A fear of dining with others can affect everyday situations involving meal with people, dinner party, eating with others and formal dinner. It may lead to avoiding interaction, rehearsing what to say, monitoring other people’s reactions, or replaying encounters afterwards.

Possible triggers

Joining a shared meal, accepting a dinner invitation or eating where other people can watch.

Name origin

From Greek deipnon (dinner) and -phobia.

Messy surroundings can cause intense distress, and even anticipating an untidy setting can provoke anxiety. This is more than a preference for neatness.

Possible triggers

Entering an untidy room, seeing objects out of place or facing a disorganised workspace.

Name origin

From Greek ataxia (disorder), formed from a- (without) and taxis (order), with -phobia (fear).

Also known as

Ataxiophobia

A fear of dizziness or vertigo can affect everyday situations involving losing balance, feeling faint, spinning and lightheaded. It may lead to monitoring sensations or bodily changes, avoiding particular situations, seeking reassurance, or organising routines around preventing the feared outcome.

Possible triggers

Anticipating a situation associated with dizziness or noticing a sensation you interpret as becoming unsteady.

Name origin

From Greek dinos (whirling) and -phobia.

A fear of doctors or medical appointments can affect everyday situations involving hospital visit, clinic, medical examination and doctor. It may lead to postponing appointments or treatment, worrying for days beforehand, seeking repeated reassurance, or avoiding healthcare that would otherwise be straightforward.

Possible triggers

Booking a medical appointment, entering a consultation room or waiting to speak with a doctor.

Name origin

From Greek iatros (physician) and -phobia.

A fear of dogs can affect parks, pavements, visiting other people’s homes and places where a dog may be off the lead. It may lead to changing routes, scanning ahead, asking whether a dog will be present or leaving when barking or an approaching dog feels too close.

Possible triggers

Examples include hearing a dog bark nearby, watching a dog on screen or visiting somewhere a dog might be present.

Name origin

From Greek kyon (dog) and -phobia.

Also known as

Kynophobia

A fear of dolls can affect toy shops, homes, museums and displays containing dolls, mannequins or lifelike figures. It may lead to avoiding certain rooms or places, turning objects away, checking where dolls are positioned or asking other people to remove them.

Possible triggers

Entering a room with displayed dolls, opening a box containing a doll or seeing one in a shop window.

Name origin

From Greek pais (child) and -phobia.

A fear of dreams or nightmares can affect everyday situations involving vivid dreams, bad dream, dreams and nightmares. It may lead to delaying bedtime, staying alert when tired, changing sleep routines, needing reassurance, or avoiding situations associated with sleep or night-time.

Possible triggers

Remembering a disturbing dream, discussing nightmares or anticipating dreaming when you next sleep.

Name origin

From Greek oneiros (dream) and -phobia.

The act of drinking is the focus of this term.

Possible triggers

Being offered a drink, lifting a cup to your mouth or anticipating drinking during a meal.

Possible name origin

The name may combine a drinking-related root with -phobia (fear). Latin potare means to drink, and Greek potos refers to drinking, but the precise derivation of this name is uncertain.

Amaxophobia can involve fear of driving or of travelling as a passenger.

A fear of driving can affect work, family life and independence. Some people avoid motorways, bridges, tunnels, busy traffic or unfamiliar routes, while others drive only after extensive planning, reassurance or mental preparation.

Possible triggers

Examples include getting into a car for a journey, travelling with an unfamiliar driver or taking a bus on a route that differs from the usual one.

Name origin

From Greek amaxa (wagon or carriage) and -phobia.

Also known as

Hamaxophobia, Motorphobia, Ochophobia

Dryness is the focus of this descriptive term. The name alone does not identify a particular cause or mean that every warm environment will feel difficult.

Possible triggers

Entering a very dry room, seeing parched ground, or anticipating time in an arid environment.

Possible name origin

Greek xeros means dry or arid and gives the combining form xero. Phobia comes from Greek phobos, fear.