6 Phobias That Paralyze People

While most people tend to live a normal life, there are those of us who are paralyzed at the very sight or thought of certain stimuli. To regular people, mentioning a spider, or a tall building, does nothing to scare them, but, for some, this is their worst nightmare coming true. Here is a top of the six most debilitating phobias in the world today.

The fear of the dark is something that has remained with some of us since the days of our youth, when the Bogeyman inhabited the closet, and other monsters crawled under the bed. Since that time, the years that went on by removed the horrors from the dark, but the darkness itself persisted as something to be very afraid of. As such, sufferers tend to go to sleep with their lights turned on, and wish nothing but to prevent being enveloped by shadows.

On a slightly different note, the fear of heights (acrophobia) is more common. Not everyone has the stomach to work atop skyscrapers, but there are those who cannot even stand looking out the window of the second floor without panicking. There is not a full explanation for this condition, but scientists believe it may have something to do with the brain misinterpreting distance stimuli, as well as abnormal activity in the amygdala, the fear center of the human brain.

Agoraphobia is one of the most peculiar types of phobia, and it is largely expressed against large crowds, or unfamiliar places and situations. The term comes from Greek, where “agora” means “marketplace,” where the town meetings were held, and many people attended. People suffering from this form of phobia avoid crowded places at all costs, including elevators and queues in shops. Some of the most severe cases of agoraphobia manifest themselves in people who cannot bear to leave the safety of their own homes, as this is the only perceivable safe place.

Claustrophobia is among the most dangerous types of phobias. It refers to the fear some people have of extremely tight or confined spaces, where they feel like the walls are pressing on them, and there is no air. One of the most common symptoms of such an attack is the sensation of chocking, which many experience every time they go into elevators, or on narrow flights of stairs. The anxiety disorder is estimated to be affecting anywhere between two to five percent of the world's population, making it one of the most common phobias out there.

The fear of snakes is less common than other phobias, but it's just as paralyzing. Those who have it tend to steer clear of objects that are even remotely similar to the slithering reptiles, as everything that evokes them can cause a panic attack. Scientifically termed ophidiophobiam, this phobia is a subclass of the herpetophobia, the general fear of reptiles.

Highest on the list is the arachnophobia, because it is very common, and often devastatingly scary. Sufferers are very often faced with the sight of spiders that are in the bad habit of nesting everywhere they can, including in people's homes and living rooms. In the worst cases, those who experience this fright sleep very poorly, as they imagine that the spiders will crawl over them at night. When faced with the actual insect, most sufferers freeze up, or immediately have a panic attack.