PHOBIAS

 It is a commonly known fact that public speaking is the No. 1 fear; death is No. 2.  Everyone has a fear of something.  Some phobias are more common than others. 

Many people have a fear of teachers, cops, dentists and doctors.  Last week, I again experienced “white coat syndrome”, where blood pressure rises because of nervousness about seeing the doctor.  I also recently experienced fear of taking tests, actually called “testophobia”, which some psychologists believe is actually a fear of success.

The list of identified phobias is extensive.  Some of the clinical names are easy to figure out, such as obesophobia, fear of gaining weight, or “Papaphobia”, fear of the Pope.  Other phobia names make no sense, unless you speak ancient Greek or Latin.  For example, “arachibutyrophobia” is the fear of peanut butter sticking to the roof of the mouth;  “Venustraphobia” is the fear of beautiful women;  “Paraskavedekatriaphobia” is fear of Friday the 13^th; “lilapsophobia” is fear of tornados and hurricanes.

Jim Morrison of the 1960s rock group, The Doors, wasn’t exactly a role model, but he was an extraordinary poet and philosopher.  Morrison said “Expose yourself to your deepest fear; after that, fear has no power.”

So, in the course of any ordinary day, I may experience politicaladophobia, taxophobia, houseworkaphobia, exercisophobia, gaspriceaphobia, alarmclockophobia, fastfoodophobia, realityshowophobia, narcilepsiphobia, bankruptophobia, and hangoveraphobia, but with any luck, I won’t have to do any public speaking.

###annie