10 common phobias

1. Arachnophobia: Everyone has heard of this one. There has even been a comedic movie about it. But in case you don't know, arachnophobia is the fear of spiders.
2. Aerophobia: This one is the fear of flying, and it has probably grown more common in recent years because of terrorist attacks and media focus upon accidental crashes throughout the world.
3. Acrophobia: This fear is somewhat related to the one before, aerophobia. Acrophobia is a serious fear of heights. If you feel you suffer from a serious phobia, contact a doctor, because there are treatments available nowadays.
4. Astraphobia: Astraphobia is the fear of lightning and thunder, basically a fear of storms. Humans are not the only ones to suffer from astraphobia, as pets commonly are also afraid of storms.
5. Necrophobia: This is the fear of the dead and death. When we stop and think about it, most of us have some fear of death, but those who suffer from necrophobia have a strong reaction, and often cannot attend funerals or visit funeral homes or even hospitals.
6. Carcinophobia: Do you fear cancer? Those with carcinophobia do. Panic attacks are not uncommon from those who suffer with a phobia, but those with carcinophobia often have to stay away from those who smoke because it will bring about a panic attack. Also, some with carcinophobia will try to stay out of sunlight for fear of skin cancer.
7. Demophobia: This is a fear of being in a crowded place. Those who have to cope with demophobia are more than just a little uncomfortable going to parties, movie theaters, etc. They definitely would not want to go to Times Square on New Years Eve.
8. Xenophobia: A fear of strangers. Xenophobes sometimes stay indoors a lot, especially at home. They often don't like to go out in public where they will be constantly confronted with strangers. Again, there is help available, some of it medicinal and some therapeutic.
9. Claustrophobia: Are you afraid of tight or enclosed spaces? If so, you might suffer from claustrophobia, especially if you have an irrational fear of such spaces.
10. Mysophobia: This phobia is sometimes known as "germophobia." And, as you can likely guess, it's a fear of germs. It is not uncommon for those who have an obsessive compulsive disorder to have mysophobia as one of their symptoms, as those with OCD sometimes focus on cleanliness.