Most people are afraid of something in life, whether it’s spiders, heights, or flying.
However, you might be surprised to learn what the most common fears are among Americans, according to a new online analysis.
Researchers analyzed the volume of Google searches for 10 different phobias over the course of a month.
According to the data, the most commonly searched phobia on Google is a little-known fear called trypophobia: being afraid of small holes or bumps grouped together.
Sufferers may be disgusted by foods such as honeycomb and Swiss cheese, and objects such as biscuits.
The term comes from the Greek words for “hole” and “fear,” but the condition was first described and named in 2005.
Several celebrities have admitted to suffering from trypophobia, including Sarah Paulson and Kendall Jenner.
Previous studies suggest it is surprisingly prevalent, affecting up to 17 percent of children and adults – about one in six people – most of whom are women.
The symptoms of trypophobia are similar to those of other phobias and anxiety disorders, including sweating, nausea, difficulty breathing, and dry mouth in fear.
Still, other studies Studies suggest that the most common fear is public speaking, with one-quarter of Americans suffering from this problem. Fear of clowns is also common, affecting about one in 15.
The high volume of searches for trypophobia may be more an indicator of the intrigue it has among Americans than of how common it is.
Model Kendall Jenner has said she has an extreme aversion to the sight of tiny holes grouped together in a pattern, known as trypophobia.
The second most common phobia revealed by data collected by digital signature QR Code Generator was agoraphobia, or the fear of leaving an environment known to be safe, which often leads people to not leave their homes.
Studies have estimated that this affects between 0.9 percent and 1.7 percent of the American population.
According to the NIH, people with agoraphobia are often confined to their homes, with crippling anxiety about being in crowded spaces such as airports, public transportation, and shopping malls.
Zac Efron has said he is afraid to go out, a symptom of agoraphobia
Most cases of agoraphobia arise before age 35, with increased risk during late adolescence and early adulthood.
Actor Zac Efron has said he fears going out in crowded places, saying in 2022: “I just don’t go out.” The famous film director Woody Allen is also said to be agoraphobic.
Anxiolytics and antidepressants can help people living with agoraphobia.
They are also advised to prioritize relaxation to regain some semblance of control when leaving the house, as agoraphobics often fear having a panic attack in public.
Marc Porcar, CEO of QR Code Generator, said: ‘It’s important to recognise that phobias can often have life-altering effects and can significantly impact what a person can and cannot do in everyday life.
“It is encouraging to see people turning to the Internet to seek support and online resources on how to overcome their phobias.”
Misophonia was named the third most searched phobia. It causes a severe aversion to chewing, swallowing, and wheezing. People with this phobia often describe these sounds as “driving them crazy.”
Typically, sounds that some people find repulsive are not perceived by others. They can be as harmless as a child yawning, rain falling, or the sounds of other diners in a restaurant.
According to Dr James Cartreine of Harvard University: ‘It affects some more than others and can lead to isolation as people with the condition try to avoid these triggering sounds.
‘People who suffer from misophonia often feel embarrassed and don’t mention it to health care providers (and often health care providers haven’t even heard of it anyway).’
He aggregate:’Misophonia usually appears around the age of 12 and probably affects more people than we think.’
People with thalassophobia fear deep waters, such as oceans and lakes. People are not afraid of water, but rather of what lies beneath the surface.
The fourth most searched phobia was thalassophobia, a disorder characterized by a fear of large, deep bodies of water, including oceans and lakes.
People are not exactly afraid of water but rather of what lies beneath the surface.
People who have had traumatic experiences in the ocean or lakes are especially prone to thalassophobia, although you don’t have to be near water to feel anxiety. Just imagining the ocean can bring on a cold sweat.
Emetophobia is the fifth most searched phobia and is defined as an extreme disgust and aversion to vomiting.
Some celebrities who have said they suffer from this phobia include Bella Ramsey from The Last of Us, English singer Franke Bridge and actress Denise Richards.
It is not just about the fear of vomiting, but also the anxiety of not being able to get to the bathroom quickly, the fear of embarrassment, of not being able to stop vomiting or of choking on one’s own vomit.
Actress Bella Ramsey, star of The Last of Us, has said that she has emetophobia, extreme disgust and an aversion to vomiting.
People with emetophobia often Restrict your food intake with a focus on “safe” foods, often avoiding logical patterns such as avoiding bread for fear of mold while tolerating fried and greasy foods.
Avoidance extends to alcohol, medications with nausea warnings, and social settings where vomiting risks are perceived.
Daily routines, such as eating quickly or late, are altered, and social and work activities may be affected, impacting professional and personal goals. Pregnancy may be avoided for fear of morning sickness.
The sixth most common was claustrophobia: an irrational fear of closed spaces such as elevators, closets, tunnels and cars.
About 12.5 percent of the population has this fear, and the majority are women.
Several celebrities, including Ryan Reynolds and Uma Thurman, have spoken out about suffering from claustrophobia.
For someone with acrophobia, the top of a roller coaster is especially terrifying.
In seventh place was acrophobia, or fear of heights. Acrophobia can be extremely disorienting and cause someone to have difficulty thinking clearly, panic, feel paralyzed and shake.
Between two and six percent of the general population suffers from acrophobia and the frequency of affected women is twice that of men.
Traditionally, actual exposure to heights is a solution to the phobia, but this can be daunting for anyone living with it.
Rupert Grint has arachnophobia, just like his character in the Harry Potter franchise, Ron Weasley.
Arachnophobia, or fear of spiders, ranked eighth, with a search volume of 72,934.
Rupert Grint, who played Ron Weasley in the Harry Potter franchise, suffers from a phobia just like his character in the movies.
In ninth place was hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia, an ironic fear of long words, with a search volume of 69,323. It often extends to the fear of mispronouncing long words when reading aloud.
It can prevent a child from reading, especially in class, and cause severe anxiety in educational settings.
People with this phobia may try to avoid long words, but that is not always possible. For example, they can say “refrigerator” instead of icebox.
Thanatophobia, an intense fear of death or dying, ranked 10th. It can manifest as feelings of terror or anguish when thinking about one’s own death or that of a loved one.
Meanwhile, the least searched phobia was sociophobia, an anxiety disorder characterized by fear of social situations.
The search volume is very suggestive, but some of the searches could be coming from curious Internet users, not necessarily from people who believe they have a specific phobia.
However, those who do so likely suffer some level of debilitating effects, such as fear of flying on airplanes or inability to eat certain foods.
Porcar said: ‘It’s important to recognise that phobias can often have life-altering impacts and can significantly affect what a person can and cannot do in everyday life. It’s encouraging to see people turning to the internet for online support and resources to overcome phobias.’
