Arachnophobia. The fear of spiders. This is the most common animal phobia - which goes to show how irrational phobias are, since dogs and horses kill way more people each year than spiders. Spiders are creepy, I'll admit. Those fangs, those eyes, the clicking of their little clawed feet, the way they drop from a… Continue reading Who’s Afraid of Spiders? (Fearless February Day 10)
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Who’s Afraid of Confined Spaces? (Fearless February Day 9)
Claustrophobia. The fear of being in a confined space. Most statistics claim that upwards of 10% of people are claustrophobic. If you're not one of them, you might think this is a fear of small spaces. But it's more complicated. It's an irrational fear of being somewhere you can't escape from. Often the places that… Continue reading Who’s Afraid of Confined Spaces? (Fearless February Day 9)
Who’s Afraid of Horses? (Fearless February Day 8)
Equinophobia. AKA Hippophobia. The fear of horses. Okay, so maybe the answer to the question, "Who's afraid of horses?" is "Almost nobody." But if horses were as commonly kept as dogs, this phobia would skyrocket. Horses are big scary herbivores. And they bite. I know this because once I was at a petting zoo and a little… Continue reading Who’s Afraid of Horses? (Fearless February Day 8)
Who’s Afraid of Blood? (Fearless February Day 7)
Hemophobia. Fear of blood. Hemophobics are easy to spot in grade school: they're the ones screaming and crying when the nurse comes around. They simply cannot stand the sight of blood -- their own or anyone else's. Like most phobics, they experience anxiety, dread and panic at the thought of what they fear. Even worse,… Continue reading Who’s Afraid of Blood? (Fearless February Day 7)
Who’s Afraid of Being Alone (Fearless February Day 6)
Autophobia. AKA Monophobia. The fear of being alone. Table for one? Few of us relish the idea of going out to eat alone. You need a book or a tablet to keep you company. Going to bars alone? Ew. Being home alone? Bring it on. Please. I need to be alone to work. I get… Continue reading Who’s Afraid of Being Alone (Fearless February Day 6)
Catherine Austen 