A fear of long waits or prolonged experiences can affect everyday situations involving waiting room, waiting, queue for ages and long wait. It may lead to avoiding change, delaying plans, seeking reassurance, or keeping life unusually restricted so that the feared situation is less likely to arise.

Possible triggers

Joining a slow queue, waiting without a clear end time or anticipating a prolonged appointment.

Name origin

From Greek makros (long) and -phobia.

A fear of long words can affect everyday situations involving very long words, complex vocabulary and multisyllabic words. It may lead to monitoring thoughts and mental sensations, seeking reassurance, avoiding information or situations that trigger the fear, or trying hard to suppress particular thoughts.

Possible triggers

Meeting a long unfamiliar word in a document or being asked to pronounce one aloud.

Name origin

A playful construction combining Latin roots for ‘very long’.

Also known as

Hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia

A fear of looking upward can affect everyday situations involving looking up, tall ceiling, high structure above and skyscraper overhead.

Possible triggers

Tilting your head to look at the sky, inspecting a ceiling or looking up at a tall building.

Name origin

From Greek anablepo (to look up) and -phobia.

A fear of loose hair can affect grooming, showers, cleaning, clothing and shared spaces where strands of hair may be seen. It may lead to repeated checking, avoiding touching loose hair, asking other people to clean it away or changing routines to prevent encountering it.

Possible triggers

Finding loose hair in a brush, noticing hair on clothing or clearing hair from a drain.

Name origin

From Greek thrix (hair) and -phobia.

A fear of losing one’s mind can affect everyday situations involving thoughts of going insane, losing control, thoughts of losing your mind and mental breakdown. It may lead to monitoring thoughts and mental sensations, seeking reassurance, avoiding information or situations that trigger the fear, or trying hard to suppress particular thoughts.

Possible triggers

Reading about loss of mental control or interpreting an unfamiliar thought as a sign of losing your mind.

Name origin

From Greek lyssa (madness) and -phobia.

Also known as

Maniaphobia

A fear of loud noises can affect everyday situations involving loud noise, sudden bang, fireworks and alarm. It may lead to scanning for the sensation or visual cue, avoiding particular environments or objects, leaving situations early, or arranging surroundings to prevent encountering it.

Possible triggers

Anticipating amplified sound at an event, hearing a loud appliance or being near raised voices.

Name origin

From Greek phōnē (sound) and -phobia.

Also known as

Acousticophobia

The position of an object on the left is the defining feature.

Possible triggers

Noticing objects arranged to your left or being asked to sit with something on that side.

Name origin

Combines levo- (on the left), from Latin laevus, with Greek-derived -phobia (fear).

A fear of otters can affect everyday situations involving otters in water, river otter, zoo otter and otter. It may lead to scanning surroundings, avoiding places where the animal might appear, asking other people to check or deal with it, or leaving suddenly when one is seen.

Possible triggers

Visiting an otter enclosure, watching otter footage or walking near a place known for otters.

Name origin

From Latin lutra (otter) and -phobia.

A fear of severe storms or tornadoes can affect everyday situations involving weather warning, severe storm, natural disaster and tornado.

Possible triggers

Receiving a severe-storm warning, seeing tornado footage or anticipating a storm approaching your area.

Name origin

From Greek lilaps (whirlwind) and -phobia.

A fear of speaking can affect everyday situations involving conversation anxiety, talking, stuttering and speaking. It may lead to avoiding interaction, rehearsing what to say, monitoring other people’s reactions, or replaying encounters afterwards.

Possible triggers

Being asked a question aloud, beginning a conversation or anticipating having to speak.

Name origin

From Greek lalia (speech) and -phobia.

Also known as

Laliophobia