Editiovultaphobia: The Fear of Facebook

Editiovultaphobia is the abnormal and persistent fear of Facebook.  I don’t have this phobia, but it’s easy to understand how someone could develop it.  I’ve taken pictures with other people before and they look fabulous while I look ridiculous, and of course they put it on Facebook and tag me in it.  It’s horrible.  It may seem silly to some, but this can cause a lot of anxiety and embarrassment, especially to those of us who tend to take more bad pictures than good.

One of the major things than can cause Editiovultaphobia is cyber bullying, especially among teens.  How long would it take you to stop logging into Facebook if someone was continuously posting negative things about you or threatening you in some way?  How long would it take for you to wish it no longer existed?  I’m glad technology wasn’t so advanced while I was growing up.  Getting bullied in person was bad enough.  I can’t imagine it following me right into the privacy of my own home.

A phobia is a strong, persistent fear of situations, objects, activities or persons.  The main symptom is an excessive and unreasonable desire to avoid the feared subject. Other phobia symptoms include shortness of breath, irregular heartbeat, sweating, nausea, and an overall feeling of dread.  Phobias are the most common form of anxiety disorders.

Do you suffer from Editiovultaphobia?  Please share your story.  How was it triggered and how does it affect your life?

Catagelophobia: The Fear of Being Ridiculed

Catagelophobia is the abnormal and persistent fear of being ridiculed.  Those with this phobia have low self-esteem and can’t cope at all with being ridiculed.  It may begin in early childhood and progress from there.  This phobia is closely related to Agoraphobia, the fear of crowds and Gelotophobia, the fear of being laughed at. 

A phobia is a strong, persistent fear of situations, objects, activities or persons.  The main symptom is an excessive and unreasonable desire to avoid the feared subject. Other phobia symptoms include shortness of breath, irregular heartbeat, sweating, nausea, and an overall feeling of dread.  Phobias are the most common form of anxiety disorders.

Do you suffer from Catagelophobia?  Please share your story.  How was it triggered and how does it affect your life?

Antefamaphobia: The Fear of People Talking About You, But Stopped After You Walked into the Room

Antefamaphobia is the abnormal and persistent fear of people talking about you, but stopped after you walked into the room.  I’m sure most people have been through this before.  It’s uncomfortable and awkward and leaves you feeling a little empty inside.  Considering I’m a socially awkward and highly emotional kind of person I can see how this could become a phobia.

A phobia is a strong, persistent fear of situations, objects, activities or persons.  The main symptom is an excessive and unreasonable desire to avoid the feared subject. Other phobia symptoms include shortness of breath, irregular heartbeat, sweating, nausea, and an overall feeling of dread.  Phobias are the most common form of anxiety disorders.

Do you suffer from Antefamaphobia?  Please share your story.  How was it triggered and how does it affect your life?

Stretchophobia: The Fear of Yoga

Stretchophobia is the abnormal and persistent fear of yoga.  Sometime around 2013, this phobia was recognized as a legitimate phobia.  Yoga has become insanely popular in the last few years and while many people love, there are those who fear it.  I don’t know what could cause this fear, but I’d really like to know.

A phobia is a strong, persistent fear of situations, objects, activities or persons.  The main symptom is an excessive and unreasonable desire to avoid the feared subject. Other phobia symptoms include shortness of breath, irregular heartbeat, sweating, nausea, and an overall feeling of dread.  Phobias are the most common form of anxiety disorders.

Do you suffer from Stretchophobia?  Please share your story.  How was it triggered and how does it affect your life?

Coulrophobia: The Fear of Clowns

Everyone experiences a fear of something at some time in their lives. Fear is natural, but sometimes it becomes irrational and develops into a phobia. A phobia is a strong, persistent fear of situations, objects, activities or persons. The main symptom is an excessive and unreasonable desire to avoid the feared subject. One particular phobia affects as many as one in seven people. Coulrophobia, the fear of clowns, is clinically known.

Coulrophobia is the official name for the fear of clowns. This condition is one of the most remarked-upon phobias on the Internet. Coulrophobia was coined during the 1990's and is based on the Greek word Koulon or limb. Related derivatives are suggestive of stilts and stilt walking. For example the Greek word Kolobathristes means one who goes on stilts. Clowns are often known to walk on stilts and so this how the relationship developed and the word Coulrophobia was made.

Those who suffer from Coulrophobia, do so, for many reasons. The most fear-inducing aspects of clowns is the heavy make-up that is accompanied by the big red nose and different color hair. These things completely conceal the identity of the wearer. It is also possible that the costume conceals a darker personality. Although clowns are known for being happy and creating a fun atmosphere, Coulrophobes tend to fear who the clown is as a real person.

Another reason for fearing clowns, is the clowns ability to act outside social boundaries. Clowns have been around for thousands of years and they serve an unique role in many societies. In Egypt and China as early as 1800 B.C. Court Jesters were allowed to mock and criticize Kings when no one else was allowed to. They can get in your face and squirt you with water and generally make fun of you without suffering any consequences. It is because of this that some people feel uncomfortable in the presence of a clown.

Coulrophobia is most commonly triggered by a traumatic experience during childhood. Authors and Screenwriters also play a role in the fear of clowns by portraying clowns as evil. Stephen King did this best in his novel “IT”, which is now also a movie. Stephen King's starring character is an evil clown who is called Pennywise. Pennywise harasses and kills young children. Not only is the clown evil, but it is very unattractive with sharp, yellowed teeth. The movie Poltergeist also did a good job in portraying an evil clown. The clown comes to life and attempts to strangle a young boy. Try getting that out of your head while you’re at the circus surrounded by clowns. One other fictional evil clown is the Joker, Batman's clown-like nemesis.

Fictional evil clowns are one thing, but it's the real-life evil clowns that create the worst images for Coulrophobes. John Wayne Gacy was convicted in 1978 for sexually abusing and murdering thirty-three young men and boys. During the time he was doing these horrible acts, he was performing as “Pogo” or “Patches” at children's parties and also at hospitals. Gacy's favorite oil painting subject, while on death row, was also clowns.

Phobia symptoms include shortness of breath, irregular heartbeat, sweating, nausea, and an overall feeling of dread. Phobias are the most common form of anxiety disorders. It is estimated that between 8.7% and 18.1% of Americans suffer from phobias. So whether you experience Coulrophobia or one of the many other phobias, you are not alone.

Selfiephobia: The Fear of Taking a Photograph of Oneself

Selfiephobia is the fear of taking a picture of oneself.  I don’t think I’ve ever met anyone with this phobia.  It’s usually the other way around.  I’ve witnessed folks take selfie after selfie after selfie and then to social media they immediately go.

Those with Selfiephobia are the opposite though.  They can’t stand to take pictures of themselves, because they don’t want to see what they look like in the pictures.  They have a vision of what they should look like and when they see the pictures it’s totally different and they’re not too keen on it.

Do you suffer from Selfiephobia? Please share your story.  How was it triggered and how does it affect your life?

Christmas with Pyrophobia: The Fear of Fire

Once again it's that bittersweet time of the year for me. I love Christmas and all the decorations including the lights. This is an issue for the Pyrophobe in me. I'm nervous all year long about leaving appliances on, gas leaks and all that, but Christmas brings a new fear...all those lights on the Christmas tree and house. Every year you hear about tons of house fires that all started because of the Christmas lights. I'm not ashamed to admit that this totally freaks me out but I won't stop putting up my tree and all the lights, because that would be giving in to the phobia and well that's just not me.


I've come a long way since I began suffering from Pyrophobia when I was 16 years old. It doesn't control me the way it used to and there's only certain times that it makes me stress out I guess you could say. I'm able to control it by making sure that I stay in control. I don't leave lamps on, Christmas lights or any appliance on when I leave the house and I periodically check everything around the house to make sure it's all working correctly. I'm cautious and I try to stay alert about everything. This is how I deal and some may still not understand, but I stopped caring a long time ago.



Do certain holidays trigger your phobias?