Gelotophobia: The Fear of Being Laughed At

No one likes to be laughed at especially if they don’t know why they are being laughed at. If you’re a sensitive person, like me, being laughed at can be cruel and unusual punishment. Those who cannot handle being laughed at may develop a very serious phobia called Gelotophobia.

Gelotophobia is the irrational and sometimes debilitating fear of being laughed at. Those who suffer from this phobia may hear someone laughing across a room or store and think that the person is laughing at them. This can cause the person to become extremely anxious and start sweating and trembling.

Gelotophobia became a distinct phobia and was given its name about ten years ago. It is currently being researched and statistics are still being gathered to determine exactly how many people are affected by this phobia throughout the world. As of the most recent studies approximately 14% of people in the United States are affected by this phobia.