The 7 most common specific phobias

A compilation of the most common specific phobias and their characteristics.

Specific phobias are a quite frequent clinical picture in psychology consultations. in psychology clinics. We all know someone who is horrified at the sight of a spider in the distance, even if it is less than two centimeters long.

Who panics while climbing the steps of a spiral staircase. Who turns pale when watching a plane take off, even if it is in a movie, or who climbs seven floors on foot so as not to take an elevator, when we ourselves are not the ones affected.

Below we will see which are the most common specific phobias and what are their characteristics.

What are specific phobias?

The specific phobias are those in which the element that produces a strong fear or fear can be localized and isolated from the rest in a relatively simple way.

Within anxiety disorders, specific phobias are the most frequent in the general population, with an estimated prevalence of 10%. This is, in part, because the experiences and situations that can lead to the onset of this type of disorder are very varied.

Phobias produce an intense and persistent, excessive or irrational fear of specific objects or situations (animals, heights, enclosed spaces, etc). The physical proximity or anticipation of the feared object or situation provokes an immediate anxiety response (sweating, tachycardia, palpitations, tremors, dizziness, etc.) that can lead to a panic attack, so that the person will try to avoid those objects or situations in the future.. To be able to diagnose a phobia, this one must produce a great interference or high degree of discomfort in the life of the subject.

Most common specific phobias

Below you can see a compilation of the most common specific phobias, with a basic description of each one. Of course, there are many more, although most of them are not very common.

Phobia of heights or acrophobia

Acrophobia is an intense and irrational fear of heights, even when there is no risk. People who suffer from fear of heights show great anxiety when approaching a lookout point or precipice, climbing to a high floor, crossing bridges, or even standing in elevated seats in cinemas, theaters or stadiums.

Many patients with height phobia fear the sensations they experience at heights, such as unsteady balance, unsteady footing, unstable balancesuch as unsteady balance, sweating or dizziness. The feeling of panic can be disproportionate even at low altitudes. It is estimated that between 3 and 5% of the population suffers from fear of heights, being one of the most common phobias.

2. Fear of flying or aerophobia

Aerophobia is the irrational and excessive fear of flying. The fear of flying is related to having an accident, perceiving instability in the airplane, thinking about not being able to escape in the middle of the plane.The fear of not being able to escape in mid-flight, feeling that one is not in control of the situation, or experiencing feelings of panic during the flight.

Although it seems that more than 90% of passengers travel with fears of some kind, people who suffer from this phobia, approximately 3%, not only experience a slight uneasiness at the time of landing and take-off, but an intense and excessive anxiety that prevents them from planning or imagining a future airplane trip, even months before taking it.

3. Claustrophobia

This disorder involves the excessive fear of being in small spaces. It is estimated that between 2 and 4% of the population suffers from this phobia. Breathing difficulties and the fear of suffocation, together with the fear of not being able to move or escape, are typical phenomena in claustrophobia. These people tend to avoid elevators, tunnels, subways, small or windowless rooms, telephone booths, closing the door or locking the door in a bathroom, etc.

4. Animal phobia (zoophobia)

The fear of some animals (spiders, dogs, birds, snakes, cats) has its origin in ancestral fears. have their origin in ancestral fears that have allowed our ancestors to survive.. Animal phobia is another of the most common, affecting between 3 and 5% of the population. Among animal fears (zoophobia), the most frequent are arachnophobia (fear of spiders), ophidiophobia (fear of snakes), cynophobia (fear of dogs), ornithophobia (fear of birds) or ailurophobia (fear of cats).

It is common for people with this phobia to fear the physical appearance and movements of the feared animals. In the case of small animals (insects, spiders, rats) there is both a reaction of fear and a feeling of disgust or revulsion. Interestingly, many sufferers do not believe that the animal will harm them, but think that they will experience unpleasant sensations, lose control, or hurt themselves trying to escape.

5. Phobia of blood, injections or wounds (SIH)

Approximately 2-3% of the population has a phobia of blood, injections or wounds (SIH). People with this type of phobia tend to avoid all situations where they expect to see or come into contact with blood, such as blood draws. Most blood phobics (hematophobia) also have a phobia of blood injections.also have a phobia of injections, although only a minority of these have a phobia of blood.

Unlike other phobias, the anxiety response pattern is very different. There is a two-phase response, in which at first, in the presence of needles, blood or wounds, there is a rapid increase in anxiety (palpitations, increased frequency and intensity of breathing, muscle tension, sweating) and then, in a second phase, a rapid drop in Blood Pressure and heart rate, which causes dizziness and can lead to fainting.

6. Brontophobia

Brontophobia is the fear of atmospheric phenomena such as thunder, lightning and storms.. Approximately 2% present this phobia. It usually begins in childhood and can last into adulthood. When lightning appears or the sound of thunder is perceived, anxiety begins to increase in the affected person.

The main fear is getting hurt or being struck by lightning, although other fears may also appear, such as losing control of the situation, becoming unconscious or suffering a heart attack due to the anxiety experienced.

7. Dentophobia or dental phobia

Dental phobia consists of an extreme, unjustified and extreme, unjustified and persistent fear of the dentist.. Between 2 and 3% of the population suffers from this phobia, where it is very common that the mere thought of going to the dentist causes high anxiety, even weeks before the appointment.

Looking for professional support?

If you are interested in attending psychotherapy sessions to treat a phobia, one of the best options you can find in Madrid is the Psicomaster psychology center, located in the neighborhood of El Retiro.

This entity has a multidisciplinary team of professional experts in mental health and wellness, highly trained in addressing anxiety disorders.

The type of interventions they work with allow them to effectively overcome any form of phobia in a matter of weeks, overcoming anxiety and fear gradually and in an environment controlled by specialists in this kind of problems. Click here for their contact details.

Bibliographical references:

• Akirav, Irit; Mouna Maroun (15 May 2006). The Role of the Medial Prefrontal Cortex-Amygdala Circuit in Stress Effects on the Extinction of Fear. Neural Plasticity. 30873.
• Bados, A.(2009). Specific phobias: Nature, assessment and treatment. Electronic publication.
• Bolton, D.; Eley, T. C.; O'Connor, T. G.; Perrin, S.; Rabe-Hesketh, S.; Rijsdijk, F.; Smith, P. (2006). Prevalence and genetic and environmental influences on anxiety disorders in 6-year-old twins". Psychological Medicine. 36 (3): pp. 335 - 344.
• Hamm, A.O. (2009). Specific phobias. The Psychiatric Clinics of North America. 32 (3): pp. 577 - 591.