What Are You Afraid Of?

For the past three years Chapman University, located in Orange, California, has surveyed Americans about their top fears. The most recent survey, conducted in April 2016, asked a random sample of 1,511 adults* their level of about 80 different fears categorized within 11 domains: crime, economic, environment, government, illness and death, immigration/demographic changes, human-made disasters, natural disasters, personal fears, relationships, and technology. Below are the top 10 fears for which the highest percentage of people surveyed reported being “Afraid” or “Very Afraid.”

Perhaps you are more familiar with phobias. A phobia is an intense fear reaction that may be out of proportion to the potential danger, but to the person the danger feels real. Phobias can cause worry, anxiety, and cause health issues if a person with a phobia is exposed to the thing or situation.

A quick search of the Internet quickly identifies the top 10 phobias, complete with their technical names.

Arachnophobia the fear of spiders

Ophidiophobia the fear of snakes

Acrophobia the fear of heights

Agoraphobia the fear of open or crowded spaces

Cynophobia the fear of dogs

Astraphobia the fear of thunder and lightning

Claustrophobia the fear of small spaces

Mysophobia the fear of germs

Aerophobia the fear of flying

Glossophobia the fear of public speaking

Other common phobias include:

Nyctophobia—the fear of the dark

Trypanophobia—the fear of medical needles

Nosophobia—the fear of contracting a disease

Coulrophobia—the fear of clowns

Dentophobia—the fear of the dentist or dental procedures