All about phobias
In everyday life, you’ve likely heard of several phobias or know somebody who has one. You can have a phobia of many things, from clowns to flying, spiders and more.
They can affect anyone, and some are more common or obscure, and depending on the individual, more severe than others. But what is a phobia?
Here, BBC Bitesize takes a closer look at what a phobia is, where the term originated and what phobias are the most common. Warning: Phobia triggers are included in this article, including images and words.
What is a phobia?
According to the NHS, the definition of a phobia is “an overwhelming and debilitating fear of an object, place, situation, feeling or animal.” They also develop when “a person has an exaggerated or unrealistic sense of danger about a situation or object.”
Classed as a type of anxiety disorder, phobias, depending on how severe they are, can disrupt your daily life and often cause distress or anxiety. For some, thinking about the source of a phobia can make them feel uncomfortable, whereas others don’t experience any panic or anxiousness until they come into direct contact with the phobia.
Where does the term phobia come from?
When it comes to etymology, the study of the origin and evolution of words – the word phobia derives from the Greek word “phobos,” which means fear or panic. In Greek mythology, Phobos is the god of fear and panic.
Son of Ares and Aphrodite, Phobos is often associated with terror, especially regarding war and battle. There are many names for phobias that derive from Greek.
For example, the term arachnophobia derives from the Greek words arachne, meaning spider, and phobos meaning fear. In Greek mythology, the goddess Athena transforms a mortal named Arachne into a spider.
What types of phobia are there?
As mentioned earlier, phobias can develop surrounding an object, place, situation, feeling or animal. There are too many to list - some are more common than others and they can all affect people in different ways.
When it comes to objects, a person could have a fear of say a doll, which is known as pediophobia. People can also have a fear animals like dogs, known as cynophobia, or a fear of snakes, known as ophidiophobia.
Some have bodily phobias, with fears of blood, known as hemophobia or a fear of injections or needles, known as trypanophobia. Some phobias are more situational, like the fear of flying, which is known as aerophobia.
Some fears are less common and may feel obscure if you haven’t heard of them or associate a fear with said phobia. For example, some people can experience a phobia or big words or long words.
Also referred to as hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia, many experience distress or anxiety when encountering longer or more obscure words. Some phobias are classed as more complex, like agrophobia, the fear of being in a situation where help may not be available if something goes wrong or escape from said situation may be difficult.
What are the most common phobias?
Some phobias are more common than others and even if you don’t experience it yourself, you may know somebody who does or have at least heard of it.
According to the NHS, some of the most common phobias include arachnophobia, the fear of spiders and agoraphobia, the fear of open spaces and public places, that we mentioned earlier. Other common phobias include claustrophobia, the fear of confined spaces and social phobia, the fear of social situations.
Can phobias be treated?
While phobias are not always formally diagnosed, most can be successfully treated and even cured. If a phobia is affecting your day-to-day life, your GP could recommend what’s best to help.
Some phobias can be treated by gradually exposing yourself to whatever causes that fear or anxiety. Psychotherapy, such as Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), can help change patterns of negative thoughts and behaviours.
You can find out more from the NHS.
This article was written in December 2025
