Featured Fear: Chromophobia (Fear of Colors)

 I hate wearing white. Sometimes I hate wearing pastels. I will usually pick a black shirt if it's an option, though I wouldn't say I'm afraid of other colors. There are those, however, who find that their disinterest in colorful clothes goes far beyond wanting to look a bit thinner or coordinate with their jeans. In fact, for some it may be such an intense dislike - - a fear - - that a handful of brightly colored M&M's might cause a full-blown panic attack. I'm speaking of course about Chromophobia (also known as Chromatophobia).

For sensitive readers, the following image may be traumatic, and I apologize in advance.

There's a story this reminds me of, though for the life of me I can't quite remember or find the title. An artist tried to paint a man who may or may not have been a vengeful spirit / vampire and couldn't get the right shade of red in his cheeks and lips, so she kept grinding the paint into the canvas until she became frustrated and used her own blood. The color took for a moment or so, and then she used even more blood when it faded, driven to using more and more until she lay dead on the floor. Color is symbolic in so many ways, in cinema, in art, and it's a powerful tool for those of us who can see it. When we think about how certain colors can evoke dark moments in stories, it's much easier to relate to this fear. Often, the fear of colors focuses on one in particular for a person who was traumatized at one point in their life. Maybe what stood out was the shade of their mother's dress, the bright yellow of a fluorescent light, or the monochromatic design of a room that dominates that memory.

Sometimes I start reading about these fears with a judgmental lens until I come to understand why they may happen, and I'm never disappointed. Hypersensitivity can even play a role in chromophobia, especially those with related mental struggles. Cultural ties to certain colors can weave fears so deep that the fear of a certain color is a superstition shared amongst an entire group or town. There are so many complex reasons behind this fear, it's hard to know where to begin with treatment options.

Exposure therapy doesn't seem to be quite as common as with other phobias, due to the fact that it's virtually impossible to avoid one color for very long, but CBT is fairly popular. Getting to the root of a fear, working it out, and linking the irrational mind with the rational.

All that being said, Alter (a short film group featured on Youtube) has a fantastic film called 'Chromophobia' and I couldn't help but share it with you, the readers. I suppose red might very well be the worst color of them all.

Featured Fear: Politicophobia (Fear of Politicians)

Have any of you seen 'Dr. Strangelove or; How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb'? How about 'The Dead Zone' or 'Braindead'? 'The Manchurian Candidate', 'Society', 'The Invasion of the Body Snatchers', 'They Live'? It's no surprise to me that horror often revisits the themes of government and/or religion time and again. People can take both subjects pretty far in their devotion to them. As a Texan, now that early voting is opening up, I have friends who are legitimately afraid to come to work the day after election results roll out. Honestly, we work at a liquor store, so I can definitely understand the source of that fear.

Perhaps in the future we may visit Religiophobia, but today's subject is far more obviously partisan. Politicophobia, the fear of politicians.

I think the relative hand-in-hand relationship between big businesses and special interests with politics make that last comic relevant.

Let me expand on the fear of politicians, because I think it's healthy to be at least a little concerned that anyone with the keys to the kingdom might trash the place before they leave if there's not a few house rules to keep them in check. Politicophobia takes this fear to a new level, it's the more irrational and extreme end. They can have extreme anxiety attacks, and display to avoidance at such a level that they'll outright refuse to even think about voting, much less engage in any discussion related to a politician. Sources such as 'Fearof.org' and 'Psychtimes.com' reference genetics as a possible source of this fear, as well as a hostile home environment on the subject growing up, or a traumatic event. One might say anyone who dealt with a man like John Wayne Gacy (who had been active in his local Democratic party scene) or or Ted Bundy (also active in his Republican party scene) was far more prone to developing Politicophobia than your average Joe.

Per usual, exposure therapy is often used to help treat this problem, as well as CBT (Cognitive Behavior Therapy), and there is no one size fits all. Now, before I move on to a fun video only remotely relevant, I'd like to advise those of you out there in the states especially that it's okay to have a fear like this. There are so many phobias out there that are far more harmless (and some I've touched on). That being said, I strongly encourage you to vote and talk to someone who might be willing to go with you and support you. Or drop off a ballot. Either way, fighting a phobia is always going to go further to ending it than closing your eyes.

Featured Phobia: Ichthyophobia (Fear of Fish)

"Ocean is more ancient than the mountains, and freighted with the memories and the dreams of Time."

- H. P. Lovecraft

Have you ever eaten catfish? My mom told me once when I was a kid to be very careful of the bones, because no matter how good anybody was at preparing it, there would always be a few little sharp slivers left over. For some reason, this scared the hell out of me, and ever since I get a little paranoid about eating catfish. I shouldn't, really. The bones are small enough to chew into nothing if you just so happen to find them. There are plenty of people out there, however, who don't just stop at avoiding catfish. In fact, there are those who are entirely terrified of seeing, let alone eating any sort of fish.

Yes, I realize being afraid of sharks is technically Galeophobia, but it seemed more relevant than an illustration from Moby Dick - - which, by the way, still wouldn't be relevant to Ichthyophobia either. The fear of whales is called 'Cetaphobia'. There really is a word for every fear.

There's the common wisdom that fish are apparently packed with mercury that has given some people issues with fish, of course. Then there's the fact that their eyes and scales are just a tiny bit creepy. No man seemed more terrified of the ocean and whatever came out of it than Lovecraft, and he was a brilliant artist on the subject, so maybe Ichthyophobia isn't such a terrible thing. Still, gradual exposure therapy isn't a bad idea anyway. Often psychologists will recommend showing children especially that there isn't anything to fear when dealing with fish. Though I think we all know they're fooling themselves if they think the aquatic old ones aren't going to come after us some day.

The following is an episode of Figaro Phoo about a fish. This show gives me intense anxiety every time I watch it, but who knows? Maybe it'll help those out there suffering with their fear of fish and give them a good laugh.

Featured Phobia: Catoptrophobia (fear of mirrors)

Say that one three times fast. Catoptrophobia, catoptrophiblia, catroptohobi...Let's just call it fear of mirrors. This should be one we're all well aware of, and why not? Everyone is raised on some myth about a monster in the mirror, usually Bloody Mary, sometimes Candyman if you prefer horror movies to stories. When we're toddlers, we learn about object permanence, and examining your reflection is a major part of the process. It's also oddly magical in a manner of speaking. You see yourself, and deep down the primitive part of your soul may wonder whether that's actually you looking back, or something far more sinister.

Catoptrophobia isn't really about fearing the mirror itself. It's the reflection. Reflection of the self, of objects, or even words being mouthed. Some people find this fear so entrenched that even seeing a shiny surface that can reflect an image back, whether it's clear or not. A vast majority of sufferers associate mirrors with the supernatural, and these fears can often stem from religious or superstitious beliefs. Sometimes it merely relates to poor self image, as with those suffering from body dysmorphia.

Gradual exposure, psychotherapy, and 'talk therapy' through support groups are common ways of treating this fear. However, given that it can relate to concerns about the supernatural, even homeopathic remedies might have a place for the sufferer who believes in them. At the end of the day, my only real advice to you is fairly simple. You can run, you can even hide your reflection, but never break a mirror. I think you know why.

Additionally, I can't resist sharing this scene from my favorite Nightmare on Elm Street film (part 4), so for those who haven't seen it - - you may want to sit this one out.

Featured Fear: Acrophobia (Fear of Heights)

I do not fear heights. I love them. Roller coasters. Sky drops. Winding bridges. You name it, I love it. There's a certain adrenaline rush a person can get from scaling heights (that's probably why so many people love climbing hills and mountains.) All of that being said, this scene right here? Anxiety. Sheer painful (albeit comedic) anxiety. Every time I see someone dangling out of a window or over a roof in a movie, even one that reaches the very height of silly, I get incredibly anxious for the main character.

Jimmy Stewart gets it. Acrophobia is probably one of the most reasonable, and almost primal phobias a person can have. When you're afraid of the dark, it's the unknown that scares you the most. But heights? It's because your brain can probably play out a hundred thousand scenarios of just how brutal and grisly an accident could be if you fell. No matter how safe you may actually be.

It doesn't just stop with panic attacks. Acrophobia can be so intense, that a person becomes paralyzed, or stricken by extreme vertigo. The danger of this fear is that in some cases, being unable to control your body or force yourself to move may very well get you killed (say you're walking on a narrow perch or driving around an old road on a steep hill. Panicking isn't going to help.) Luckily, as with all phobias, psychotherapy, medication, exposure, and even meditation can help to ease the worst of your fears. Just remember. Don't look down.

Featured Fear: Gynophobia (Fear of Women)

Have you ever seen 'The Bad Seed'? Perhaps you grew up with a little girl just as evil as little Rhoda, or knew an old woman as mad as Norman's 'mother'. Whatever the reason, the fear of women is more than simple romantic anxiety. It's more than a desperate need to hide when the girl you like or want to meet is in the room. It's sheer, desperate terror.

The above is an absolutely fantastic tribute by Nash Mau. I highly recommend visiting their channel.

One might argue that film noir is inspired just a little by the fear of women. Some sexual dynamo of a female tricks a young schmuck into doing something for her, leading him down a dark path that more often than not ends up with more than one death along the way.

Gender and sex are a funny thing. I'm not sure if gynophobia usually translates into fear of transgendered women as well, but I wouldn't be too terribly surprised. A lot of these fears tend to stem from a history of abuse suffered at the hands of a mother figure, another female relative, or even a spouse over time. I'd like to say it's easily treated by a simple interaction with one very nice woman to allay all your fears, but this deep-seated issue requires therapy, as with all other phobias.

With that, I'd like to leave all of you with perhaps one of the most sexist quotes, and an example of one of many men who seems to have feared women as deeply as he may have feared his own death...

Woman is a misbegotten man and has a faulty and defective nature in comparison to his. Therefore she is unsure in herself. What she cannot get, she seeks to obtain through lying and diabolical deceptions. And so, to put it briefly, one must be on one's guard with every woman, as if she were a poisonous snake and the horned devil. ... Thus in evil and perverse doings woman is cleverer, that is, slyer, than man. Her feelings drive woman toward every evil, just as reason impels man toward all good.

- Albertus Magnus

Featured Fear: Pedophobia (fear of children/childhood)

There are those who love them. Then, there are those who hate them. Finally, there are those who fear them. Children. Often depicted in film as the epitome of innocence, and in some of the most disturbing horror you'll find quite the opposite. The Bad Seed, The Good Son, Village of the Damned, Children of the Corn, Bloody Birthday, the list goes on. And on. And on. 

To quote Georgia Coiner (and maybe Wikipedia too), "children embarrass us because they point ever too cleverly and clearly to our denial of personal, material, and maternal history." I'll admit, I wasn't exactly an angel myself, and this phobia in particular leaves me scratching my head, but it's all too real. Some sources I've scanned seem to indicate that it's not entirely the fear of children, but the fear of what children may do that really motivates this phobia. Children on the cusp of adulthood in particular, ranging from the ages of 12-14. After all, at that age, raging puberty can drive kids to do pretty crazy things.

With a lot of adults deciding to forego parenthood in western countries, too, they're a little less exposed to kids in their daily lives, and generally may develop a general distrust that may eventually develop into pedophobia, but it's not altogether likely to happen to most of us.

Then, there's the fear of childhood itself, which is really more of a fear of thinking about it, stemming from general trauma as a kid (don't all of these phobias seem to come from that?) The most common, and frankly easiest treatment advised for pedophobia is basic exposure therapy. In time, parent or not, almost anyone can overcome their fear if they try.

Now, with that being said, how about a short skit from College Humor to remind you exactly why you should reconsider getting over your fear?

Featured Fear: Thanatophobia (Fear of Death)

In this world, where the fortunate find themselves boxed away from reality, Thanatophobia (fear of death) is all too commonly nurtured, to the point that many people find themselves knocking on wood, tying every act to superstition, every fearful thought to the knowledge that some day we all become worm's meat.

Death is inescapable. Of the many great phobias out there, it is the one that will always capture you in the end, and for many, the very thought is so disturbing that often it seems to usher itself in that much quicker with the stress and obsession it seems to create in the victim. Nothing so typifies this fear being realized in such a literal sense as the knight's eternal struggle with death in Bergman's classic film, 'The Seventh Seal.' A brave man encountering death, denying his fears and at the same time meeting them head on with something as mundane as a game of chess. Bravery, in fact, is the best way to face any fear, isn't it?

The desire for immortality, the modern beautification and idealization of the vampire, our cultural obsession with an upcoming zombie apocalypse, the fact that if you ever bring death up in a general conversation you are pretty much guaranteeing that you're the buzzkill of the year. We are all afraid of death, to some degree. Even for those who deny it, those who obsess with it, those who pursue it. Instinct itself demands that this fear shall always and ever be a constant until the very last man or woman takes his or her very last breath.

Featured Fear: Aquaphobia (fear of water)

I hope you don't mind if I put my drink beside you. There we go...don't worry, though. It's just water.

Hey...are you alright? You look like you're starting to sweat a little. Hold on, I'm just going to take a nice, refreshing sip...Oh, I'm sorry. Here, let me get that for-...you're sure you're okay? Yeah, I've got a paper bag here somewhere for you to breathe in. Do you want something to drink to calm you dow...where are you going?!

Aquaphobia. The fear of water. It's not too hard to believe there are people out there without rabies who have a perishing desire to avoid it at all costs. (By the way, the fear associated with rabies is called 'Hydrophobia'.)  I mean, too much water can kill you, can't it? Whether it's just several drinks, or just being surrounded by it and unable to get any air. Houdini was well aware of how dangerous water could be, after all...water was part of his most famous escape act.

It's hard to tell anyone with a phobia 'not to worry'. However, Houdini survived each and every water torture performance, even surrounded by locks and chains...so if anything, I'd say a ruptured appendix is something to be far more concerned about. So sit back, relax, have a glass of water, and remember...it's everywhere, even in the air you breathe.

Featured Fear: Aichmophobia (fear of sharp objects)

We all remember the famous scene in Psycho, where the innocent Janet Leigh jumps into a shower expecting to wash off the day's grime...only to find herself the victim of a crazed killer, stabbing madly through the curtains, clearly unaware of the term 'personal space'...and if we don't, here's a reminder...

And of course, there's also a little scene from F13, when Bacon gets the shaft...

But what's my point? Other than the literal one? Well...these two scenes (and many others) have something in common. A very disturbing something, in fact...sharp objects. Knives specifically, but they're still sharp in general. All slasher flicks capitalize on sharp things, actually. Giallo movies too, when people aren't being strangled. So...it makes sense that there's a specific fear of sharp objects, when you get right down to it. My point being that this is one of the few phobias I'm featuring that I actually have. And who wouldn't? Just look at these spiky plant things! They're terrifying!

Most aichmophobes tend to experience a general sinking feeling or panic when they come into close contact with their fear, and this tends to count for other phobias as well. Causes tend to be either traumatic, or a simple instinct response (fight or flight.) Funnily enough, aichmophobia can even accompany iatrophobia (fear of doctors) as well...which makes sense. All those needles and things always littered about everywhere. It's generally treated with exposure therapy, which...just gives me the shivers thinking about it, but fortunately aichmophobia is generally a fairly simple phobia. The only thing they really should worry about, if nobody's holding the sharp object in question, is perhaps an angry poltergeist.

Featured Fear: Hemophobia (fear of blood)

This is an odd one, though certainly not as odd as anatadaephobia (fear of being watched by a duck) or something along those lines. Hemophobia is strange, because it isn't usually single. This means people with the fear of blood are usually afraid of something else, like needles or other various pointy things.

Now if you break it down, hemophobia becomes a perfectly reasonable condition. Most often when a person is first introduced to the sight of blood in childhood, it is their own. I suppose this can cause one to associate blood with pain...and it can kind of just get worse from there. This is when it is purely psychological, of course, which hemophobia usually isn't.

When a person is exposed to the sight of blood, the body's reaction is to generally have a small drop in blood pressure. This is instinctual. Because when blood pressure drops, one is less likely to bleed or clot as much if injured. If your blood pressure drops TOO much, you faint. Sooooo...since fainting is usually pretty inconvenient, it can at times be another cause for hemophobia.

Most phobias are treated by desensitization. Hemophobia is too, but...it's also treated in another very unique way. Training one's body to raise their blood pressure, either through tensing muscles or engaging in vigorous activity.

So now that you've read a little bit about hemophobia, here's a short video from a personal favorite show of mine, to ease you into...some kind of...pun using the word vein. I'm not always on my A game here, folks. Much less my B or O game either...

Featured Fear: Arachnophobia (fear of spiders)

“For the rest of her life Arachne was to hang from a thread and to be a great weaver and the descendents of Arachne still weave their magic webs all over the earth today. ”   - The Story of Arachne

So goes a classic myth of (arguably) the most disturbing creatures in the world, equally beautiful and deadly. Though, not always. Much like snakes, there are plenty of breeds of harmless spiders. Still, I'm hard-pressed to remember a time I saw a spider in a public setting and the next nearest person didn't break into a shrieking fit before sentencing poor little thing to a squishy death.

As a small child, I dug through my recently deceased great grandfather's things, and in the very back of his closet I found a strange leather container with a black strap. I pulled it out and looked inside, but it was too dark to see what the recesses of the case held. I reached inside and recoiled in pain. A little black spider crawled out over my arm and skittered down to the ground before disappearing back into the closet. But you know what? I still wasn't afraid of spiders. Then again, the bite didn't turn out to be poisonous.

Perhaps it's the way they walk with their many legs, disturbingly fast and far in such short spaces of time. Perhaps it's the invisible silks they weave from over-hanging branches which catch in the hair of innocent passersby. Or even the tendency of the humble spider to select locations that are already pretty creepy...dark places. Disused places...porch swings...They make for sufficiently creepy nightmare bait.

Desensitization seems to be the only real cure for this phobia, which I find a little difficult. How often do people take trips to spider-filled caves and basements? Luckily I found a music video that might help those of you with arachnophobia issues...

Featured Fear: Coulrophobia (Fear of Clowns)

Did you hear that? There was a squeaky sound. I just heard it. No, I'm not making it up. I'm telling you, there's A CLOWN IN THIS ROOM!

Oh...no, that was just my chair, false alarm.

A surprisingly large number of people have a creeping fear of these pancake-covered children's entertainers, with their large shoes and red noses. The suffix 'coulro' doesn't translate to clown, though. Apparently it means stilt-walker. I can't really say who decided that would be appropriate...possibly because it sounds a little silly.

Many an unprofessional actor is responsible for this fear, believe it or not. I know more than a handful of people who caught a clown on a bad day when they were children and got screamed at or even shoved. Unfortunately, there are always going to be people who give one job a bad name. It's just a shame that children's entertainers aren't exempt from having bad moods.

Still more people just feel uncomfortable with the exagerated behavior of a clown. The intense colors of their clothes. The crazy hair. They are rather wild-looking, when you think about it.

I close this entry about clowns with a gentle reminder that maybe...just maybe...if clowns come from space, those are the ones you'll really want to avoid.

Featured Fear: Pediophobia

There is no shame in a phobia, everybody fears something. Without fear to fuel the flames of...some other kind of horrific f word (but not he sexual one), there'd be no horror. No Halloween. NO TERROR. Be glad we all have some kind of fear in our lives, and try not to be so judgmental of the ones that may seem a little...silly.

No, surprisingly this isn't the fear of children or the fear of the love of children. It's the fear of dolls. This can range from any type of doll, but I'm sure you aren't surprised the most common form of Pediophobia is for those rather eery porcelain dolls your grandmother used to keep on the mantle.

Sometimes a child has trouble telling the difference between a real person and something that may look like one, so it isn't surprising they may even believe dolls are people. People who just...stare at you. People who don't blink (unless of course you have the kind that blinks when you tip it backwards.) People who don't change and are always witness to the naughty things a child does when their parents aren't around.

Believe it or not, Pediophobia does not group itself with the fear of ventriloquist dummies, robots and wax statues (automatonophobia). But it makes sense people might feel uncomfortable towards not-quite-people, things that seem to have all of the appearances of a human being, but lacking that one important aspect...a soul.

But I leave you with a short commercial as a reminder. When you talk to your dolls...sometimes...they talk back.