BTEC Photography: September 2012

fear

[feer]

noun

a distressing emotion aroused by impending danger, evil, pain, etc., whether the threat is real or imagined; the feeling or condition of being afraid. Synonyms: foreboding, apprehension, consternation, dismay, dread, terror, fright, panic, horror, trepidation, qualm. Antonyms: courage, security, calm, intrepidity."

1. Arachnophobia:

The fear of spiders.
This phobia tends to affect women more than men.

2. Ophidiophobia:

The fear of snakes.
Often attributed to evolutionary causes, personal experiences, or cultural influences.

3. Acrophobia:

The fear of heights.
This fear can lead to anxiety attacks and avoidance of high places.

4. Agoraphobia:

The fear of situations in which escape is difficult.
This may include crowded areas, open spaces, or situations that are likely to trigger a panic attack. People will begin avoiding these trigger events, sometimes to the point that they cease leaving their home.
Approximately one third of people with panic disorder develop agoraphobia.

5. Cynophobia:

The fear of dogs.
This phobia is often associated with specific personal experiences, such as being bitten by a dog during childhood.

6. Astraphobia:

The fear of thunder and lightening.
Also known as Brontophobia, Tonitrophobia, or Ceraunophobia.

7. Trypanophobia:

The fear of injections.
Like many phobias, this fear often goes untreated because people avoid the triggering object and situation.

8. Social Phobias:

The fear of social situations.
In many cases, these phobias can become so severe that people avoid events, places, and people that are likely to trigger an anxiety attack.