Phobias are more common than you may think, although we do have access to statistics to show how many people suffer from phobias.
Approximately 6 million people in the UK (around 10% of the population) are known to have a phobia, however it is estimated that numbers could be far higher, due to the fact that people don’t often like to admit to having a an irrational fear about something and feel ashamed to talk about it openly.
1.an extreme or irrational fear of or aversion to something.
Phobias can be about anything at all. Some phobias may seem incredibly odd, like a fear of buttons or fruit, and others we might be able to relate to like a fear of spiders, public speaking or flying.
Here are some more unusual phobias, and some you may recognise but didn’t not know the official name for:
- Brontophobia Fear of thunder and lightning.
- Xanthophobia Fear of the color yellow or the word yellow
- Bufonophobia Fear of toads
- Chiraptophobia Fear of being touched.
- Dentophobia Fear of dentists
- Demophobia Fear of crowds
- Zoophobia Fear of animals
- Barophobia Fear of gravity
- Emetophobia Fear of vomiting
- Glossophobia Fear of speaking in public
- Melissophobia Fear of bees
- Thantophobia Fear of death or dying
- Trypanophobia Fear of injections
- Thalassophobia Fear of the sea
You might have had a giggle reading a couple of those, but the experience of a phobia, no matter how ridiculous it might sound is very real to the person who suffers from it. Phobias can be incredibly debilitating and paralysing, displaying themselves as severe panic attacks and physical reactions that are truly horrible to live with. At their worst they can stop people going outside, having a social life or seeing the world and at best (if you can call it that) they put limitations on everyday activities like not being able to do a presentation at work, avoiding using lifts at all costs or not going into a room in the house because you know there is a spider in there.
Thankfully, there are therapeutic methods that deal effectively with managing phobias, meaning that people who suffer from them really do not have to suffer with them unnecessarily.
I run a Phobia Clinic at Kingston Natural Health Centre, and have helped many people overcome the crippling effects of their phobias. For the months of December and January I am offering phobia sessions at a 50% discount. Usually £60, you will pay £30 instead. Previous clients report that their phobia symptoms reduced to 10% or less and sometimes were even eliminated in just one session.
Call 0208 549 8000 to make an appointment with Sara and take advantage of this amazing offer don’t live with a phobia if you don’t have to!