Gerascophobia: The Fear of Growing Old

Gerascophobia is the extreme and irrational fear of growing old.

I don't know of many people who actually look forward to getting older, but those with Gerascophobia are so afraid of growing old that they will have anxiety attacks and break out into sweats just at the thought of getting older.

Some with this phobia may even wish to die at a young age so that they don't get old. They fear the unknown and they fear mental diseases, having to wear diapers, being lonely, losing their independence and a multitude of other things.

If you have Gerascophobia please share your story. Why are you afraid of growing old?

Geliophobia: The Fear of Laughter

Geliophobia is the extreme and irrational fear of laughter. Those with the phobia become afraid that they will smile or laugh at inappropriate times. Jokes, comedies and funny situations can cause them to feel extreme anxiety.

Geliophobia can be caused by embarrassment from laughing at an inappropriate time, being mistreated and made fun of, or from uncorrected orthodontic problems.

If you have Geliophobia please share your story. What triggered the phobia and how does it affect your life?

Francophobia: The Fear of France

Francophobia is the extreme and irrational fear of France. It is also known as gallophobia and galiophobia.

Those who suffer from Francophobia have an extreme hatred of the country, the people and the culture. There is a website that is devoted to Francophobia called I Hate France.

There are quite a few sites that talk about Francophobia and I'm not sure at this point if this is a true phobia or just an extreme hate. It could be hatred caused by fear, but none of the sites are really clear on this.

If you have this phobia please share your story. Do you just hate France and anything that has to do with it or are you truly afraid?

Frigophobia: The Fear of Cold or Cold Things

Frigophobia is the abnormal and irrational fear of cold or cold things. Those who suffer with this phobia will bundle up in jackets and blankets even when the weather isn't cold.

Frigophobia can make it difficult to do things when the temperature is too low. This can make for a very long, hard winter. Those who have the phobia just can't function properly in the cold.

Some believe that it may be linked to hypochondria or obsessive compulsive disorder.

If you have Frigophobia please share your story. How does it affect you and how do you cope with this phobia during the winter?

Ecclesiophobia: The Fear of Church

Ecclesiophobia is the extreme and irrational fear of church. Everyone is afraid of something and some people are afraid of church.

I couldn't find any information on this one at all. If you have this phobia or know someone who does I need your help. Please share your story and let us know about this phobia.

Thank You!

I want to thank everyone for taking the time to read my posts and share your stories. I never imagined that this blog would be so well accepted when I started it. I apologize for not responding to every comment individually, but I have received so many and I can't seem to catch up. I do read every comment that is left though and I sincerely appreciate every single one.

Please keep sharing your stories. They are so important in raising awareness about phobias. There are too many people in this world who don't understand the impact that phobias can have on a persons life.

Thanks again!

Diplophobia: The Fear of Double Vision

Diplophobia is the extreme and irrational fear of double vision.

As kids we were always told that if we make ugly faces then our faces will stay that way and if we cross our eyes they will stay that way or we will see double. I never really thought too much about it, but some people develop an extreme fear because of those little warnings.

In fact someone with Diplophobia developed the phobia
because their mother told them that if they crossed their eyes they would permanently see double. It goes to show that even the most harmless words can do so much damage.

There's not a lot of information on this phobia and I wonder if they're are any other triggers. If you have Diplophobia please share your story. What triggered it and how does it affect your life?