Astrophobia, a not common phobia.

Have you ever been afraid of something that's not common? Have you ever been afraid of something that you feel you should not be afraid of?
You may have a phobia and you don't know it.  According to Oxford dictionary, a phobia is "an extreme or irrational fear of or a version to something". Some people feel fear of spiders (arachnophobia), others feel fear of situations in which scape is difficult (agoraphobia) and others feel fear of dogs (cynophobia).

In my life, I've heard about phobias that are pretty extrange, but this one really called my attention.
Astrophobia is the fear of stars, planets and space. It can be connected with to fears of dark, being alone or being away from home. People with astrophobia can have a persistent and overwhelming fear of the situation, dizziness, rapid heartbeat shaking, palpitations, difficulty thinking about anything than the fear, and persistent worrying about upcoming events that involve planets or stars.

There are lots of treatments for people with astrophobia such as behavior therapy, anti-anxiety medication, psychotherapy, cognitive-behavioral therapy, exposure therapy, relaxation techniques, and medication to treat anxiety.

I was pretty amazed when I realized that astrophobia actually exists. I met someone that suffers from this. I have a friend that feels so scared every time he sees images of planets or stars. First, he starts shaking, and then he can't control their actions. I talked to him some time ago about this. I asked him how does he feel when he sees a planet in a photograph. His answer was so simple: "I feel the same as you when you see a spider". He was right, I'm afraid of spiders and I can't control my feelings when I see one. My hands start to sweat and my heartbeats are faster.

What about you? Do you have a phobia that's not common?





Astrophobia