A fear of darkness can affect everyday situations involving dark room, lights off, pitch black and shadow. 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

Examples include switching off the bedroom light, entering a dark cinema, noticing dusk approaching or preparing to sleep in a dark room.

Name origin

From Greek nyx (night) and -phobia.

Also known as

Achluphobia, Noctiphobia, Myctophobia, Scotophobia, Lygophobia

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

A fear of germs or contamination can affect touching everyday surfaces, using public places, eating, travel and contact with other people. It may lead to repeated washing or cleaning, checking, reassurance-seeking or avoiding situations that feel contaminated even when ordinary hygiene would be sufficient.

Possible triggers

Touching a shared surface, using a public bathroom or worrying that an object has become contaminated.

Name origin

From Greek mysos (pollution or contamination) and -phobia.

Also known as

Molysmophobia, Rhypophobia, Rupophobia, Germophobia, Verminophobia, Misophobia

A fear of large objects can affect city centres, ports, museums and places containing huge buildings, statues, ships or machinery. It may lead to avoiding certain routes or destinations, keeping extra distance or becoming overwhelmed by the scale of an object.

Possible triggers

Standing beside a large statue, approaching a huge ship or seeing an oversized structure nearby.

Name origin

From Greek megas (large) and -phobia.

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 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 machines can affect everyday situations involving factory equipment, mechanical device, machine and engine. It may lead to avoiding touching, using or being near the object, asking others to deal with it, changing routines, or checking surroundings for the trigger.

Possible triggers

Standing near operating machinery, switching on a mechanical device or entering a workshop.

Name origin

From Greek mechane (machine) and -phobia.

A fear of magic or supernatural punishment can affect everyday situations involving supernatural punishment, witchcraft, spell and sorcery. It may lead to avoiding certain places, images, stories or times of day, checking surroundings, seeking reassurance, or staying away from reminders of the feared idea.

Possible triggers

Watching a scene involving a spell, discussing magic or encountering a story about supernatural punishment.

Name origin

From Greek rhabdos (rod or wand) and -phobia.

A fear of making decisions can affect everyday choices, work, relationships and situations with several possible options. It may lead to postponing decisions, repeatedly checking pros and cons, asking others to choose or seeking reassurance that you have made the right choice.

Possible triggers

Choosing between job offers, selecting from several options or being asked to make a decision on the spot.

Name origin

From Latin decidere (to decide) and -phobia.

A fear of marriage or commitment can affect everyday situations involving long term relationship, settling down, wedding and engagement. 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

Discussing marriage, being asked about a shared future or considering a long-term relationship commitment.

Name origin

From Greek gamos (marriage) and -phobia.