A Phobia presents itself in a number of categories and is a source of fear and anxiety for a person.

A phobia is an anxiety disorder involving fear of a situation or object. Image: Phobia Stock Photos

Phobia of the Day: What is Cacophobia?

A phobia is an anxiety disorder involving fear of a situation or object. Exposure to the source of the fear triggers an irrational response.

A Phobia presents itself in a number of categories and is a source of fear and anxiety for a person.

A phobia is an anxiety disorder involving fear of a situation or object. Image: Phobia Stock Photos

A phobia is an anxiety disorder involving excessive and persistent fear of a situation or object. Exposure to the source of the fear triggers an immediate anxiety response.

Most specific phobias fall into one of four major categories:

  • Fears of the natural environment
  • Fears related to animals
  • Fear related to medical treatments or issues
  • Fears related to specific situations

Phobia of the Day: Cacophobia is an extreme fear of ugliness that’s rooted in anxiety

Cacophobia is an extreme fear of ugliness that’s rooted in anxiety. It’s an irrational fear of becoming ugly or triggers panic when viewing something the individual thinks of as ugly. It’s a phobia that’s subjective as opposed to objective, which means an individual who suffers from cacophobia determines that they’re viewing something they perceive as ugly and scary. The symptoms of cacophobia present themselves in the same way as most anxiety disorders. Someone suffering from the disorder tends to exhibit the following physical symptoms:

  • Dizziness
  • Lightheadedness
  • Chills
  • Heavy sweating
  • Upset stomach
  • Nausea
  • Shortness of breath or shallow breathing
  • Trembling

SELF-CARE TIPS FOR PHOBIAS THAT BRING ON ANXIETY

  • Talk to someone you trust. 
  • Learn to manage panic and anxiety. 
  • Look into joining a support group. 
  • Use self-help resources. 
  • Take a course for your specific phobia.

RECENT PHOBIA WORD POSTS:

 Agraphobia

 Atomosophobia

 Apiphobia

Arsonphobia

Allodoxaphobia

Do you have a phobia you suffer from that you’d like to share?

If so, send an email to info@thesouthafrican.com or a WhatsApp to 060 011 0211 and we’ll publish the ones that we feel are most interesting!

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