Name that Phobia! Trivia Quiz

Answer: Autophobia

Autophobia is sometimes known as the opposite of agoraphobia (the fear of large crowds and crowded spaces). Those who have autophobia may feel dizzy, nauseous, or be unable to move once left alone. It is also known as isolophobia, monophobia, or even eremophobia. This phobia stems not so much from the fear of physical isolation, but also from the fear of being ignored or emotionally left alone.

Answer: Epistemophobia

That's right, epistemophobia is the fear of knowledge. The term comes from the Greek, with "epistemo" meaning knowledge. Someone suffering from epistemophobia might avoid all books, media, and schooling because they are too afraid of learning something new. They might experience dizziness, shortness of breath, numbness, and other symptoms.

Someone with epistemophobia might have had a traumatic event while young that brought on the phobia, or they might have developed it simply because they didn't want to learn things that would make them afraid.

Answer: Catoptrophobia

While spectrophobia is a fear of what you see or might see in a mirror, catoptrophobia is a fear of the mirror itself. Usually, those who suffer from catoptrophobia are afraid of what the mirror will tell them, such as their physical appearance. Symptoms usually include those associated with panic attacks, such as shallow breathing and a rapid heartbeat.

Answer: Judeophobia

Judeophobia means fear of Jews. It is associated with antisemitism, which is prejudice of or irrational hatred of Jewish people. Unlike antisemitism, however, judeophobia is usually accompanied by phobia symptoms, such as sweating, dizziness, and panic.

Answer: Bathophobia

Someone with bathophobia might be afraid of anything with depth, from water to deep holes or deep stairs. Often associated with deep oceans and seas, bathophobia can be acquired by someone who had a traumatic experience with depths in the past, such as nearly drowning, or having seen someone else drown or have a fear of depths. For some, it is a fear of the unknown within depths that can be frightening.

Answer: Frigophobia

People who suffer from frigophobia often dress for cold weather, even if it's warm outside. In Chinese culture, where it is relatively common, it is referred to as weihanzheng, and is associated with an imbalance between a person's yin and yang. Frigophobia is practically nonexistent in North America and Europe.

Answer: Hoplophobia

The word hoplophobia was purportedly created by Colonel Jeff Cooper, an author, in 1962. It usually pertains to someone who has an extreme and unwarranted fear of guns or firearms in general. Although firearms are dangerous and should be used with caution, those who suffer from hoplophobia experience unwarranted fear and anxiety around them.

Answer: Gelotophobia

With gelotophobia, a person might be particularly scared of being laughed at, especially in a social setting. They might be continually on the lookout for signs of others laughing at them. Gelotophobia might be caused by many factors, including past traumatic events and bullying.

Answer: Insectophobia

Also known as entomophobia, insectophobia is a broad term for any fear of insects. In most cases, the person has a phobia for a particular insect, such as arachnophobia (fear of spiders), and usually stems from a past traumatic event involving an insect. It is one of the most common phobias in North America.

Answer: Dishabiliophobia

Those who suffer from dishabiliophobia have a fear of undressing in front of someone, even if they are in a relationship with each other. It is often associated with a fear of one's personal appearance or being judged. Therapy has been known to assist with dishabiliophobia. Symptoms might include anxiety, sweating, and stiff muscles.