I had a really random brain wave earlier to write about phobias. What phobias do you suffer from? I’m sure everyone has phobias and some people prefer not to talk about them for obvious reasons. Also in case someone uses them in the wrong way but they are worth talking about. I did do a poll on Twitter asking people if they would like to read a post about phobias. And everyone seemed to be against it.

But I thought I would write one up anyway in my #MentalHealthAwarenessMonth series. Some people suffer from maybe one or two but others can suffer from a whole lot more. Below I’m going to talk to you about the phobias I suffer from and what they mean.

WHAT PHOBIAS DO YOU SUFFER FROM?

Childbirth – Tokophobia

Tokophobia is a pathological fear of pregnancy and can lead to avoidance of childbirth. It can be classified as primary or secondary. Primary is morbid fear of childbirth in a woman, who has no previous experience of pregnancy.

I don’t know what it is that is making me fear childbirth. But the thought of giving birth and the pain just puts me off completely. I am hoping to adopt children who need a caring and loving home who have been unfortunate in their lives.

Needles – Trypanophobia

Trypanophobia is defined as extreme fear of medical procedures involving injections or needles. Although sometimes also referred to as aichmophobia, belonephobia, or enetophobia. Those terms generally denote a fear of pins, needles, or sharp objects. While tryphanophobia also includes the medical aspect of the fear.

The thought of having any injection or any form of needle near me makes me want to faint. But sometimes I have been able to block the thought out of my mind and get injections over with.

Dying – Thanatophobia

Thantophobia is the fear of death or dying. The origin come from the Greek word thanato (meaning death) and phobia is Greek (meaning fear)

The thought of dying really scares me and I don’t know what I’ll do when I get older.

Heights – Acrophobia

Acrophobia can range from fear when on the top floor of a tall building. To fear of standing on a chair. People with acrophobia feel a sense of panic when they’re at a certain height. And often become unable to trust their sense of balance.

Whether it’s standing on a chair to reach something or being on high ground. My heart faces and my palms sweat and I really can’t look at the ground. It’s also the fear of falling that scares me as well. 

READ MORE: Music & My Anxiety

Being Abandoned – Autophobia

Autophobia, also called monophobia, isolophobia, or eremophobia. Is the specific phobia of isolation; a morbid fear of being egotistical. Or a dread of being alone or isolated. Sufferers need not be physically alone, but just to believe that they are being ignored or unloved.

Being left alone and abandoned is another of my phobias which comes from my anxiety. I also hate the thought of being unloved. 

Clowns – Coulrophobia

Coulrophobia, known as the fear of clowns may seem like a laughing matter at first glance. But for the people that suffer with this terrifying fear of a great childhood entertainment icon. It can literally stop life dead in its tracks.

Clowns and anyone dressed up in scary costumes really freak me out especially during Halloween and in the movie IT. I just can’t deal with scary clowns. 

Vomiting – Emetophobia

Emetophobia is a phobia that causes overwhelming, intense anxiety pertaining to vomiting. This specific phobia can also include subcategories of what causes the anxiety, including a fear of vomiting in public, a fear of seeing vomit, a fear of watching the action of vomiting or fear of being nauseated.

This is an annoying one especially as I suffer from travel sickness but when ever I get the feeling like I’m going to vomit I try to force it away which probably doesn’t do much good for my body but it’s one thing I really hate , it’s the worst feeling ever. 

Unnecessary Sound – Misophonia

Misophonia, literally “hatred of sound,” was proposed in 2000 as a condition in which negative emotions, thoughts, and physical reactions are triggered by specific sounds. It is also called “select sound sensitivity syndrome” and “sound-rage.”

This is one I suffer from most days especially at work with quite a lot of things that set me off, including hearing people eating their food really loudly, or drinking loudly, slurping, people not closing the office doors properly so they bang against the door frames, sniffing their noses when they don’t blow it, pathetic little coughs when they don’t cough properly. Noises like that make my palms sweat and my teeth go funny. 

Image used in this post is credit to Ivory Mix.

What phobias do you suffer from? How do they affect your everyday life?