A fear of masks can affect costume events, performances, celebrations and situations where faces are covered. It may lead to avoiding masked people, leaving events early, keeping extra distance or feeling unable to relax when someone’s face cannot be fully seen.

Possible triggers

Someone putting on a mask, entering a costume shop or attending an event with masked performers.

Name origin

From English mask with -phobia.

A fear of meat can affect everyday situations involving cooking meat, raw meat, animal flesh and butcher. It may lead to restricting foods, checking ingredients or preparation, avoiding meals, shops or restaurants, or relying heavily on familiar choices.

Possible triggers

Passing a meat counter, seeing meat being prepared or being served a meat dish.

Name origin

From Latin caro (flesh) and -phobia.

A fear of injections can make vaccinations, blood tests, dental treatment or other healthcare appointments feel difficult to approach. It may involve postponing care, intense anticipatory anxiety, feeling faint, or distress about pain, injury or loss of control.

Possible triggers

Examples include waiting for a blood test, seeing a needle being prepared or anticipating an injection at a medical appointment.

Name origin

From Greek trypanon (borer or drill) and -phobia.

A fear of medication can make starting or following a treatment plan feel difficult. 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

Discussing a new treatment plan or anticipating a change to an established care routine.

Name origin

From Greek pharmakon (drug) and -phobia.

Memories themselves are the focus. This is different from being afraid of losing your memory.

Possible triggers

Looking at an old photograph, returning to a familiar place or anticipating recollections you find frightening.

Name origin

From Greek mneme (memory or remembrance) and -phobia (fear).

A fear of memory loss can affect everyday situations involving losing memories, forgetting, dementia fear and memory loss. 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

Forgetting a familiar name, misplacing an item or discussing the possibility of memory loss.

Name origin

From Greek amnesia (forgetfulness) and -phobia.

A fear of men can affect everyday situations involving being alone with a man, group of men, male strangers and masculine voices. It may lead to avoiding interaction, rehearsing what to say, monitoring other people’s reactions, or replaying encounters afterwards.

Possible triggers

Being introduced to a man, sharing a space with men or anticipating an appointment with a male professional.

Name origin

From Greek anēr / andros (man) and -phobia.

Also known as

Arrhenphobia, Hominophobia

A fear of menstruation can affect everyday situations involving monthly bleeding, menstrual cycle, period pain and period. 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 period, noticing menstrual bleeding or discussing menstruation.

Name origin

From Greek mēn (month) and -phobia.

A fear of metal objects can affect everyday situations involving metal surface, cold metal, steel and iron. 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

Handling metal cutlery, touching a metal door handle or using a metal tool.

Name origin

From Greek metallon (metal) and -phobia.

A fear of meteors or objects falling from the sky can affect everyday situations involving object falling from sky, shooting star, space debris and meteor.

Possible triggers

Seeing a shooting star, hearing about a meteor shower or watching footage of an object falling from the sky.

Name origin

From Greek meteōros (high in the air) and -phobia.