- extreme dislike of females.

Misosophy -- hatred of wisdom.

Molysomophobia -- fear of infection.

Monopathophobia -- fear of sickness in a specific part of the body.

Monophobia -- fear of one thing.

Musicophobia -- dislike of music.

Musophobia -- fear of mice.

Mycophobia -- fear or aversion to mushrooms.

Mythophobia -- fear of making false statements.

Necrophobia -- fear of death; fear of corpses.

Neophobia -- fear of new things.

Nephophobia -- fear of clouds.

Noctiphobia -- fear of the night.

Nosophobia -- fear of contracting a disease.

Numerophobia -- fear of numbers.

Nychtophobia, Achluophobia, Scotophobia -- fear of darkness or the night.

Obesophobia -- fear of gaining weight.

Ochlophobia -- fear of crowds.

Ochophobia -- fear of vehicles.

Odontophobia -- fear of teeth, especially those of animals.

Odynophobia -- fear of pain.

Oenophobia, Oinophobia -- dislike of or hatred for wine.

Olfactophobia -- fear or dislike of smells.

Ombrophobia -- fear of rain.

Ommetaphobia -- fear of eyes.

Onomatophobia -- fear of a certain name (or a set of names).

Ophidiophobia -- fear of snakes.

Optophobia -- fear of opening one's eyes.

Ornithophobia -- fear of birds.

Panphobia, Pantophobia -- a nonspecific fear; a state of general anxiety; fear of everything.

Papaphobia -- fear or dislike of the pope or the papacy.

Paralipophobia -- fear of neglect of some duty.

Paraphobia -- fear of sexual perversion.

Parasitophobia -- fear of parasites.

Paraskavedekatriaphobia -- fear of Friday the 13th.

Parthenophobia -- aversion to young girls.

Pathophobia -- fear of disease.

Peccatiphobia -- fear of sinning.

Pediculophobia -- fear of lice.

Pedophobia -- fear or dislike of children.

Peladophobia -- dread of baldness.

Peniaphobia -- fear of poverty.

Phagophobia -- fear of eating.

Pharmacophobia -- fear of drugs.

Phasmophobia -- fear of ghosts.

Phenogophobia -- fear of daylight.

Philophobia -- fear of love or of falling in love.

Philosophobia -- fear or dislike of philosophy or philosophers.

Phobophobia -- fear of fear itself.

Phonophobia -- fear or dislike of noise.

Photalgiophobia -- fear of photalgin, pain in the eyes caused by light.

Photophobia -- fear of light.

Phonemophobia -- fear of thinking.

Pneumatophobia -- fear of incorporeal beings, spirits.

Pnigophobia, Pnigerophobia -- fear of choking or smothering.

Pogonophobia -- fear or dislike of beards.

Poinephobia -- fear of punishment.

Politicophobia -- dislike or fear of politicians.

Polyphobia -- fear of many things.

Ponophobia -- fear of fatigue, especially through overworking.

Potamophobia -- fear or rivers.

Potophobia -- fear of drinks (beverages).

Psychophobia -- fear of the mind.

Psychophobia -- fear of the cold.

Pteronophobia -- fear of feathers.

Pyrexiophobia -- fear of fever.

Pyrophobia -- fear of fire.

Rectophobia -- fear of rectum.

Rhabdophobia -- fear of being beaten; fear of magic.

Rhypophobia -- fear of filth, defecation.

Sciophobia -- fear of shadows.

Scoleciphobia -- fear of worms.

Scopophobia -- fear of being looked at.

Scotophobia -- fear of the dark.

Selaphobia -- fear or dislike of flashes of light.

Sesquipedalophobia --fear of long words.

Siderophobia -- fear of the stars.

Specrophobia -- fear of spectres or phantoms.

Spermatophobia -- fear of loss of semen.

Stasibphobia -- fear or standing or walking; conviction that one cannot stand or walk.

Symmetrophobia -- fear or dislike of symmetry.

Tabophobia -- fear of a wasting sickness.

Tachophobia -- fear of speed.

Taphephobia -- fear of being buried alive.

Tapinophobia -- fear of small things.

Taurophobia -- fear of bulls.

Telephonophobia -- fear of the telephone.

Teratophobia -- fear of monster or of giving birth to a monster.

Thaasophobia -- fear or dislike of being idle.

Thalassophobia -- fear of the sea.

Theatrophobia -- fear of theatres.

Theophobia -- fear of God.

Thanatophobia -- fear of death.

Thermophobia -- fear or dislike of heat.

Tocophobia, Tokophobia -- fear of childbirth.

Tomophobia -- fear of surgical operations.

Topophobia -- fear of certain places.

Toxiphobia, Toxicophobia -- fear of being poisoned.

Traumatophobia -- excessive or disabling fear of war or physical injury.

Tremophobia -- fear of trembling.

Triskaidekaphobia -- fear of the number 13.

Tyrannophobia -- fear or hatred of tyrants.

Urophobia -- fear of urine.

Vaccinophobia -- fear of vaccines and vaccination.

Venereophobia -- fear of venereal disease.

Venustraphobia -- fear of beautiful women.

Verminophobia -- fear of germs.

Vermiphobia -- fear of worms.

Xenophobia -- fear or hatred of foreigners and strange things.

Xerophobia -- fear of dryness and dry places, like deserts.

Zelophobia -- fear of jealousy.

Zoophobia -- fear of animals.