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Most of us are afraid of something, whether we’re willing to admit it or not. For some folks, it’s flying or heights that give them a fright, but according to new research, those aren’t the most common fears.
Digital firm QR Code Generator looked at Google searches over the course of a month to find the top phobias of Americans.
The Most Common Phobias In The U.S.
- Trypophobia - The fear of small holes or bumps clustered together. Those who have it may find foods like honeycomb and swiss cheese, and objects like sponges disgusting.
- Agoraphobia - A fear of leaving an environment known to be safe. This affects an estimated 0.9% to 1.7% of the U.S. population and often people who have it become homebound because they’re afraid to leave their house.
- Misophonia - A severe aversion to chewing, swallowing and heavy breathing sounds. Sufferers describe those sounds as “driving them crazy,” even though other people may not notice them.
- Thalassophobia - This is a fear of large, deep bodies of water, like oceans and lakes. People with it aren’t so much afraid of the water itself, but what’s underneath the surface.
- Emetophobia - An extreme disgust and aversion to vomiting. It’s not just a fear of throwing up, it’s also anxiety about not being able to make it to the bathroom in time, a fear of not being able to stop vomiting or choking on vomit.
- Claustrophobia - It’s an irrational fear of enclosed spaces, like elevators, closets, cars and tunnels. Around 12.5% of Americans have this fear, including celebs Ryan Reynolds and Uma Thurman.
- Acrophobia - This is a fear of heights that can be incredibly disorienting and cause sufferers to panic, feel paralyzed and shake.
- Arachnophobia - The fear of spiders is eighth on the list.
- Hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia - This impossible to pronounce phobia is actually an ironic fear of long words. People who have it are often afraid to read long words aloud, especially at school.
- Thanatophobia - It’s an intense fear of death and dying and it may lead to feelings of distress when thinking about their death or that of a loved one.
Read the full article at Daily Mail