Common Phobias

Everyone is bound to be afraid of something. Young children are often afraid of the dark (achluophobia), or fear being separated from their parents. Sometimes those fears remain with an individual for their entire life. Occasionally, experiences as a young child cause psychological issues, that eventually translate into dread later on in life. For example, if as a child a dog bites you, you might very well believe that all dogs are dangerous in general (cynophobia), or develop a fear of a particular breed of dog. What are the phobias (Latin for fear) that plague society the most? What cause people to lose sleep at night? These are some common fears that can plague the general public:

• Spiders - Eight-legged, creepy-crawly, and possibly poisonous, the most common fear in the United States is arachnophobia, or the fear of spiders. Some people simply find spiders distasteful and stay away from them, while others can totally lose their calm upon seeing the smallest arachnid cross their path.
• Heights - Acrophobia, or the fear of heights, is the second most common fear. People don't like being at the top of tall structures, especially when there is little protection from falling over.
• Water - Aquaphobia is the abnormal and persistent fear of water. This isn't to say that someone who suffers from this fear can't take a bath or shower; they just avoid activities like swimming in deep waters, going to the ocean, or vacationing near a lake or river.
• Public Transportation - People like to have control over what goes on around them. They feel safer when they decide when and where to go. The fear of public transportation stems from a feeling of vulnerability due to having no control over the people or situations surrounding an individual. Fleeing in case of an emergency is much more difficult due to the masses around you, and this contributes to the phobia.
• Storms - Who wouldn't fear the wrath of nature? People sometimes find themselves trembling at the thought of thunderstorms (astraphobia) or lightning keraunophobia), dread the thought of an earthquake, or lose sleep worrying about high winds in a hurricane or tornado, often referred to as Storm Phobia. Having seen the devastating effects such catastrophes can have on the populace, people have been known to fear light winds and sprinklings in case the weather takes a turn for the worse.
• Closed Spaces - Claustrophobia is another commonly found phobia in people. When in an elevator, car, small room, etc., some people develop symptoms similar to anxiety attack patients. Someone suffering from this fear often needs to know where all exits are, place themselves near any doors at all times, take stairs instead of using elevators, etc.
• Tunnels and Bridges - Somewhat similar to fearing closed spaces, people often don't like going through tunnels due to the closed space, especially in the event of an emergency. Going over bridges can also make people feel vulnerable (gephyrophobia), because there isn’t any way to get off other than going back the way you came or continuing on; leaving from the sides isn't generally an option.  People who suffer from aquaphobia often suffer from this as well.
• Crowds - Huge groups of people can make individuals antsy. Fearing crowds, or demophobia, goes hand in hand with being afraid of closed spaces, because in a crowd you have less room to maneuver. Agoraphobia, the fear of open spaces, is similar.  It affects people who do not wish to leave a safe place and venture into crowded or unknown places.
• Public Speaking - People suffer from glossophobia because they don't like to be the center of attention, they worry about how they look and sound, they don't wish to be judged by their peers, and they don’t wish to embarrass themselves. Being forced to speak publicly can lead to anxiety attacks.
• 13 - Triskaidekaphobia, or fear of the number thirteen, can wreak havoc on some people.  They will stay inside on Friday the 13th, and take extravagant precautions to avoid being the 13th person in a line or at a table.  This fear has been far-reaching enough that some buildings do not have a thirteenth floor.  They go from twelve to fourteen, thereby alleviating any business from having to decide whether or not to rent offices on a thirteenth floor.  Sufferers can take solace in the knowledge that the maximum number of Friday the 13th's any year can have is three, and it is most often fewer.