Equinophobia: The Fear of Horses

Equinophobia is the fear of horses. Horses make me nervous, but I wouldn’t go as far as saying that I have a phobia towards them. I can be around them and even touch them as long as I’m not by myself, but I won’t ride them. I use to not be afraid of them at all, but when I was little I was put on a very unhappy horse and its restlessness terrified me and I never rode again.

There are many people who have Equinophobia and even the thought of a horse sends them into a panic. They cannot stand to be around any horse even if it is the kindest, most gentle horse in the world. They will avoid any type of contact with horses and stables. Equinophobes may also fear other hoofed animals such as donkeys, mules and ponies.

Possible triggers of Equinophobia are falling off a horse, being bitten or kicked by a horse and meeting an aggressive horse for the first time. Equinophobia is also known as Hippophobia.

Demonophobia: The Fear of Demons

Demonophobia is an abnormal and persistent fear of demons, spirits, goblins and devils. It is also known as Daemonophobia.

There is not a lot of information on this one, so if anyone has any stories to share please do so. I’m going to guess that if you have had extreme experiences with the spirit world then you may be subject to this phobia. Those who have the phobia without first having an experience may just have an extreme fear of the “unknown” that eventually turns into the phobia. Either way I can imagine that this phobia can become extremely debilitating.

I really want your stories on this one. What is it like living with this phobia and what kind of rituals, if any, do you have to help you deal with your fear?

Hoplophobia: The Fear of Firearms

Hoplophobia is the irrational fear of firearms. This phobia can cause sweating, faintness, discomfort, rapid pulse, nausea, sleeplessness and nondescript fears just by thinking about firearms.

The term hoplophobia was coined in 1962 by Colonel Jeff Cooper, a firearms instructor. He believes that the most common manifestation of the phobia is the idea that the firearm possesses a will of its own.

Efforts are being made to have hoplophobia recognized in the official directory of mental ailments. There could be as many as 10 million people who are suffering from this phobia.

Atelophobia: The Fear of Imperfection

Atelophobia is the irrational fear of imperfection. An Atelophobics has an extreme fear of the inability to achieve perfection in anything that they do. They are highly critical of everything they do and they feel that their actions, ideas and beliefs are never good enough. Atelophobia can become an obsession that destroys their relationships and it can prevent their ability to function in society.

Atelophobics experience the basic symptoms of all other phobias and they may also experience a high degree of excitability, insomnia and an inability to relax. Atelophobia is sometimes manifested towards others.

Decidophobia-The Fear of Making Decisions

Decidophobia is the fear of making decisions. It was first named in 1973 by Walter Kaufman. Making decisions is a hard part of life because we constantly fear that we are going to make the wrong decisions. Even when it's a simple decision such as deciding what to eat, it can be frustrating and hard to do. What if the food doesn't taste good and doesn't satisfy us.

I think many of us suffer from this phobia. I won't say everyone, because I know a few people who are able to strategically make decisions and because of this they don't fear the decisions that they make. Then there are those of us, who have trouble thinking out those decisions and as the phobia says we fear making the wrong one. It seems that maybe we analyze the repercussions of the decision more than the decision itself.

Are you afraid of making decisions? Could it be a natural fear or do you suffer from Decidophobia?

Tonitrophobia: Fear of Thunder and Lightning

We’ve all been through a bad thunderstorm before. They can be scary for everyone, but for those who suffer from tonitrophobia it can be a nightmare. Thunderstorms can cause them to have anxiety attacks and to feel emotionally and physically sick.

Tonitrophobia is the excessive fear of thunder and associated lightning. Other names for this phobia include tonitruphobia and brontophobia. Tonitro and Tonitru are Latin prefixes that mean thunder. Bronto is a Greek prefix that also means thunder.

When I was younger I would cry every time there was loud thunder. I don’t cry anymore, but I really hate being alone during a bad storm. When I hear of a storm coming and I know I’m going to be alone I get extremely anxious. Storms don’t bother me too much (unless it’s a tornado), when I’m not alone.

Are you afraid of thunder and lightning?

Facing Phobias

My mom has been in the hospital for almost a week now and I've been staying here with her so I haven't really felt like writing. Since I've been here I've had to deal with one of my biggest phobias-Claustrophobia.

To put it simply I despise elevators and I've had to use them a million times already. They're small and I'm afraid I'll get stuck in one. Actually just today someone did get stuck in one. That doesn't help my situation at all. Taking the stairs doesn't help much either-They just prolong the period of time I have to deal without having windows to look out.

Another thing that is bothering me here is that my mom's room is tiny. It drives me crazy at night when the door is closed. I feel like I can't breathe. At least there's a big window though. There's no way I could handle it if there wasn't.

How do you deal with your phobias when you have to deal with them head on? Do you run or do you find a way to deal?

Let me known your thoughts on this and hopefully I will be back to my regular posting schedule soon.