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.

Obesophobia: The Fear of Gaining Weight

Obesophobia or Pocrescophobia is the abnormal fear of gaining weight. This phobia is listed as a rare disease by the Office of Rare Diseases of the National Institutes of Health.

This phobia begins with a simple desire to lose weight and then it turns into a compulsive desire to avoid all things that will cause weight gain. The more these things are avoided, the more they are feared. Gaining weight is seen as a failure to those with Obesophobia and therefore they experience an abnormal fear toward anything that will cause them to fail.

This phobia is life-threatening. Not eating properly can have devastating effects on your health. If anyone suffers from this phobia, how has it affected your life?

Feeling Out of Control

Phobias can make you feel out of control very quickly. You realize that you shouldn't be feeling the way you are, but yet at the same time you don't know how to make it stop. It doesn't take long before the irrational fears take over your life. "Why can't I just be normal?" How many of you have asked yourself that question? I ask it on a regular basis. It would be so nice to go to bed and not worry about my house burning down or to be able to go to the circus without freaking out over the clowns.

Not only do you have to deal with the fear, but you also have to deal with all the people around you who don't understand what you're going through. They're quick to judge and make fun of you. Sometimes this part of it becomes harder to deal with than the actual phobia. There's nothing like someone else making you feel crazier than you already do.

Does your phobia make you feel out of control? If so, do you have any tips on how to get things back under control?

Androphobia: The Fear of Men

Androphobia is the abnormal and persistent fear of men. This phobia results in the avoidance of situations where men are present. That’s pretty much everywhere.

Like most phobias, androphobia is triggered by a traumatic event at a young age. In my opinion I feel that it can be triggered at any age by physical and emotional abuse, rape or any other life changing event that involves a man.

This is definitely one of those phobias that have to leave you not only afraid, but alone. If you don’t want to go where a man will do then you can’t go out to eat, go to the store or to the movies. Everywhere you go, you will run that risk of having to be near a man. I think this phobia will lead to severe anxiety problems.

If you have Anthrophobia let us know what it feels like and how you cope.

Claustrophobia: Fear of Enclosed Spaces

Claustrophobia is one of the more common phobias. It is the fear of enclosed spaces. It is classified as a situational phobia because it is triggered by a certain situation.

Claustrophobia usually develops as the result of a traumatic event during childhood such as being trapped in a small space or other events later on in adulthood that result in being confined to a small space.

The symptoms of claustrophobia include sweating, accelerated heartbeat, nausea, fainting, light headedness, shaking, hyperventilation and fear of actual imminent physical harm.

I personally know the symptoms of claustrophobia all too well. I’ve suffered from it for as long as I can remember. It’s irritating to say the least. I hate going to the doctor because I hate being in those little rooms with the door closed. I can’t sleep with my bedroom door closed, I have to open the blinds and curtains as soon as I wake-up and the inner door of my house as to be open while I’m awake. I don’t even like closing the bathroom door, especially when I’m taking a shower.

Would anyone else with this phobia like to share their triggers?