A fear of nosebleeds can affect everyday situations involving bleeding nose, blood from nose and nosebleed. It may lead to monitoring sensations or bodily changes, avoiding particular situations, seeking reassurance, or organising routines around preventing the feared outcome.

Possible triggers

Noticing blood from the nose, seeing someone with a nosebleed or anticipating another episode.

Name origin

From Greek epistaxis (nosebleed) and -phobia.

A fear of sexual topics can affect everyday situations involving intimate conversation, talking about sex, sexual discussion and sexual imagery. It may lead to avoiding intimacy or difficult conversations, pulling back from relationships, seeking reassurance, or making choices primarily to prevent the feared emotional or physical situation.

Possible triggers

Hearing a sexual topic discussed, encountering sexual imagery or anticipating an intimate conversation.

Name origin

From Greek eros (love or desire) and -phobia.

A fear of sin or wrongdoing can affect everyday decisions, relationships, religious practice and situations involving moral uncertainty. It may lead to repeated checking, reassurance-seeking, confession, avoidance or difficulty moving on from ordinary mistakes because they feel unusually significant.

Possible triggers

Making a moral decision, recalling something you regard as wrong or hearing a discussion of sin.

Name origin

From Greek hamartia (error or sin) and -phobia.

Also known as

Enosiophobia, Peccatiphobia

A fear of surgical procedures can affect everyday situations involving being operated on, operating theatre, surgery and operation. 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

Receiving a surgery date, discussing an operation or entering a surgical department.

Name origin

From Greek ergasia (work or procedure) and -phobia.

A fear of teenagers can affect everyday situations involving school pupils, youth groups, teens and adolescents. It may lead to avoiding interaction, rehearsing what to say, monitoring other people’s reactions, or replaying encounters afterwards.

Possible triggers

Passing a group of teenagers, attending an event with adolescents or anticipating interaction with them.

Name origin

From Greek ephebos (youth) and -phobia.

A fear of vomiting can influence eating, travel, social plans, work and contact with illness. It may involve monitoring food, avoiding certain places or people, seeking reassurance, or becoming highly alert to nausea and other normal body sensations.

Possible triggers

Examples include feeling nauseous, seeing someone being sick, hearing talk about vomiting or visiting somewhere unfamiliar without knowing where the toilets are.

Name origin

From Greek emetos (vomit) and -phobia.

A fear of work or the workplace can affect everyday situations involving going to work, work meeting, office and work. It may lead to putting things off, over-preparing, repeatedly checking, seeking reassurance, or turning down opportunities that feel too exposing.

Possible triggers

Preparing to start a workday, entering the workplace or anticipating a new work assignment.

Name origin

From Greek ergon (work) and -phobia.