The 10 most common phobias include: the fear of spiders, the fear of flying, and the fear of inescapable situations. Find out more about what causes phobias.

When a mentally sound individual flaps around a room, shakes uncontrollably, or has a panic attack for no apparent reason – chances are they have a phobia.

A phobia is a completely irrational fear. Sufferers know they are behaving oddly. But that doesn’t lessen the fear – in fact, it can make it worse.

That’s because it is a subconscious reaction. It comes from deep inside. No amount of logic and rationality will help. In short, it is a flaw in their perception of reality.

What Causes Phobias?

It’s possible that some specific phobias evolve, as proposed by the psychologists Rosenhan and Seligman. For instance, many thousands of years ago, it was necessary to avoid certain spiders, snakes and jellyfish to survive. (In fact, it still is today.)

But others argue that what causes phobias is cultural learning. For instance, there is less reported fear of spiders in South America – where they arguably have the largest and most fearsome spiders. Instead, the locals eat them in traditional foods!

It therefore likely that a bad childhood experience could lay the foundations of a specific phobia. After that, the fear is easily reinforced through cultural conditioning.

What Are the Top 5 Phobias?

Here are the most common phobias reported by both men and women.

1. Arachnophobia – the fear of spiders. There is no escape from these eight-legged beasts. They live in our houses, gardens, and even our places of work. True arachnophobes are even scared of pictures of spiders.

2. Social phobia – the fear of social situations. More than simple shyness. This is an extreme fear of being scrutinised by others, or humiliated by one’s own actions.

3. Aerophobia – the fear of flying. In a plane, obviously. Often paired with claustrophobia.

4. Agoraphobia – the fear of inescapable situations. The result is anxiety and panic attacks, which can easily become self-perpetuating. Extreme agoraphobes are confined to their own home, which is the only place they consider to be safe.

5. Claustrophobia – the fear of confined spaces. Sufferers will stay well away from elevators, trains and tiny cupboards under the stairs. May cause panic attacks if escape is not possible.

What Are the Top 10 Phobias?

Continuing with the list, these are slightly weird phobias but still widely reported by adults.

6. Acrophobia – the fear of heights. Sufferers may have panic attacks and put themselves in genuine danger if they can’t get down. Often confused with vertigo – which is merely a dizzy or spinning sensation and not necessarily caused by heights.

7. Emetophobia – the fear of vomit. No one likes the sight or smell of vomit, but these sufferers will go to extraordinary lengths to avoid the stuff.

8. Carcinophobia – the fear of cancer. Although it’s not contagious, a carcinophobe will believe he has cancer because he touched someone else with the disease.

9. Brontophobia – the fear of thunderstorms. Also known as astraphobia. Child and adult sufferers alike hide away from thunder and lightning, lest they suffer panic attacks and have difficulty breathing.

10. Necrophobia – the fear of death. Derived from the fear of being buried alive, after early excavations of coffins showed scratch marks made by trapped victims. Also relates to coffins and corpses.

Further Reading

The Causes and Cures of Phobias by Rebecca Turner

Uncommon Phobias by Rebecca Turner

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